Hi there,

My first post here!

I work with buttercream cakes, no fondant, I use the traditional (also known as American) buttercream, double the amount of icing sugar to butter with a dash of milk.

I use acrylic discs to get perfectly straight and smooth sides and I leave the bottom disc on, I have a problem where the buttercream sits perfectly above the disc but then the next morning the buttercream has slipped slightly below so you can only just see the disc. This is annoying me no end! 

Could anyone offer any advice please? I thought about using meringue powder but will that help? I currently use a 6.25 inch disc on a 6 inch cake, could it be weight related? Maybe I should try a 6 inch disc as it wouldn't be as heavy? My cakes are fully dowelled etc, I also decorate my cakes after the buttercream had crusted. 

I have attached two pictures, one after the cake was decorated and then the next day. 

image: http://cdn001.cakecentral.com/editor/2016/05/900_buttercream-sliding-d_989015574c351fe99aa.jpg

image: http://cdn001.cakecentral.com/editor/2016/05/900_buttercream-sliding-d_989015574c35206acdd.jpg

Would appreciate any advice! 

Thank you
Terri-Anne

Do you refrigerate the cakes after icing them, or is this happening at room temperature?

Hi there,

It happens at room temp, I have put them in the fridge before and they remain in the same place but when they come to room temperature it condensates too much : (

I am currently trying this recipe I found online - it seems to hard to believe though as mine isn't very stiff, we shall see. 

INGREDIENTS

1. Ingredients
   • 2 cups (1 pound or 454 gram) unsalted butter, room temperature
   • 1 cup (230 gram) vegetable shortening or hi-ratio shortening
   • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract, pure vanilla extract, or almond extract
   • 3 lbs (1.36 kilograms) 10X confectioners' sugar
   • 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (4 1/2 fl ounces or 135 mililiter) water, milk, or clear liqueur
   • 3 Tbsp meringue powder (see, Epicurious Editors' Notes)
   • 1 tsp salt

that's a weird recipe.

The basic one that I use is 2 lbs sugar, 1 cup butter, 1 cup shortening, 1/4 cup milk. It doesn't shift or sag when left out at room temp. 

If you get a lot of condensation, is it really hot and humid where you are? That could be the issue because soft buttercream is going to sag, especially if it's warm. You might want to refrigerate your cakes in boxes, that way when you take them out the condensation will form on the box, not on the cake as much.

Question how can you leave buttercream at room temperature if it has milk in it?

Thank you for replying Costumeczar, I will give that a go. 

I tried that recipe because of the meringue powder - it wasn't great, I coated a cake last night, left it at room temperature and to be fair it didn't move, but it was still soft, when I touched it it dented, does your recipe crust over quite hard?

I have heard about this box method, just a normal cake box? and I keep it in there until it arrives at a venue?

I have a one bedroom flat and it does get quite hot and humid, I live in the UK.]

Thank you for your help 

x

My usual recipe only has a dash of milk in it : )