Video Tutorial - Upside Down Frosting Technique
Decorating By mrsmudrash Updated 4 Sep 2013 , 1:42am by whiteangel
I have a follow-up question for those who have been using this method. I've been doing it for the past couple of months with great results. However, I have had a couple of small issues I'd like to perfect.
Yes, I've had some of the small bubbles (pocks?) in my top where there was air between the buttercream and the wax paper. I've found that both Jeff's suggestion (applying a thin layer of buttercream first before applying the thick layer of buttercream) does help. I've also found that if I work the buttercream around on the wax paper - kind of like massaging it with my spatula - that also helps.
My other problem has been with allowing the cake to settle. I've not been in the habit of allowing my cakes to settle, but I've had a couple lately where the filling bulged a little. What do you do to allow these upside-down cakes to settle? My bulging occurs after the cake is iced, when I leave it out to come to room temperature. Between the bulging and the condensation that develops (and then requires additional time to evaporate), I'm wondering if I'm leaving the cakes in the freezer too long while doing this process.
Any ideas? Perhaps frost the board, fill, and then allow to settle at room temperature (maybe with a tile on top) before I finish the sides and stick it in the freezer? Thanks guys!!
I have a follow-up question for those who have been using this method. I've been doing it for the past couple of months with great results. However, I have had a couple of small issues I'd like to perfect.
Yes, I've had some of the small bubbles (pocks?) in my top where there was air between the buttercream and the wax paper. I've found that both Jeff's suggestion (applying a thin layer of buttercream first before applying the thick layer of buttercream) does help. I've also found that if I work the buttercream around on the wax paper - kind of like massaging it with my spatula - that also helps.
My other problem has been with allowing the cake to settle. I've not been in the habit of allowing my cakes to settle, but I've had a couple lately where the filling bulged a little. What do you do to allow these upside-down cakes to settle? My bulging occurs after the cake is iced, when I leave it out to come to room temperature. Between the bulging and the condensation that develops (and then requires additional time to evaporate), I'm wondering if I'm leaving the cakes in the freezer too long while doing this process.
Any ideas? Perhaps frost the board, fill, and then allow to settle at room temperature (maybe with a tile on top) before I finish the sides and stick it in the freezer? Thanks guys!!
1. Abandon the waxed paper....use plastic coated freezer paper....gives much better results.
2. Is you icing absolutely smooth? If it has air bubbles, they are almost impossible to get out of the top. The thin smear trick should take care of it.
3. I've never had a problem with bulging frosting since the day I changed my recipe to no longer have water or milk in it. Water (or milk) wets the sugar particles and this plays a big role in the bulging icing issue!
I bake my layers, trim and wrap in plastic and freeze until firm, then i stack them and fill them, apply a thin first coat of icing, then right back around with the final coat and smooth it......no bulges ever! I generally then put the cakes into the cooler over night before decorating to allow the cakes to thaw back to refrigerator temps (about 38-40) degrees. I don't have any problems with them sweating then.
Thanks so much for responding Jeff!!
Actually, I do use freezer paper - that was my mistake in typing up my post. You are right, the air bubbles are more likely caused by not having a completely smooth and air-bubble-free icing to begin with. I have Sugarshack's DVD but haven't had time to watch it yet. Will do.
The bulging hasn't been such a problem in the past (or at least not that I've noticed), and as I recall, I piped my filling dam closer to the edges than I normally do with this last cake. Allowing the cakes to settle was advice I had read on some other posts, so I thought it might help. May I ask how you changed your recipe so that you don't use water or milk?
Otherwise, it looks like you and I have almost identical methods for the rest of the assembly, except that I've been leaving the cakes on the counter overnight instead of in the cooler. And honestly, the sweating hasn't been so much of a problem, I just have to be sure I allow myself enough time for that moisture to evaporate before I start decorating.
Thanks so much for getting back to me, and especially for posting it publicly so that everyone else can benefit from your pointers as well. It's been such a great technique!
mrsmudrash, You have a buttercream recipe on your blog, That calls for marshmallow cream, Do you mean marshmallow fluff ?? BTW Love your video.
YES! I've always called it marshmallow cream, but it's all fluff! 
Thanks so much for responding Jeff!!
Actually, I do use freezer paper - that was my mistake in typing up my post. You are right, the air bubbles are more likely caused by not having a completely smooth and air-bubble-free icing to begin with. I have Sugarshack's DVD but haven't had time to watch it yet. Will do.
The bulging hasn't been such a problem in the past (or at least not that I've noticed), and as I recall, I piped my filling dam closer to the edges than I normally do with this last cake. Allowing the cakes to settle was advice I had read on some other posts, so I thought it might help. May I ask how you changed your recipe so that you don't use water or milk?
Otherwise, it looks like you and I have almost identical methods for the rest of the assembly, except that I've been leaving the cakes on the counter overnight instead of in the cooler. And honestly, the sweating hasn't been so much of a problem, I just have to be sure I allow myself enough time for that moisture to evaporate before I start decorating.
Thanks so much for getting back to me, and especially for posting it publicly so that everyone else can benefit from your pointers as well. It's been such a great technique!
Mu icing is 2 pounds powdered sugar, 2 cups butter, 1 cup shortening (with transfats!), 2 tablespoons vanilla....and, if needed, I thin it with a bit of hot whipping cream. Hope this helps!
Jeff, why do you heat the whipping cream up? How hot? And if you don't have any on hand, what's your next best thing?
I've never seen 'freezer paper' here in NZ, what's your next best suggestion if you can't get that?
I heat it in the microwave until steamy....it thins the icing with less cream, but once on the cake the icing firms back up.
Freezer paper is used to wrap meats and other foods before freezing....it's white paper with a plastic coating on one side to make it water proof. You can also use the thicker clear vinyl that you purchase at fabric stores....comes on a long roll and they sell it by the yard.
I don't know if anyone has asked this question because I haven't read all of it yet but how well does this work with larger cakes?
Nice video and simple instructions, btw!
Mrsscurry, I just used this technique on my first wedding cake (the most recent cake in my pictures). The tiers were 6, 9, 12 and 16 inches. The hardest part about it was finding a board to hold the 16 inch tier that was light enough for me to flip the entire tier (fully assembled) yet sturdy enough to hold it. I ended up using a sheet of plywood covered in Glad Press-N-Seal, but you could also use a large cookie sheet. Hope that helps!
Mrsscurry, I just used this technique on my first wedding cake (the most recent cake in my pictures). The tiers were 6, 9, 12 and 16 inches. The hardest part about it was finding a board to hold the 16 inch tier that was light enough for me to flip the entire tier (fully assembled) yet sturdy enough to hold it. I ended up using a sheet of plywood covered in Glad Press-N-Seal, but you could also use a large cookie sheet. Hope that helps!
A piece of foamcore board is all you need...that is all I use!
I don't know if anyone has asked this question because I haven't read all of it yet but how well does this work with larger cakes?
Nice video and simple instructions, btw!
Works great with any size cake...it's even better for large layer cakes because you end up with such a smooth top....hard to do with just a spatula on a larger cake.
Hope this isn't too old to have answered. Do you then put the fondant on the chilled buttercream?? No sweating problems??
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