Icing Looks Like It Is Sagging Or Rippling On Cake...why?

Decorating By pamecakes Updated 26 Jul 2009 , 3:11am by sugarshack

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pamecakes Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 8:46pm
post #1 of 30

I had a wedding cake for today and I iced and decorated it yesterday and it looked beautiful. The icing was nice and smooth then this morning I got up and it looks like it has a rippling effect or is sagging on the sides. I use a recipe that has alpine shotening in it. Does anyone know what is going on?


Thanks for you input
Pam

29 replies
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newnancy Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 9:59pm
post #2 of 30

I also had that exact problem one time & would love to know the answer. I thought maybe it was that the icing was too thin, then I thought I had too much icing on the cake......I don't know.

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khoudek Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 10:03pm
post #3 of 30

I'm not sure what you mean by sagging.... can you post a pic of it?

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marlamae Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 10:10pm
post #4 of 30

Did you have a fruit filling in it? It might have settled over night, or it could have gotten hot.

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pamecakes Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 10:19pm
post #5 of 30

here is a picture to look at.
LL

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dahir Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 10:24pm
post #6 of 30

Oh I would love the answer to this one. I have had this happen several times and now I will only ice a cake (if it's 2 layers or more) the day of the party. This is a real pain but I can not wake up again and have to re-ice a cake. Help somebody.
Oh FYI - I use the wilton recipe icing with the butter. I still use that recipe I just don't ice things in advance.
Thanks,
Tracy

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dahir Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 10:25pm
post #7 of 30

Oh I would love the answer to this one. I have had this happen several times and now I will only ice a cake (if it's 2 layers or more) the day of the party. This is a real pain but I can not wake up again and have to re-ice a cake. Help somebody.
Oh FYI - I use the wilton recipe icing with the butter. I still use that recipe I just don't ice things in advance.
Thanks,
Tracy

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pamecakes Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 10:25pm
post #8 of 30

not sure if picture is there. new to this
LL

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kakeladi Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 10:31pm
post #9 of 30

Possible answers:
cake was NOT cooled enough
Icing was too thin (consistency)
It is *very!* humid in your area. Did you leave the windows open all night?

Any one or all of these might have contributed to the problem .

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pamecakes Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 10:51pm
post #10 of 30

The cake was stacked the night before. Maybe icing to thin not sure and it was humid and I didn't have my air on as cool as I normally do.

Thank you for your suggestions

Thanks to all who have tried to help me.
Pam

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cylstrial Posted 19 Jul 2009 , 12:34am
post #11 of 30

The only other time I have seen that was when a lady used a bettercreme product under fondant. Because the stuff was cold, it caused it to shrink and do that. What else did your recipe have in it?

I have never heard of Alpine shortening before.

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indydebi Posted 19 Jul 2009 , 1:01am
post #12 of 30

I have this happen more often than I want to admit ( icon_redface.gif ) and it's always when I try to rush the process. I would attribute it to the cake settling after you iced it. You iced a cake that was 3.95" tall. Cake settled slightly and now your cake is 3.85" tall but you have 3.95" of icing that has to go somewhere ... so the icing "collapses" so to speak, causing the ripple or elephant skin effect.

This happens to me when I am unable to crumb coat and let the cake sit for significant period of time (like most of the day or even overnight).

When I plan properly and crumb coat the day before, I never have this problem. The cake gets a chance to settle properly before I apply the final icing coat.

That's just my guess. It's actually a S.W.A.G. (Scientific Wild A$$ Guess) so if anyone has other ideas, I'm all ears along with everyone else! icon_smile.gif

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khoudek Posted 19 Jul 2009 , 1:53am
post #13 of 30

I'd also say it has to do with humidity, warmth and thinness of icing. It looks as if the icing is starting to slide down the cake a bit before it set. Warmth and humidity are buggers with real butter in buttercream icing, especially here in the south. Air temp. needs to be on no higher then 70, windows closed, when making, icing and storing the cake. This seems to work for me.

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dandelion56602 Posted 19 Jul 2009 , 3:42am
post #14 of 30

My guess would have been humidity. It's killer here in TN & a lot of people have dehumidifiers. If I don't have time to let a cake sit crumbcoated overnight I let it sit for a few hours. But I always level out my dam by putting wax paper on top then a cookie sheet/ cake pan on top of that & pressing down. I also do this after I've put the top layer on & it helps it "settle" so there won't be as much settling after I ice it. The only time I had a problem my icing "cracked" where it settled.

I'm sorry this happened to you, but always interested in learning how to hopefully avoid situations.

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cylstrial Posted 19 Jul 2009 , 1:39pm
post #15 of 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi



It's actually a S.W.A.G. (Scientific Wild A$$ Guess) so if anyone has other ideas, I'm all ears along with everyone else! icon_smile.gif




Loving the S.W.A.G.
HAHAHA!!
icon_lol.gif

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bisbqueenb Posted 19 Jul 2009 , 1:54pm
post #16 of 30

I agree with Indy....I think it is a case of the cake shrinking and the icing not! I NEVER frost my tiered cakes the same day I bake them just for that reason! I like to give them overnight to stabilize before I start working on them. Sheet and small party cakes that will be eaten right away.....no problem....but with a large tiered cake that may be a 2-3 day decorating/delivery process always have a resting time.

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indydebi Posted 19 Jul 2009 , 2:07pm
post #17 of 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by cylstrial

Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi



It's actually a S.W.A.G. (Scientific Wild A$$ Guess) so if anyone has other ideas, I'm all ears along with everyone else! icon_smile.gif



Loving the S.W.A.G.
HAHAHA!!
icon_lol.gif




I worked for a company and the CFO used that term. I asked him what it meant, he told me, and I accused him of making that up! He assured me that it was a real term he learned while getting his accounting degree and there are times that an estimate is not scientific or logical .... it's just a SWAG.

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sugarshack Posted 19 Jul 2009 , 5:59pm
post #18 of 30

This used to happen to me al the time and made me crazy! I did all kind of experiments, like a crazy woman, and tha is what gave birht to my BC reipe and methods. Once I started using hi ratio, and eliminated water from my recipe, it has never happened again. KNock on wood.

The a/c/heat/dryness of your air might be a factor too. please post your full icing recipe and let me have a look see!

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pamecakes Posted 19 Jul 2009 , 10:05pm
post #19 of 30

Thank you all for your help! I really appreciate!

Here is my procedure-

For Cakes on Sat-
I bake Thurs and stack and crumb ice Thurs. night and then Decorate Friday.

My icing- I use

12 cups powdered sugar
750 grams Alpine shortning (measured)
3/4 c milk
3/4 c. water
flavoring

This is what I have always used.
Hopes this helps to give some more ideas to what I am doing wrong. I definatly don't want this to happen again. Something else I wondered- I noticed on another thread someone put a couple drops of vinegar in their icing which was to help not have little stress cracks...anyone do this? This for anymore ideas anyone has. Maybe the humidity has some to do with.

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pamecakes Posted 19 Jul 2009 , 10:43pm
post #20 of 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarshack

This used to happen to me al the time and made me crazy! I did all kind of experiments, like a crazy woman, and tha is what gave birht to my BC reipe and methods. Once I started using hi ratio, and eliminated water from my recipe, it has never happened again. KNock on wood.

The a/c/heat/dryness of your air might be a factor too. please post your full icing recipe and let me have a look see!




Would you be willing to share your recipe?

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dandelion56602 Posted 20 Jul 2009 , 5:17am
post #21 of 30

Sharon's recipe is in the recipe section.

http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-5163-2-Sugarshacks-icing-and-Tips.html

pamecakes, do you have the link about the vinegar? Some, not all of my cakes suffer from stress cracks & I've wondered what causes them

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cylstrial Posted 20 Jul 2009 , 12:24pm
post #22 of 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Quote:
Originally Posted by cylstrial

Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi



It's actually a S.W.A.G. (Scientific Wild A$$ Guess) so if anyone has other ideas, I'm all ears along with everyone else! icon_smile.gif



Loving the S.W.A.G.
HAHAHA!!
icon_lol.gif



I worked for a company and the CFO used that term. I asked him what it meant, he told me, and I accused him of making that up! He assured me that it was a real term he learned while getting his accounting degree and there are times that an estimate is not scientific or logical .... it's just a SWAG.




Thanks for the little bit of history there. I'm still laughing about it!! icon_biggrin.gif

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FeGe_Cakes Posted 21 Jul 2009 , 9:56pm
post #23 of 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Quote:
Originally Posted by cylstrial

Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi



It's actually a S.W.A.G. (Scientific Wild A$$ Guess) so if anyone has other ideas, I'm all ears along with everyone else! icon_smile.gif



Loving the S.W.A.G.
HAHAHA!!
icon_lol.gif



I worked for a company and the CFO used that term. I asked him what it meant, he told me, and I accused him of making that up! He assured me that it was a real term he learned while getting his accounting degree and there are times that an estimate is not scientific or logical .... it's just a SWAG.




I work at a software company and S.W.A.G. means "Silly Wild @$$ Guess" here. icon_lol.gif

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pamecakes Posted 21 Jul 2009 , 10:34pm
post #24 of 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by dandelion56602

Sharon's recipe is in the recipe section.

http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-5163-2-Sugarshacks-icing-and-Tips.html

pamecakes, do you have the link about the vinegar? Some, not all of my cakes suffer from stress cracks & I've wondered what causes them




It was in the forum Cake Decorating / Everything you need to know about butter cream I think. If I get a chance I will try to go back and look. Hope this helps

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FeGe_Cakes Posted 21 Jul 2009 , 10:55pm
post #25 of 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Quote:
Originally Posted by cylstrial

Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi



It's actually a S.W.A.G. (Scientific Wild A$$ Guess) so if anyone has other ideas, I'm all ears along with everyone else! icon_smile.gif



Loving the S.W.A.G.
HAHAHA!!
icon_lol.gif



I worked for a company and the CFO used that term. I asked him what it meant, he told me, and I accused him of making that up! He assured me that it was a real term he learned while getting his accounting degree and there are times that an estimate is not scientific or logical .... it's just a SWAG.




I work at a software company and S.W.A.G. means "Silly Wild @$$ Guess" here. icon_lol.gif

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FeGe_Cakes Posted 21 Jul 2009 , 10:57pm
post #26 of 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Quote:
Originally Posted by cylstrial

Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi



It's actually a S.W.A.G. (Scientific Wild A$$ Guess) so if anyone has other ideas, I'm all ears along with everyone else! icon_smile.gif



Loving the S.W.A.G.
HAHAHA!!
icon_lol.gif



I worked for a company and the CFO used that term. I asked him what it meant, he told me, and I accused him of making that up! He assured me that it was a real term he learned while getting his accounting degree and there are times that an estimate is not scientific or logical .... it's just a SWAG.


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katwomen1up Posted 22 Jul 2009 , 1:37pm
post #27 of 30

I had this problem too along with blow outs! Drives me crazy, it only started this year and I use the same recipe as I always do. I've chalked it up to humidity, and from cold to warm temperatures.

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pamecakes Posted 25 Jul 2009 , 2:46pm
post #28 of 30

Thank you all for your advice. I am going to try a couple tests today changing my icing. I am going to try adding the coffee mate and see what that does. Again I appreciate all your suggestions!

Happy Caking

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sugarshack Posted 26 Jul 2009 , 3:09am
post #29 of 30

take the water out of your recipe and replace with a liquid that has fat. and use hi ratio if you can, will make a big difference!

did for me! I lived this same nightmare.

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sugarshack Posted 26 Jul 2009 , 3:11am
post #30 of 30

take the water out of your recipe and replace with a liquid that has fat. and use hi ratio if you can, will make a big difference!

did for me! I lived this same nightmare.

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