Cake Icing Mistakes to Avoid

Cake icing mistakes can ruin all the effort you put into baking the cake in the first place. Some cake icing problems are simply a matter of aesthetics, affecting only the appearance of the cake, while others can affect the taste of the icing and make the entire cake inedible. Decorative cake icing mistakes can usually be corrected or hidden by ribbons or flowers made of colored frosting. The more catastrophic mistakes such as curdled buttercream icing may be irreparable. Here are two of the most common cake icing mistakes to avoid.

Cake icing mistakes to avoid: Curdled buttercream

Curdled buttercream is a cake icing mistake that usually will ruin your cake. Most other issues with icing are simply decorative, but letting the buttercream frosting curdle will make it unpleasant or even unsafe to eat. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to save the cake once this has happened, but you can take some precautions to avoid it in the first place. Make sure the buttercream is well-blended before starting to ice your cake. This will keep the icing from separating into fat and water before it is even placed onto the cake. If it is hot in your kitchen during the day, ice the cake at night or in the early morning when it is cool. Immediately place the iced cake into the refrigerator and keep it cool until you are ready to serve it. Even excessively warm hands can cause the cake icing mistake of curdled buttercream, so take breaks to wash your hands in cool water if this becomes a problem.

Cake icing mistakes to avoid: Buckling fondant

Another common cake icing mistake is fondant is buckling and seeping out of the sides. This generally happens soon after the cake has been iced if it is going to occur. There are two main causes for this cake icing mistake. If the sides of the cake were not smooth enough when it was iced, there may be air bubbles forcing the fondant to the side. Cake that was not moistened well enough may also have this problem because the fondant will not stick to the cake or almond paste layer. If you catch this cake icing mistake soon enough, you may be able to fix it by lifting the fondant off of the cake board and moistening underneath, then smoothing out the icing to remove any air bubbles. Do not try this if the cake's icing has already hardened as it will only cause the fondant to crack.