I made a cake for my husband's birthday. Carrot cake with an American buttercream frosting. (I didn't do cream cheese frosting because my husband doesn't like cream cheese). I wanted to try piping but by the time I finished frosting my cake the small amount of buttercream I had left was hardening. How do I prevent that from happening?
by Apprehensive_Ad7679
3 Comments
Hey OP! That cake looks great, even more so when taking into account that it’s your first cake! I’d be well pleased with myself if I were you.
To answer your question regarding frosting hardening: American buttercream does tend to be on the dryer side, but usually, putting it into a piping bag (as opposed to scooping directly out of the mixing bowl) tends to keep it more pliable.
To soften hardened buttercream, put it into the microwave for 10 seconds, then scrape down the sides and see if it is becoming softer. If not, add 10 more seconds, then scrape again. Once it reaches the desired consistency, whisk again and you should be good to go!
Adding a crumb coat first and then a second coat will help you immensely in decorating. A turntable and scraper or palette knife could come in very handy. You can usually get them for cheap, but I’ve also used a wooden turntable from IKEA that doubles as home decor.
Oh, and: Happy Birthday, Raymond!! 🥳❤
Good job 👍🏽
It is very nice!