Doing a wedding cake for tomorrow (Friday).  Frosting and decorating in buttercream.  Two layer cake with fruit filling.  One of my layers keeps producing an air bubble under the buttercream.  Before I decorated it the bubble showed up, so I put a toothpick in the middle of the bulge and opened up a hole for the air to escape.  I then started from the outside of the bulge covered it with a Viva paper towel and pressed with my fondant smoother toward the hole hoping this would press out the air.  It seemed good, so I decorated.  It came back!  What do I do now??

Christina

one way is to keep a hole open there through the icing into each layer of that tier -- a standard rule at one of the bakeries I worked at was to do this "in the back" of every tier cake -- or put it in an inconspicuous place -- making an escape hatch for the air 

Once I have decorated my cake, I take a lollipop stick and put a hole in the top of the cake (always gets covered by a dab of icing before the topper goes on). That way the air can escape from the top instead of trying to be worked out from the sides, if that makes sense. 

Like the others said just make sure you have a hole where it will be hidden but still allow “breathing “ —not “sealed” 

So, you are all saying that if I just put a hole anywhere inconspicuous the air will find that hole?  In this case, I'll put it close to the bulge, since I think that is it's "weak spot".  In the future, I'll remember to put a hole somewhere!  That's a new one for me!  Thanks ladies!!!!

One of the easiest ways to do it is to make say a1/2 dzn around the base of the cake before adding the border then add one on top before adding the topper 

That's what we're saying. Trapped air is going to take the path of least resistance, so to speak. If there is nowhere for the air to escape, it will try to force it's way out through the sides.

Once again the amazing help that I received on CC saved me!  I poked a hole at the bulge and very carefully pressed the buttercream with my fingers then hid the hole with a bit of strategic decorating.  Put an additional hole on the top and no more bulges!  Thanks so much!!

Christina

Woo hoo! Keep that tidbit in your back pocket lol I do it on every cake and have not had a bulge since.