Bulging

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Emi on July 13, 2012 at 9:36pm

Hi Trishelle, before start cutting your cake make sure is cold just put it in the fridge to rest for  few hours or over night and then cut your layers, that should help :) 

Permalink Reply by Trishelle on July 13, 2012 at 10:00pm

That just seems so simple.  :-)

I'm all about knowing the "how" and "why" of things... what does letting them set overnight do? Just heavy settling?

Permalink Reply by Sandra I. Vazquez Lossiseroni on July 13, 2012 at 10:14pm

Hi Trishelle, you have done many of the tricks correctly. Now you have mentioned that you do the piped dam, is it with a very stiff buttercream, so stiff that hurts your hand to pipe? I have learned from Sharon Zambito's DVD that that is one of the most important things to do, to avoid the bulging. If you do, then I don't know..lol

Permalink Reply by Deah on July 13, 2012 at 11:02pm

I agree with Sandra.  Also, I don't refrigerate my layers but I do make sure they sit overnight before I start assembling.  Helps with bulging and blow outs because the cakes have time to settle. 

Permalink Reply by Frostine on July 13, 2012 at 11:03pm

I too pipe a dam with stiffened buttecream.  Here's a blog post that explains how I do it. http://www.thatreallyfrostsme.com/2010/06/dam-filling-full-speed-ah...

Hope it helps

Permalink Reply by Sandi Newsome on July 13, 2012 at 11:42pm

 
Frostine said:

I too pipe a dam with stiffened buttecream.  Here's a blog post that explains how I do it. http://www.thatreallyfrostsme.com/2010/06/dam-filling-full-speed-ah...

Hope it helps

Permalink Reply by Sandi Newsome on July 13, 2012 at 11:51pm

 
Sandra Newsome said: 

Hi Frostine, I have been using the frosting dam for some time, I recently had a filling leak out.  I checked out the blog you posted and she says to add more powdered sugar to your frosting fo r making it stiff when piping the dam.  I use Swiss Meringue Butter Cream on my cakes.  Have you ever tried this method with SMBC?  Do you add powdered sugar to this frosting even though it isn't made with PS.
 
Frostine said:

I too pipe a dam with stiffened buttecream.  Here's a blog post that explains how I do it. http://www.thatreallyfrostsme.com/2010/06/dam-filling-full-speed-ah...

Hope it helps

Permalink Reply by monica murphy on July 14, 2012 at 12:39am

Hello, trishelle,

I agree with sandra, i also have Sharon Zambito's dvd, the information she gives has helped me in the area of bulging, the last wedding cake i did was seamless and no bulging.  One thing, if you dont have all nite to let the cake rest, get it cold and put a heavy book ontop of each layer for a couple of hours while in the frige, then take it out and level and use a thicker version of your icing (by adding more powederd sugar), enough until you can roll your icing in your hands like its playdough.  You can squeeze this in the bag, with a coupler (no tips), this is your dam. Fill the cakes, press down a little once they are stacked and iced. Return them to the frige for another couple of hours.  Before you crumb coat, stuff any gaps with the stiffer icing you used as a dam, stuff and smooth, then crumb coat, you will have a seemless, non bulging cake.  This methond would allow your cakes to settle. Hope this helps.

Permalink Reply by Frostine on July 14, 2012 at 9:53am

Sandra,

I use an american buttercream that I stiffen with powdered sugar.  I don't really care for SMBC so I don't use it.  Maybe there is someone out there who could address using the SMBC for damming.

Permalink Reply by monica murphy on July 14, 2012 at 10:12am

i use smbc but only in the winter, you must be careful with smbc, it does not hold well in hot/humid weather.  If it is hot unless you have made a portable frige with dry ice, delivery can be a problem.  I think the type of buttercream you are using would be fine, it holds up better and its easier to make.   When i made a dam of smbc it took twice as much powdered sugar to get it stiff but it will stiffen. 

Permalink Reply by Sandra I. Vazquez Lossiseroni on July 14, 2012 at 12:26pm

Well, Trishelle, I hope you were able to read this information. I pretty much do as Deah said, since it is the way Sharon Zambito does it. In case you are in a hurry, what Monica recommended sounds great to me. So, no more bulging...

Permalink Reply by Joann Gottermeyer on July 14, 2012 at 1:40pm

I used to have the same problem.....now I make sure my cakes are trimmed soooo level before I fill them, and then I trim them all the way around  after stacking. i usually don't need to bother with a damn and don't have a bulging problem. Good luck!!

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