Torte, crumb ice and freeze?

Yep! You sure can! I crumb coat mine w/ apricot glaze. A recipe from Squirrellycakes. I haven't used icing to crumb coat my cakes since she gave me the tip! So freeze your cakes & sit back & enjoy life!

Ya- huh!!! Just make sure to wrap it properly and you're good to go!!

do you use apricot glaze on any flavor cake, or certain one? i'm tired of crumb coating!!

I never crumb coat. If you place your cake (after cooling) in the fridge for about an hour you can usually ice it without issues... including chocolate. I make mine a day ahead of decorating. So placing them in the fridge first is not an issue.

I'm wondering if this tip will work w/ anyone or they only work w/you calidawn! I've never tried putting cakes in the frig.... if that's the case then why am I crumb coating at all??? ahhhhhhhh!!! LOL!!! It's a big process to do apricot glaze... you have to bring it to a slight boil, then sieve it, then back to the pan & add water & boil it then. I usually do a lot & put it in mason jars & into the frig ready for the next cake. When the next cake is ready to crumb coat I have to warm the glaze up & spread on. Too much work & apricot preserves are expensive! Plus I hate using it because I hate peaches & apricots!! You can't taste it when you eat the cake... it's just the thought of it.. I'm going to try the frig now! I'll try anything till I get it right!!!!!

While the topic of crumb coating is being discussed....

How do you successfully crumb coat a cake that has been cut without getting a lot of crumbs into that icing? I am having a heck of time trying not to get the crumb coat all crumby....am I making sense? Should I freeze and then crumb coat? Or would the apricot preserves take care of all that? Or could I make a simple glaze and pour that over the cake in place of the crumb coat?

Help!

When I've used icing I've noticed that I make a mess when my icing is too thick or if the spatula touches the cake. I use thin icing to coat it but sometimes it's not thin enough. I'm going to try calidawn suggestion about putting the cake in the frig for about an hour & then crumb coating the cake. I'll try icing & glaze to see which one is best for me. Just trial & error!

When I took my very first decorating class she taught us how to crumb coat. Then she said to forget it all and throw that knowledge away! hahaha! She then pulled a cake from the fridge and using the icer tip, proceeded to ice her cake in no time and no crumbs. I've been doing it that way ever since (so, since the beginning).

I have crumb coated in my time, I think twice in my life. Once while working at the bakery. I just had a really bad cake with an attitude. Once on my own because I was at some one else's house and didn't have my icer tip with me.

Other than that... nope! And honestly, I only refrigerate the chocolate cakes first- because they tend to be so much more crumbly than white cakes. I never do this with the light colored cakes. I bake, allow to cool and ice. That's it.

I ice with the icer tip. Use the hot knife method and maybe the papertowel method also, if I need to or want the added texture on the cake. It only takes a few minutes to ice a cake smooth this way.

Okay...the icer tip is the REALLY big one, right? I did buy it however have never used it. Is it really that simple, ice with that tip and away you go? No crumbs? Yowza, the time that would save me!!!

WELL I learned something else!!!!!!!! I WILL use the icer tip! I have it but never used it either tripletmom! I'll use it now!

Calidawn,

ok, you ice it w/ the icer tip... do you smooth w/ a spatula before you put it in the frig? Do I just need to ice it, leave it alone & put it in the frig, then smooth it? That would be wonderful!!!!! No glaze, not crumb coat!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, my I'm so excited now!!!!!!!

You ice using the icer tip and smooth and you're done. I don't refrigerate my cakes unless there is fresh fruit in/on them.

Unless I'm making a chocolate cake, I do refrigerate that first, then ice with the icer tip as usual.

I'm not making another cake until Friday. When I do, I'll take pictures of using the icer tip. The only pictures I have already is for icing a cupcake cake. You may get the idea from looking at those:

OK- pretend this is a standard 9*13 (this also works with round and square cakes.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/105830324/204401674yJaSpy

See how I am laying out the icing? It will go on thick. But don't worry. When you are smoothing it you will remove the overage. For the most part you will be able to re-use what you remove because there shouldn't be any crumbs in it.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/204401711/204401711AFGOyd

Here you see me smoothing it with the hot knife method. With just the first swoop across, see how smooth the icing already is? This has not been crumb coated at all.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/204402684/204402684dotJsn

Finished cake- no crumb coating, using the icer tip, no pre-refrigeration- very smooth.

You can and should pre-refrigerate while you're learning this method. But with practice I was able to stop doing that very shortly after learning.

Round cake close up (no crumb coating and using the cake icer and hot knife)(this was one of my first cakes, so it's has some pits from air pockets in the icing- but you get the idea):

http://community.webshots.com/photo/266016318/101916953PvYPSb

Round cake close up (no crumb coating and using the cake icer and hot knife):

http://community.webshots.com/photo/266016318/245990367EhzEla

Let me know if this helps or if I need to make a tutorial on Friday.

Too cool! You answered a few questions I had which I never even asked yet! I always wondered how a cupcake cake was done and now I know!

As for the ultra smooth icing...I also use the hot knife method however it seems to be good only on a 'per swoop' basis. I pass the knife and what's left behind is smooth however when I make another pass with the knife (it's been reheated) it is visible where the first one was and so and so forth. I literally go mad trying to get a smooth cake.

By the way, I have looked at your cakes cali4dawn and they are awesome!

I use several spatulas at once to ice. I place about 3-4 spatulas in the hot (boiling) water. I grab a spatula, make 1-2 swoops and change it out for a fresh one, placing the used one back in to the boiling water.

I give each spatula one good hard shake before pressing it to the cake to eliminate streaking.

Did you go to the beginning of the ccc (Cupcake Cake) tutorial? The pictures I used above are toward the end of the tutorial.

You are definitely going to make my decorating life a lot easier! I stand by the sink letting the hot water run and after each pass I put it under the tap again. Quite the waste of water so I will really like the boiling pot of water idea.! I was wiping the knife though so it was dry...does this make a difference? I found if there was any water on the spatula it changed the colour of the icing. As for spatulas, do you use small or large ones? In the tutorial I believe you are using a small straight spatula. I have a small and large offset and use both of them. Which do you prefer, if any?

I know, so many questions at once!

Yes, I looked at the tutorial from the beginning, very cool indeed. My stepkids will love it when I make them one, they are mad for cupcakes...and my girls too! No doubt they are great for school parties too!