Crumb coat??

It's a glaze that goes on the cake first to "control" the crumbs. It seals them in and keeps them from getting into the frosting.

What kind of glaze do you use???

I thin down my buttercream icing until it looks like a glaze....I wish I could tell you exactly how much water I add to my orginal BC recipe but I pretty much do it until I think it looks right. Maybe someone will have a recipe they can post for you.

Crumb coating is when you take your buttercream frosting and smear a thin layer on the whole cake to seal in the crumbs and then you put your full layer of frosting on the cake to ice it...

Here are a few recipes of crumb coaters that I have used. I liked them all.

Aprioct Glaze:

1 jar apricot preserves
Double the water

In a medium saucepan add your apricots & the juice. Bring just to a boil. Remove & seive in a small strainer. Add just the juice from the apricots to the saucepan & add 2 cups water. Bring just to a boil. Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze all over the cake. Let it stand about 15 minutes. Then ice.

Sugar Syrup:

Use a mason jar (1 quart) pour sugar in it till it reaches the top of the jar. Boil water in a med. saucepan about 3 cups. When it starts to boil pour over sugar in jar. Let the water slowly go to the bottom of the sugar. Stir till sugar is melted. Use a pastry brush & brush on cake.

On each recipe you do not have to use a lot the mixture. Putting too much will make your cake watery. These recipes will also make the cakes keep there moisture. They work just as good as BC icing. I have used them both & also BCI. I like them all.

Oh, Squirrellycakes gave me the recipe for Apricot Glaze. It may not be how she told me but it's what I do. The other is what we from the south use on biscuits, pancakes & cakes. It's very good!!

Try them out! That's what crumbcoat is!!!

Hi! I agree with everyone on the crumb coating method, making sure that you have no air pockets at the base of your cake and locking in moisture and controlling crumbs. Second coat cake is to eliminate any crumbs and create your background for decorations. You can towel the second coating of your cake with terry cloth towel for texture and to aid in ease of correcting any mistakes. It really works. Here is a recipe, which I find it to be a good one for the crumb coating as well as the second cake coating:

Buttercreme Frosting

1 cup butter
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
2 lb. bag confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Use water to obtain correct consistency (approx. 1/2 cup).

Cream butter and shortening until very smooth. Add salt and flour. Then slowly add sugar and vanilla. Add water to obtain proper consistency. Once consistency is obtained, scrap the bolw and mix on medium speed for 1 full minute. You can put frosting in the refrigerator if for whatever reason you do not have time to icing your cake. Bring the frosting to room temperture before attempting to frost cake, do not forget to stir the frosting prior to icing the cake. This frosting recipe will last for several weeks without going bad. You can even add coloring to the frost or you can use it just as it. I have made roses with this recipe and they come out pretty good. Enjoy!

Haha, yes I heat the apricot jam and boil it for 3-5 minutes, remove from heat, press through a sieve, measure out how much there is and then add only half as much in water, so 2 cups jam, 1 cup water and then return it to a boil again for about 3-5 minutes and brush on while warm.
Regarding using the buttercream icing as your crumbcoat, well if you get icing cracking issues with your cakes that are not due to insufficient boards, then likely they are due to making your crumbcoat and your final icing coat, a different icing consistency. SO if this is a problem, make your crumbcoat the same consistency as your final coat of icing. That way, your one layer of icing doesn't try to take moisture from the other one and cause cracking. This is usually an all-shortening with water as the liquid, icing issue.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

dose the apeicot jam change the taste of the cake.

I've never thought about the different consistencies causing issues. I've always used the same for both, so I guess I lucked out by ignorance (wink). I just make the crumb coat layer a thin layer (obviously). I rarely crumb-coat. The icer tip usually takes care of not needing to do this. I do crumb-coat many chocolate cakes, but not all.

Heehee, Dawn, I don't think it is an issue with the butter and shortening icing, but the water and all shortening one, yes.
I noted that Jeanne G also uses the same consistency of her icing for both and she does use the all shortening recipe and I have never seen her have a cracking issue.
At one time most folks did use a thinner, more liquid added crumbcoat, but with water evaporation issues, it is just one more precaution.
The apricot jam if heated and used un-diluted with water, will flavour your cake, but diluted and then covered with buttercream, no it really doesn't because you use so little of it and it is really watered down. You are going to be using less than 1/4 cup for even the bigger cakes, if you think that it amounts to very little because there is water added, no it isn't an issue. Sugar syrup or simple syrup will give you a similar affect. But using full strength heated sieved jam, almost hardens, not that you will feel the difference when eating it, but it really does give you a super set edge, so that is basically the difference.
For home use cakes that are going to be eaten the same day and such, I rarely crumbcoat them either, because crumbs are not an issue for me, But if the cake has to sit awhile before being iced, well then I do. I do find that it prolongs the shelf life of cakes and helps with any slightly dried corner issues, of course, it won't work miracles, haha, neither will freezing for this issue.
Hugs Squirrelly