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Buttercream Finish for a Wedding Cake

post #1 of 10
10/11/12 at 1:58am
Thread Starter 
Hello! I'm new to cake central and this is my first post to the forum! My name is Madie and I'm a cake decorator from Melbourne, Australia.

In a few weeks I will be doing my first wedding cake with a 'Buttercream' finish to it and I have a few questions to ask to make sure I get it right icon_smile.gif.

1. Should I dirty ice/crumb coat the cake before I do the finishing decorated layer, if so how many times?
2. You know how sometimes white buttercream turns yellow when its placed in the fridge or left to sit out, how can this be prevented? Should it be covered?
3. In the image the bride sent me, the effect is almost like an unfinished look, like you can see the different ways the palette knife has moved across the cake.

Any advice would be much appreciated and really look forward to the answers! Thank you!
Madie Gostin - MAD ABOUT CAKES
Check out my delicious creations at www.madaboutcakes.com.au
and like my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/MAD-about-Cakes/123546574394557?sk=info
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Madie Gostin - MAD ABOUT CAKES
Check out my delicious creations at www.madaboutcakes.com.au
and like my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/MAD-about-Cakes/123546574394557?sk=info
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post #2 of 10
10/11/12 at 6:29am
Hi, Madie, and welcome! (I'm new, too.) Answers to your questions:
1. Yes, crumb coat. Do it as many times as you need to get all the crumbs safely encased and the surface smooth.
2. I've not had this particular problem, but I use real butter in my recipe so it's always a bit yellow. You can add white coloring to help the color stay consistent. Anyone else have a better answer here??
3. Are you looking for how-to on the finish? Frost like usual, then go back with a small amount of frosting on your knife and lightly smear it on, smoothing a little but not too much.

Good luck!
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post #3 of 10
10/11/12 at 3:30pm
......2. You know how sometimes white buttercream turns yellow when its placed in the fridge or left to sit out, how can this be prevented? Should it be covered? ...........

I do believe this is due to the type of cake you are covering. Is it a fruit cake? That's the problem icon_sad.gif I'm not familiar w/the different types fo cake you bake so that's my best guess.

....3. In the image the bride sent me, the effect is almost like an unfinished look, like you can see the different ways the palette knife has moved across the cake....

What the other poster said icon_smile.gif
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post #4 of 10
10/11/12 at 7:05pm
This is a great blog. She is a member here, i think. I hope it is ok that i send this. I love to watch her smooth her cakes. hth


http://cupadeecakes.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-do-i-get-my-cakes-smooth.html
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post #5 of 10
10/12/12 at 4:10am
The yellowing can definitely occur when you use a recipe with a high ratio of butter. I don't really notice this in my IMBC recipe but in my confectioner's sugar recipe it definitely happens. It's caused by oxidation. The best way to prevent it is to stick it in the fridge. You can see the discoloration in this picture:

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2224906/jens-wedding

The top two tiers were iced early in the morning, but the larger bottom tier was iced later in the evening the day before the wedding, so they are different colors. You couldn't tell at the venue because it was so dark, thank goodness!

The Dude abides.

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The Dude abides.

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post #6 of 10
10/12/12 at 8:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by icer101

This is a great blog. She is a member here, i think. I hope it is ok that i send this. I love to watch her smooth her cakes. hth

http://cupadeecakes.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-do-i-get-my-cakes-smooth.html



Well, aren't you a sweetie pie! icon_smile.gif That is my little 'ol blog!

My buttercream is an all-butter recipe and it does have a slight yellow cast to the it; it's certainly not bright white. Normally I will add just the tiniest drop of violet coloring to my icing batches. You would be surprised at how it neutralizes that yellow color. If I want my icing whiter, I will add something like Americolor bright white food coloring to the icing. HTH!
Jenniffer White - Cup a Dee Cakes LLC
http://cupadeecakes.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/cupadeecakes/videos
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Jenniffer White - Cup a Dee Cakes LLC
http://cupadeecakes.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/cupadeecakes/videos
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post #7 of 10
10/14/12 at 6:56pm
Thread Starter 
thank you all for your help and tips and advice! really appreciate it!

I think I will make my buttercream as fresh as possible - and also add some white food colouring to it to reduce the risk of yellowing.

Also spraying it with a pearl shimmer finish might do the trick as well?

thank you all again for the help! icon_smile.gificon_smile.gificon_smile.gif
Madie Gostin - MAD ABOUT CAKES
Check out my delicious creations at www.madaboutcakes.com.au
and like my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/MAD-about-Cakes/123546574394557?sk=info
Reply
Madie Gostin - MAD ABOUT CAKES
Check out my delicious creations at www.madaboutcakes.com.au
and like my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/MAD-about-Cakes/123546574394557?sk=info
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post #8 of 10
10/15/12 at 8:31am
Since the bride wants a "rustic" look with smears with a spatula, there is no point in going to the effort to make a smooth cake and then add more to mess it up. Do a crumb coat to seal in the crumbs, let it crust (if using a crusting buttercream) then add more icing to create the rough effect you are looking for.
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post #9 of 10
10/15/12 at 8:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by denetteb

Since the bride wants a "rustic" look with smears with a spatula, there is no point in going to the effort to make a smooth cake and then add more to mess it up. Do a crumb coat to seal in the crumbs, let it crust (if using a crusting buttercream) then add more icing to create the rough effect you are looking for.



What she said.
deborahanne

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/
http://lamaisondesgateaux.blogspot.com/
http://theenchantedline.blogspot.com/

Life begins at 325° F, and, yes, that IS powdered sugar in my hair.
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deborahanne

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/
http://lamaisondesgateaux.blogspot.com/
http://theenchantedline.blogspot.com/

Life begins at 325° F, and, yes, that IS powdered sugar in my hair.
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post #10 of 10
10/15/12 at 5:01pm
Thread Starter 
[quote="cakeyouverymuch"]
Quote:
Originally Posted by denetteb

Since the bride wants a "rustic" look with smears with a spatula, there is no point in going to the effort to make a smooth cake and then add more to mess it up. Do a crumb coat to seal in the crumbs, let it crust (if using a crusting buttercream) then add more icing to create the rough effect you are looking for.



That is to true! I have to remember that if I catch myself going crazy over hap-hazard areas and trying to get things perfectly straight!

Thank you again for the tip!
Madie Gostin - MAD ABOUT CAKES
Check out my delicious creations at www.madaboutcakes.com.au
and like my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/MAD-about-Cakes/123546574394557?sk=info
Reply
Madie Gostin - MAD ABOUT CAKES
Check out my delicious creations at www.madaboutcakes.com.au
and like my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/MAD-about-Cakes/123546574394557?sk=info
Reply
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