Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

I am really struggling with buttercreamed cakes. I have just done a lemon cake, covered it in buttercream then iced it but the next morning it had blown two air bubbles. I think the cake is too moist and the buttercream isnt setting properly!! I seem to remember someone saying they only use Ganache now to cover all their cakes because it is more stable. Do you think that is the better option? Lemon drizzle filled with lemon curd then covered with white chocolate ganache??? Sandra x

Hi Sandra

That sounds absolutely yummy! And if you want to flavour the ganache there are some ideas here
http://www.cakeflix.com/questions?s=ganache+flavours
Ganache seals a cake much better than buttercream even when at room temperature because it encapsulate cake in a lovely crisp shell. Buttercream softens at room temperature and sometimes bubbles do form as the cake settles and expands particularly if it had been chilled then left out.

Hi Sandra, I always used buttercream when I was covering a cake, until the other day that is. I made a chocolate cake for my friends 40th birthday and decided to use milk chocolate ganache to fill and cover it. The results are so much better as the ganache gives you a smoother finish before covering with fondant icing. I think I’m a convert !! If I use it again I will have to reflect the use of ganache in the price of the cake as it is expensive to make. 8 big bars of galaxy chocolate and a big pot of double cream isn’t cheap.
Good luck with yours. Donna

Hi Donna. Thank you for your comments. I have always used ganache on chocolate cakes but somehow never considered it on white/yellow sponges. I had a total disaster this week whilst making a wedding cake as the buttercream for some reason caused the fondant to bubble overnight!!! I then had to make another cake yesterday. I did buttercream again as I didn’t have time to source white chocolate. Luckily this time it was fine but it had definitely unnerved me. Ganache from now on. X