I had a cake this weekend that I iced with Buttercreme icing...it was smooth and looked good and my customer called about 6 hours later and said the icing was bubbled out in one area. I ended up going to their home and I have never seen this bad. It was like a bubble under the icing about 4" round and stuck out at least 3/4".

The cake was baked and stacked the day before it was iced at room temperature. It looked great after being iced and it wasn't picked up for at least 5 hours and it was fine when it left my house. I had this happen another time but not near as big of bubble.

Anybody know what I am doing wrong?
I use the icing with the creamer in with the Alpine shortening.

I appreciate any advise anyone has to give.
Thank you Pam

Was there any condensation on the cake when you iced it? That's the main culpret usually. Not sure why it took so long to manifest. Did they possibly put it in the fridge and then take it out ? I don't think that would normally be the problem but it's a possibility.

You must always run a spatula at the bottom edge of the cake to "break the icing seal." It lets air escape. You can border it as normal, but let it "breathe."

The cake was crumb iced and when I went to finish coat ice it the cake had moisture from the cake and when I iced the crumb coat wanted to slide. So maybe my icing didn't stick directly to cake leaving a space? Then the air just builds?

When you say run spatula around bottom edge...what exactly do you mean?
So just clear at bottom edge? where it meets the plate? The bubble I had was on the side but at the top edge. So if you do at bottom this will let "breathe"?

Thank you for your input I don't want to happen again.
Pam

Sometimes it just happens...Mostly because of air that's trapped between the cake layers making its way out, then getting trapped in between the cake and the icing. I press down firmly on the layers when I fill the cakes, then really force the icing into the crack between the layers when I'm icing it to make sure all the space is full. that will pretty much prevent a cake tumor, but you never know. Here's my blog article about them: http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2011/06/dreaded-cake-tumor.html

Thanks, Leah, for the reminder! I'm icing a cake now and somehow this slipped right out of my mind.

I used to have that happen on occasion. Then I read a post someone put on here about letting their baked cake sit overnight before putting icing on it to let gas escape. I'd never heard of that, but it works. I've let my cakes sit overnight since then and have never had a bubble again. (knock wood)

Thank you so much for the info I really do appreciate.
Pam

I just posted this on another thread. I read it here awhile back but can't remember who said it. Poke a wooden dowel down the top of the tier all the way to the bottom then pull it back out. This leaves a place for the air to escape. Probably the same as running a spatula at the bottom edge of the cake to "break the icing seal." You can cover the hole with decoration or fondant or whatever if it happens to be the top tier. This has worked for me every time I've noticed a bulge since learning about it.