I'm posting pics of my DHs birthday cakes. One I did last year, one I just finished. I tend to see only flaws in my work so seeing the side by side pics let me see how far I've come.

Doesn't it feel good to see the progress??

Sure does but I'm dumbfounded by some fundamentals. I get cracks at the bottom of my buttercream when I move the cake.

And what size round should I use so it doesn't show after I do my bottom border? This was a 10" cake and I used a 12" round and had to trim it. When I used a 10" round for the same size cake, it was too small - the icing hung off of it when I picked up the cake!

I wish I could help with those questions but I am a huge newb myself. Just bought a bunch of Sharon Z dvd and am watching them bit by bit.

I have had problems with cakes cracking also. I either put my cakes on 2 pieces of foam board taped together and covered or I have gone to home depot and had them cut MDF in 12 inch and 14 inch sizes and cover and use that.

I love the MDF I have no worries about my cakes being to heavy for my boards. And the are reuseable.

Yes, the cardboard rounds (which should be the same size as your cake), are not what I use as the "plate" that you carry the cake around on. They are used as the base of the cake itself, which is then placed on a cake drum or some sort of board, plate, tile, cake stand, whatever. I avoid having a cracked border by waiting until I place the cake on its final board before piping it.

Lots of great advice! Thank you. I can definately see how the cake board not being strong enough would make it flex and cause the cracking. I believe that's what happened here cause this cake was heav-y.

I agree with frosting the cake on the drum/plate/etc upon which it will be served to avoid problems. That works with a cake like the one I posted, but what about when I am making layers for a tiered cake?

If the board is the same size as the cake, the frosting hangs over and is a mess when I remove the cake from the turntable. I can't ice it on the surface I'll be serving it on since it needs to be stacked on another tier. It seems all the cake boards in Michaels are in 2" increments so if the board is larger than the cake, it sticks out too far to be covered by trim when the tiers are stacked.

I don't mean to ice the cake after it's in place. I mean to just pipe the border once the cake is in place, whether that's on a board or on another cake.

If a cardboard is too big for your cake, take a pair of scissors and trim it. The cardboard should be the same size as your cake. Then you ice it or cover it with fondant as if it were part of the cake it's on.

When I lift my cakes off the turntable, I do so by sliding a large offset spatula under it, then gently lifting one side until I can get some fingers underneath. Then I lift with my hand supporting one side, the spatula supporting the other and carry it to its final resting place.

There, I set one edge gently down, remove my hand from underneath, then lower it into place with the spatula until it's almost all the way down, then I pull the spatula out , letting it drop into place. If there is any damage, it's usually minimal and simple to fix. Then I pipe the border which usually covers any edge damage to the icing anyway.

thank you so much. I appreciate you taking the time to explain it. I had started trimming the boards but then I thought maybe I was just missing something. at least I know now I was on the right track.

Indydebi had posted picks that were like how you descibed picking up the layer. but I'm a scaredy cat! will the long spatula really hold the fully iced and filled layer? and can I NOT drop it! tune into another webisode of "As the cake turns. "