Warning: I learned the hard way that a 'crumb coat' is not just for fancy cakes.

I was at a big family picnic in Portland last summer, bringing a simple two-layer chocolate cake. It was hot, maybe 90 degrees, and I skipped the crumb coat because I thought it was just for smooth, perfect frosting on wedding cakes. I just slapped the final buttercream on. By the time we cut it, the whole thing was a mess of dark crumbs floating in white frosting. It looked gray and dirty. My cousin said it looked like a storm cloud. That one fail changed my whole view. Now I do a thin crumb coat on every single cake, even a basic birthday one, and chill it for 20 minutes before the final layer. It takes a bit longer, but the cake always looks clean. Does anyone else have a simple step they used to skip but now swear by?

2 comments

2 Comments

white.grant10d ago

Same with sifting dry ingredients.

jennifer6910d ago

Isn't it funny how the small steps we skip are often the ones that matter most? I see this everywhere, like people not preheating the oven and wondering why their cookies are flat. That extra ten minutes for a crumb coat makes all the difference between a mess and something you're proud of.

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