I have several questions - having some issues.

1. My cakes seem to bulge in the middle. Why?!  

At work it never happens.  They’re pulled from the freezer, par thawed, filled stacked, crumb coated, chilled in the cooler until just set then frosted, decorated and boxed.

AT home space is limited, so a large cake is put in the freezer to set up.  Not more than 30 minutes at most.

2.  My frosting cracks! And at the bottom of the layer it starts being pushed off. What the heck?!  Recipe is 1# butter:3.5-4# 10x.  1/2-3/4 cup cream.  Consistency varies depending on if I’m icing or piping flowers.  For icing I like it spreadable but thick - not so thick that it tears.

oddly enough the cakes seem fine until I transport them.  If I saw any of this happening while working I’d fix it.  

3.  Stacking.  I used to use plastic plates years ago but now it’s the cardboard ones that you cut to size.  Cakes is doweled, I cut them so they just lower than the icing.  Upper tier trimmed - but it’s still not flush with the cake.

Had anyone dealt with any of this?

Just so frustrating.

Thanks

are you inserting one dowel to measure, removing it, cut it then cutting all others to that same length? that's what gives the right balance for everything else to sit there straight --

in my mind -- and everybody's got an opinion on these ratios -- that's way too much fat for that amount of powdered sugar -- you're using one pound fat to one pound sugar -- when people use one pound fat (2 cups) to two pounds sugar I think that's too much too -- so you are twice the too much rate I usually see -- I go by colette peter's recipe -- which is 1 cup fat to 2 pounds confectioner's sugar (7 cups give or take) and a half cup cream/liquid

so if you want to stick with that much fat to sugar ratio ditch the liquid altogether -- or you might want to consider a different ratio -- a lot of peeps use the one pound fat to two pounds sugar -- me and collette use the half pound (one cup) fat to two pounds sugar -- lots to chose from --

Wouldn’t that be the same ratio?  If you use 1c:4c that’s still a 1:5 ratio which is the same as 1#:4#

Weird how buttercream can be made so many different ways!

yes yes yes -- I misread it -- so sorry!

but why is your icing melting on you then --

still Colette uses half that amount of butter -- what kind of butter are you using? some of us say butter but mean spread or margarine and nothing wrong with that but water content can make a big difference -- and you're using cane sugar yes -- will say cane on the bag

do you keep your cakes cold for delivery?? it makes an invisible barrier of protection and I box mine too -- keeps the Memphis humidity out of there

and as far as the bulging -- it's the buttercream cakes yes?? not fondant pooching out -- when I fill my cakes with buttercream I leave a little room for the filling to spread a bit to the edge -- and that's been working -- some people use a thicker icing there that won't spread as much but it's not necessary --

and cracking could be occurring just from the movement you are describing -- but it can also happen if the boards under the cakes are not rigid enough -- can have zero flex --

You know I never factored in to my answers that people live in different climates.  I live where about 7-8 months out of the yr it can be 100+ degrees but no humidity.  I just never think about that.  I like k8's suggestion of putting your dam a bit in from the edge and maybe use a 'rope' of fondant instead of piped line of b'cream to help hold filling back/in.    What works for one may not work for others so you are going to have to try different things.  Here is a great icing recipe both for icing overall and for piping.  Read it through for the different way to work it.  https://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/22469/2-icing   If your icing cracks it either is the recipe or not strong enough boards under it.  Trying the posted recipe might help.  And using cake boards - sometimes in triplicate - will help.

Proper Doweling is important.  They should be cut to be even with - not below - the top of cake.  Find a 'high' spot (if there is one) to place your 1st dowel/straw, then remove and cut all the others for that tier exactly that heigth.   Of course, that is after you have leveled each layer & tier.    Though I have never worked on cakes fzn or even cold I guess enough people have that if it is working for you keep doing it.   

 ikr -- but my own ratio is 1c butter to 7c 10x same as 1/2# butter to 2# 10x