10 Must Try Buttercream Hacks

 

When it comes to covering your cake in buttercream, getting the right hacks can make it fun and also leave a good and lasting impression on your client(s). 

Below are hacks and procedures I used when covering my cake in buttercream.

1. Is it secured?

Ready?

Apron and cap?

Yes... Okay, good!

 Secured?

Okay...

I'm the type that use just a board all through after stacking my cake except I'll be covering the cake in fondant later. Hence, I make sure I secure the first layer of my cake firmly to the cake board prior to stacking, I make use of either royal icing or buttercream to secure my cake stacks to the cake board. This would prevent the cake from slipping/moving away from the base while decorating and during delivery, this would also save you the stress of using your hand to put the cake in place.

2. Use shortening and/or reduce butter used when making buttercream to prevent buttercream from melting

The use of shortening and/or less butter is a must for my buttercream. I love my buttercream to have enough strength as this would allow all decoration made on the buttercream covered cake to stay in place, remain firm, and also prevent all my piped decorations from slipping/dripping during delivery and post delivery.

 No matter how hot the weather could be, my buttercream won't melt

3. Avoid too heavy/too soft buttercream, it'd worn you out

Too Heavy buttercream? No!

Too Soft buttercream? No!

The most complicated one is a buttercream that turns out to be too soft, it'd worn you out in no time, the frosting won't stay in place, and it keeps slipping till all the colors mixed and decorations slip away.

When making buttercream, after adding half of the required liquid for the recipe, it's best to add a tablespoon of liquid at a time till you get the preferred consistency that best works for you. Adding all liquid to your buttercream at once might lead to story that touches the heart.

4. Spread buttercream from the cake from top to avoid exposed edges

When covering your cake, it's easier when you spread your buttercream from the top to the edges then to the sides of your cake.

It'd be easier to make your cake decorations comes out perfectly levelled and all parts covered including the edges

5. Use warm water when smoothening your buttercream

This gives a shiny, smoothly covered cake and also increase working time on buttercream

Love to give your buttercream an extra sheen and smoother pattern?

Warm water would slightly melts the butter allowing buttercream to appear shiny and smoother, the advantage of this is not just the sheen, this would also increase the working time as buttercream would have to first return to room temperature before setting

6. Allow crumb coat to set in freezer/dry a bit before applying buttercream frosting

 

Don't just jump to covering your cake soon as you're done crumb coating, it's best to allow your crumb coat sets first as this would prevent cake crumbs showing on your buttercream covered cake, and most importantly when you're working with coloured buttercream, it'd prevent the buttercream used for crumb coating from mixing up with the final buttercream spread on your cake.

7. Fluffy all the way

When mixing/making your buttercream, it's best to mix till it has a light and fluffy texture, this would makes it easier to create patterns (using cake comb) on your cake and also allows for easy piping as heavy buttercream are tasking to pipe.

8.  Be time conscious

When working with buttercream, you've to make sure you have all tools on desk and around you.

It's not advisable to leave while decorating your cake to quickly watch your favorite 10minutes TV show, find the best most convenient time to do your cake decorations.

9.  White will never fail you

Stuck on what colors to use?

Just use white!

When I say white, I'm not talking about the buttercream color, you can easily get white coloring at cake stores.

 Adding white coloring to your buttercream would give an ideal white colored buttercream.

You can cover the whole cake in white, pipe using white, and write using one or two other colors.

My favorite colors to go with white are gold, black, and any shade of pink

10. Mind the way you pack your cake for delivery

When packing your buttercream covered cake for delivery, extra cautions are needed to be kept compared to fondant covered cake

It is important to make sure you're using the right size of cake box, a cake box that is bigger than required won't let your cake board stay in place. The best practice when choosing a cake box is to chose a cake box that is of the same size as your cake board.

Also, make sure the sides of your cake are not touching the cake box.

Avoid putting your boxed cake on car seat. It is best to place it on the floor of the car (the place you usually place your legs), this would prevent the cake from external and unnecessary movements caused by the car.

I hope someone finds this helpful.