I just did a cake, and made cornelli lace on it.. used a #2 tip.

I also have seen this happen on my baseball cake, and a few others, anywhere where I use a smallish tip.

My buttercream is 1/2 cup crisco, 1 stick butter, 3tsp butterflavor, 2tsp vanilla, the powdered sugar, and a little water.

I need a crusting BC, so I can smooth it- usually I need it very smooth on cakes.

And I'd like to practice making flowers, differnt borders etc. (I dont know how to do even a simple rose, or rope border)
But like with the cornelli lace, I put it in the box, and when I did, some of the BC lace just fell off, in a perfect line.

any insite?? does this make sense?? LOL

1. I personally find a non-crusting bc way easier to work with.
2. Cracking is almost always a support problem. What type of bottom board are you using?

Thanks y'all

it was 3 cake boards glued together, with onemore the exact size of the cake under it and set on top of the 3, It was set on it only to fondant, paint, and then ice the borders, then put on the three boards. BUT the whole time it was on the single board cut to size, it was on an inverted cakepan to hold it off the counter for handpainting, and it was only an inch or so smaller than the cake itself.

Leah, what would I do to my BC to make it uncrusting?/ and I just need to make up more than one batch? a crusting one for the frosting (unless using fondant like I did on this cake), and thicker boarders. then a non crusting one for writing and scroll work, ?????/

Okay indydebi, so, I should thin out for writing/drawing lines, BUT, keep it thick for shell boarders, scroll boarders, and flowers?/

and while I have two wonderful women willing to answer my questions... will you look at the camo cake, and tell me why that fondant cracked? cause the painting dried it out?? it was SOOOO beautiful when I put it on. It was smooth as glass and even. I was SOOOO shocked, and actually took a picture of it, just to show my husband that I got it so perfect by just dropping it on there! LOL (I've only used fondant a few times, and mostly that was for accent stuff. )

Well, I don't have much advice for the cracking fondant, as I don't use fondant very much. It looks to me like it just kinda wrinkled, that could have happened if the cake itself bent a little bit. Like perhaps when you lifted the cake into the box? I couldn't see what kind of board it was on.

A non crusting BC would be like a meringue buttercream or whipped cream. When I make american buttercream, I make the entire batch quite smooth and soft. Just plain easier to work with, ya know? I might thin it further to do any kind of decoration.

Sorry, the PS was the 2lb bag, and a handful or two to make it stiffer, I live in a really humid area. LOL

And the water, was less than 1/2 a cup.

Thanks rose n crantz I'll have to see about finding another recipe I like for the buttercream.. dang, and I just now taught my kids to make this recipe perfectly... LOL

If I understand correctly, you moved the cake to the three board base only after it was painted? therefore you picked up a heavy fondant cake that only had one board under it?

It was more of a slide it off the pedastel onto the other cake boards.. I never picked it up by one cake board.

And the fondant had indeed cracked by that time, (it was supported by the cake pan and not moved from my painting space until it was time to actually slide it onto the 3glued boards.) but it was more..... not cracks like stucco walls that you can see through cracks. It was more like... creasey cracks. They never seperated (the cracks) they just showed up.

But it was hours later that my BC scroll or lines were just hardening up and falling off, or pulling away.. Like they shrunk when they dried. and if you accidentaly touched one, it just fell off the cake.

and this was the small #2 tip lines, not the crappy borders. LOL (I have GOT to learn how to do those things... )

Sounds like your fondant could be to dry and getting elephant skin, wrinkly cracking, this can happen when moving your cake as well, And i only ever use royal icing when piping onto fondant, it adheres really well.

The BC you're using to pipe with was cracking?? If you're doing piping, you need to add some piping gel to your icing. This will make it a little stickier and more elastic... no cracking. HTH

caths cakes. Thanks- I've been kinda scared of RI- cause I heard you cant use the same bags etc that you used with BC cause of the crisco- I wash mine well, then run them through the washing machine, tips and all, BUT I'm a scatterbrain, I'm always afraid I'll screw it up. LOL I've never used RI, I guess I need to make some- LOL Especially if it will adhear to fondant


Mugabug, thanks I had some, used most of it, I've only ever seen it on clearance at walmart- and I've used most of it. LOL - they dont carry it anymore here- guess I'll have to talk someone into picking me some up next time they are in the city. LOL I only used it to make water shiny... But I'll try to mix it in the BC thanks!!