Hey there all!

I have painted many fondant cakes but never buttercream cakes.  I would love to start painting buttercream cakes and would really appreciate you all's insight.  What type of buttercream works best?  Can I do it with SMBC or does it have to be a " crusting"  BC?  What type of paint?  Gel with vodka?

Thank  you!

I’ve not painted on buttercream either, like you, just fondant. You are correct that you’re base should be firm, unless you’re doing a messy palette painting with buttercream. SMBC doesn’t really get “firm”, well, not firm enough for me anyway. So, to answer your question, a crusting, firm buttercream. Yes, you can use alcohol/vodka and food colour gels.  I would use cocoa butter and colour gels. Much better results, and no chance of alcohol seeping into the buttercream. The only trick with cocoa butter is it must be kept warm as it seizes up when it reaches room temperature. My pro friend uses a heating pad on low, and places her cocoa butter palette with her colours on top of the heating pad. Keeps the cocoa butter warm enough to work with.

Hope this helps.

We have painted on buttercream cakes.  

We use gel diluted in vodka to the desired consistency for brush painting.  For airbrushed on buttercream we use Amerimist & Kake Kopy.

Yes the buttercream needs to crust.

Picture below is an airbrushed buttercream cake.  The buttercream here was just the old faithful Wilton buttercream recipe.