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0
asked July 1st 2013

HELP Buttercream problems

Hi every1.
So, I’ve just made a massive number birthday cake for a family member. They wanted normal sponge with buttercream and jam.
Now I made the buttercream and it seemed to be perfect but when putting the cake together the buttercream started cracking thro my fondant.
I don’t know what I am doing wrong!
I put a good helping of buttercream in the middle but the cake just seemed to sink on the ends of the numbers.
In the end because the fondant cracked so much I had to decorated round the cake by pipping patterns on.
They loved the cake but I just wasn’t happy with it,.
Now I have had a order for a two tier square cake but again they want buttercream and jam and can’t talk them into the ganache.
What would be the best way to do this cake as I don’t want layers sinking.
My house is quite a warm house anyway but I don’t have heating on. When I know I’m doing a cake I keep my oven and dryer off when decorating and using buttercream. I have even tried putting it in the fridge and but still noting is working and also if I add a colour into my buttercream if I’m pipping the butter starts to separate itself even when I put it in ice water or fridge. I follow Paul’s tutorial on butter but still not working.
HELP PLEASE I’m so frustrated!! 🙁

0

Hi every1.
So, I’ve just made a massive number birthday cake for a family member. They wanted normal sponge with buttercream and jam.
Now I made the buttercream and it seemed to be perfect but when putting the cake together the buttercream started cracking thro my fondant.
I don’t know what I am doing wrong!
I put a good helping of buttercream in the middle but the cake just seemed to sink on the ends of the numbers.
In the end because the fondant cracked so much I had to decorated round the cake by pipping patterns on.
They loved the cake but I just wasn’t happy with it,.
Now I have had a order for a two tier square cake but again they want buttercream and jam and can’t talk them into the ganache.
What would be the best way to do this cake as I don’t want layers sinking.
My house is quite a warm house anyway but I don’t have heating on. When I know I’m doing a cake I keep my oven and dryer off when decorating and using buttercream. I have even tried putting it in the fridge and but still noting is working and also if I add a colour into my buttercream if I’m pipping the butter starts to separate itself even when I put it in ice water or fridge. I follow Paul’s tutorial on butter but still not working.
HELP PLEASE I’m so frustrated!! 🙁

0

Hi kellie-dowling

Perhaps the butter cream is too soft. Try adding more icing sugar, less butter to give a stiffer consistency. If you use milk, omit it. When colour is added to butter cream it can split because you’re adding liquid to an oily substance. By reducing the butter the emulsion is less likely to break. Before filling the layers make a dam around the edge,( let it crust over a little) to help keep the filling from spilling over the sides. Hope it helps. x

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