Thank you a million times! This video has helped me so much. No one ever shows you how to do this part. I always wondered what the foam rounds were used for. THANK YOU!!
OMG! This method is AMAZING. Ive tried before with the wax paper instead of the press n seal and did not have the best results...but THIS METHOD....worked like a charm! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thank you! We leave the foam board under the cake, we use what is called "gunge" to adhere to the drum or base board. You take a little fondant and mix with water to make a paste, spread that and put the cake on top. it will dry very secure! hope this helps.
WOW! So very helpful!! Thanks so much for this awesome tutorial! I can't wait to try this. I've also never used swiss meringue buttercream, can you use meringue powder as a substitute for the egg whites?
Hi Tina - no, for swiss meringue buttercream, you cannot use meringue powder as a 100% substitute! However, you can use the egg white containers (instead of cracking each egg) and add a little meringue powder to help thicken it more quickly. =)
This is great!! Would you just add the cake with the foam board intact to another , final, drum? Will buttercream under the board keep it from sliding?
Wow,I just ordered the press n seal. Can you show how to remove a bottom acrylic disc please. I use two 6.25 discs for my 6in cakes but always have trouble removing both of them and usually use greaseproof paper,,,but the press n seal looks a lot easier. Great video.❤🎉
Just put shortney on your acrylic before you wrap it with press and seal . When you ready to remove it hold the press and seal with one hand and try to slide the acrylic it should come off easy
Lauren!... omg... I can't thank you enough for the advice for the mythin cake boards! How did I decorate a cake without them?! They're a game-changer. (Even if I don't use the acrylic discs and decide to 'free-hand'!) It's always seemed so much easier to have a little bit of extra diameter around the cake for a layer of buttercream when smoothing/combing, and so regular cake circles never seemed to work. (I always had to trim down the sides of my cakes a little bit and I hated doing that.) I ordered these, and... problem solved!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
@@SweetPassionCakery Intended to purchase two cake boards…3 bucks & change, total…great price…but shipping was $19.88…for 2 flat boards (6&8”) I’m in the US, so that’s just ridiculous. I cleared my cart.
@@cakerbaker9965 Yes, prices and shipping on things have gone crazy!! You can also use 2 acrylics, one on the bottom, one on top. use a cardboard and attach it to the bottom acrylic with a little buttercream. then when all finished just use a palette knife and remove the bottom acrylic.
How do you insert a central dowel? I saw on the website that some of the boards have a hole in them? I just want to make sure I'm ordering the right ones. I usually like to put a center dowel in all my cakes. But I don't want to struggle with piercing the foam core. Thanks!
Hi Malissa! Great question. We generally don't get the foam cores with the holes... here's why we've personally landed on that. For our normal 3-4 tiered cake (that require a central dowel), we just hammer a pointed dowel through the entire cake and it goes through the foam cores PERFECTLY. It's super easy and not a struggle at all. And it keeps the dowel very snuggly fit into the boards. The holes are more necessary if you already have a dowel secured to a board (which we would do for larger cakes, or cakes that have to travel a longer distance, etc.) and you are lowering your tiers over the dowel. If we have a cake that requires that method, we buy the foam core boards with the holes in them specifically for that cake. We also tend to use all 1/2" thick boards for those cakes given that they tend to be higher end, etc.
Love the method of using the foam board for the bottom the same size as the top acrylic, but what then do you do with your revealing foam board on the bottom to cover that in a situation where it's a stacked, clean buttercream cake (no border, ribbons, etc.)?
Hi David! In that case we would do what we call a "double acrylic" approach. We would have a matching acrylic (or foam board if we didn't have a matching acrylic) on the bottom like normal BUT we would then add another slightly smaller foam board on top of that bottom board. You adhere the smaller board to the bottom board with a little dollop of buttercream (or double sided tape) and then stack and buttercream the cake like normal. Then when you're done you pop OFF the bottom acrylic/board and you are left with the smaller board underneath and a full buttercream border. So if I was prepping a 6.5" cake, I'd be using two 6.5" acrylics (or you can substitute an acrylic with a foam board) and one 6" foam board that the cake will ultimately sit on if that makes sense?
Thank you so much for this! I just used discs for my first time... the standard, recommended way. I had an ok experience with them, but could totally tell there's room for improvement, and this method using press and seal on top seems way better than trying to deal with the parchment... as well as using the foam core bottom disc seems excellent (because every time I try to mess with getting the chilled cake off of the disc, or even off one cardboard onto another cakeboard even with a cake lifter, it always seems like one side of the cake with buttercream gets chipped/messed up - so this seems perfect. (Would the only downside be from using the bottom foam core board, would you always be able to see the thin white line at the bottom, yes? (especially if it was a chocolate buttercream.) Or is it not that noticeable?? 2nd question for you is... I always tend to pop the cake in the freezer to chill in between coats. Do you recommend the refrigerator instead of the freezer and just giving it more time that way? (rather than like 20 min pops in the freezer.)
Hi Matt! Yes, the visible 1/4" of white foam core board is certainly a downside if you are not covering the cake in fondant (or if you don't plan on having a border). As for refrigerator vs. freezer, I don't think there's much of a difference there. So wouldn't call one method better than the other! We do refrigerator because we have a larger space available to us and the 20-30 minute cool time is never really a problem. If you are looking to get the cake cooler faster, then yes, a freezer would work. We just don't have any large commercial freezer in our kitchen which is why it's not something we do =).
Where Have You Been!!!, I have Been Struggling, THANK YOU!!!, WILL ORDER TOOLS YOU SUGGESTED TODAY, WOULD YOU USE THE SAME SIZE BOARD AND ACRYLICS , FROST THE SAME WAY IF COVERING WITH FONDANT????, YOU HAVE HELPED ME A LOT!!!!!!!
Quick question. I tried the method and unfortunately the disk was super hard to get off and two clumps of frosting stuck to the plastic wrap when I took it off. I kept in the fridge overnight. Do I need to wait awhile before I try to take off the disc and then peel the press and seal off? Thanks so much!!
sometimes when we don't take the top off until the next day it's a little harder and takes some chunks off....we try to remember to take the top disk off before we are done for the day, it needs like an hour or two before you take it off. see if that helps!
How many times do you think you can reuse the foam core boards? I’m trying to figure out how many to order. I’m just a hobby baker and will likely be keeping most cakes for my family.
We only have experience with one-time use since we sell our cakes, however, I think you should be able to get MANY uses out of a foam core! They say they are even dishwasher safe so that goes to show you how sturdy they are =). Just throwing a number out there, but I think a minimum of 10 uses for one foam core? Maybe just be careful when cutting the cake (or pop it off of the foam core onto a cutting board) to help extend the life so you're not jabbing a knife onto it over and over again =).
Hi there! No, I would not recommend this method with whipped cream frosting. It is not stable enough and I don't believe it will harden enough for the acrylic to set.
You can definitely do it with cream cheese frosting, however it will not hold up as well (cream cheese frosting gets soft pretty quickly). I would not also not recommend cream cheese frosting if you are going to cover the cake in fondant.
Hi! Great tutorial!! I tried it a few times and get super smooth sides but my top keeps getting stuck and I can’t remove it without ruining the top of the cake 😕 any idea what I’m doing wrong? I wonder if I should go thicker with the shortening... thanks!
To start, I definitely find that my top gets stuck more if I don't give the cake enough fridge time (maybe try letting it sit in the fridge a bit longer)! Once my buttercream has had enough time to set, the top comes off much more easily. Are you using swiss meringue buttercream? We have not tried this method with any other buttercream so, if you're using a different recipe, it's possible it's not setting hard enough. Yes, you can also try adding more shortening. I'm normally able to pop the acyrlic off with the press n' seal still on the cake. Then i can lightly take the press n' seal off.
@@SweetPassionCakery thanks for the quick reply! I left it overnight the first time and about an hour the second. I used Swiss meringue buttercream but I’ll give it a few more tries! Thanks!
Have been practising your technique and love how straight my sides are and even the top is. I am just having trouble releasing the acrylic from the press n seal. Any tips on what I could do to make it easier. I end up with some chunks or cracks out of the top.
Hi Janine! Yes, sure. To start, definitely make sure you have a good coating of vegetable shortening on the disc. Next, I'm normally able to stick my finger/nail right between the edge of the acrylic & the press n seal, apply pressure, and then slowly pop off the acrylic off. In the past, I've even used a scalpel to get in there. Last, maybe give your cake a little longer in the fridge. Chunks have appeared for me if I take the cake out too early and the buttercream hasn't had enough time solidify. Are you using Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
Sweet Passion Cakery Yes I do use Swiss Meringue Buttercream and I’m in Australia but I assume it’s basically the same recipe. Maybe I will try more shortening on the lid and I’ll let you know. Thanks so much for your reply.
Hi... Im practically new to this method, went to the cakethings.com page and theres a lot of alternatives.... specifically which ones do I need to get? standard, thick, econo and 1/2", 1/4", 1/8", please, and thank you!!
For our acrylics we have the 1/4 inch thick, as far as the foam boards, we go for some 1/4 inch and some 1/2 inch thick (when we really want a thicker more sturdy board for larger cakes.
How many batches of buttercream do you have to make for this? I’m just starting out and I have no idea. And by a batch, I mean the whole 2 pound bag of powdered sugar along with butter as being one batch. Thanks!
Hi there! We actually use Swiss Meringue Buttercream (no powdered sugar). Here is a link to the recipe - sweetapolita.com/2011/04/swiss-meringue-buttercream-demystified/. One batch for us will handle an 8" bottom tier and a 6" top tier. And our tiers are about 5-6" tall.
When I start scraping my acrylic moves and it drives me crazy. What am I doing wrong? Also, how cold is your buttercream while filling the sides? It looks really stable and thick, not like mine. Thanks in advance. Love your videos!
Hi Laura! I'm so sorry we missed this comment! My apologies. First, after you adhere your board to the acrylic with buttercream, you'll want to give it some time in the fridge. That way the buttercream nicely adheres the cake to the acrylic. FYI we have a friend that prefers to use double sided tape instead of buttercream b/c it sticks nicely and there's no mess at the end =). Our buttercream is not that cold while filling the sides. We prefer it to be room temp and easy to manipulate! FYI we use Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
So after I attach the top acrylic I should put it in the fridge before filling in the sides? It’s the top acrylic that moves, my foam core board is fine. I don’t recall after the acrylic in the video is put on top that it’s put in the fridge before round one of the sides is begun? Maybe I’m wrong?
@@Lulu-bq9eu ok I've seen a few different swiss meringue recipes. We use Sweet Apolita's recipe (sweetapolita.com/2011/04/swiss-meringue-buttercream-demystified/). Also, if you get your acrylic to be level and straight on the sides, then I can't see a problem with putting it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to secure it - and then filling in the sides. But I would only do that if you have NO buttercream popping out from the sides. Maybe give that a try and report back?? =)
Can you tell us how much buttercream you need to frost a cake like that? My recipe (which is supposed to cover an 8 or 9" cake) just barely is enough. The filling is skimpy (to me) and the outside is ok...barely. I know I can double the recipe, but just curious how much *you* use. My recipe is 8 oz egg whites, 16 oz sugar, 20 oz butter (plus flavoring, salt, etc.)
Sure! One recipe of our buttercream is 450g of egg whites, 4 cups (32 oz) of sugar, 10 sticks (2.5 lbs of butter). Our cake tiers are normally about 6" high. Icing an 8" cake will use about 1/2 of our buttercream recipe.
I have used this tutorial a couple of times, and the Press n' Seal comes loose on the edges of my acrylic disc. I am not sure why. I set it up just like you did in the video, but I am doing something wrong.
Does it come loose while icing your cake or just in general? To start, are you sure you're not getting any vegetable shortening on the sides of the acrylic? Maybe you're spreading the vegetable shortening too close to the edges? Second, make sure you pull the press n seal super tight. We've also noticed that older press n seal won't always stick as well.
@@SweetPassionCakery Thank you. It comes loose while I am icing the cake. I see now that I am putting the vegetable shortening too close to the edges and I am probably getting it on the edges of the acrylic too. This help me greatly, so thank you so much!
That is the BEST scraper, it's a Cakeheads scraper by Shawna McGreevy. Here is the etsy link: www.etsy.com/listing/717931964/cakeheads-10-inch-bench-scraper?gpla=1&gao=1&&gclid=Cj0KCQjww_f2BRC-ARIsAP3zarEmf02BmBH0A7h_QMo2NForVlpEXMPGq4BAfOhwfrnJSYx1xT-Mc5gaAr8DEALw_wcB
Yes they do! They also sell them in various thicknesses. We prefer the "My Thin Board" for all cake sizes under 10" and "My Thick Board" for cakes sizes 10" and up. www.cakethings.com
@@jodiwilding3858 here's the link! cakethings.com/cake-board-and-supports/mythin-board/mythin-3-16-cake-board. The pictures shows square but you can choose round (it's actually selected by default)!
Hi Padme! If you pull the press n seal taught then there will be no wrinkles. However, there definitely is a little bit of an impression on the top that you can get rid of by running a hot spatula/scraper over the top of the cake.
When you put the cakes on the foam core boards...if you are stacking your cake, how do you keep the foam core board from showing if you do not want to do a border?
Hi GiGi! Great question! We use the same size acrylic top and foam core bottom when we cover our prepped cakes in fondant (OR if we are using a ribbon/border at the base of our buttercream cakes). We find this to be the best approach give that all edges are 100% supported by the board. If we have a cake that is all buttercream and we don't plan on using a ribbon/border, we take a slightly different approach. We do the same size acrylic top/acrylic bottom with a slightly smaller foam core (or cardboard) board adhered to the bottom acrylic. Once you have completed your prep, just pop off the bottom acrylic (with a spatula)! I think I explained this method in the beginning? For example, if you bake a 6" cake, we would use 6.5" top and bottom acrylics with a 6" foam core board adhered to the bottom acrylic. When you are done prepping, you have .5" of buttercream all around and no foam core board is visible! I hope this helps!
I'm confused can you please clarify. How does using a 8 1/2" acrylic disc on an 8" round cake give only 1/4" of buttercream around the cake? Did you mean to say that I should be using a 8 1/4" acrylic disc for an 8" round cake. I hope I didnt just order the wrong size. Thanks
Hi Donna! When you center the 8" round board on the acrylic... the extra 1/2" gives you 1/4" inch on all sides. If you used an 8 1/4" acrylic, you would only have 1/8" on all sides. I know it's a bit confusing! If you ordered the 8 1/2" then you ordered the same size we use =)!
@@SweetPassionCakery thank you! I used smbc and it stuck to the press and seal lifting the buttercream, even after refrigerating overnight :( I’m so devastated
@@MollyandthePoni sorry to hear that!! sometimes overnight might be too much, it gets too stuck!! try again, take the top off after 30-60 min next time:) cake doesn't always cooperate how we want everytime! haha.....good luck!
Sometimes there can be a little bit of residue, but not much. It always seems to come off fine with the scrubby side of the sponge and hot soapy water:)
Hi! We use 1/2 inch up acrylics from the cake, so it's actually 1/4 inch of buttercream all around the cake. We have tried a 1/4 inch up acrylics, which made 1/8 of buttercream all around and we still had cake showing!! So for us, the 1/2 inch bigger work just perfectly:) No matter what size anyone chooses that works for them is great, the technique still applies no matter the choice differences:)
@@SweetPassionCakery Yes I agree with you. I've tried 1/4" extra and its not enough to get good coverage of buttercream. Otherwise I kept getting cake showing through the buttercream. Love this tutorial. Thanks from Australia
Best tutorial yet in regards to using one or two disc and also using stretch and seal instead of cutting and taping parchment paper!!!
Thank you a million times! This video has helped me so much. No one ever shows you how to do this part. I always wondered what the foam rounds were used for. THANK YOU!!
so happy to hear this has been helpful!!
Same here.....thank you! I wasn't even aware of these foam core boards and acrylic rounds! 😊
What a fantastic tutorial I’m in Europe so I have never heard of this Glad wrap definitely going to try to get it off the internet 👍🥰
OMG! This method is AMAZING. Ive tried before with the wax paper instead of the press n seal and did not have the best results...but THIS METHOD....worked like a charm! Thank you so much for sharing this!
YAY!!! We are so happy it's working for you!!! Yes, the Press n' Seal is a GAME CHANGER!
I absolutely loved this tutorial. You definitely showed me some things that I've been doing wrong. Thank you!
So happy it was helpful!!
Same here, until watching your video! Thanks!!
The best tutorial I've seen using the acrylic disks 👌🏼
Thanks so much. Ive ordered everything that I needed today and I cant wait to try this out. Thanks for the thorough tutorial
Where did u order the scrapper I am on my
Son page lol if u wondering about the pic
Great tutorial!! Thank you so much!! You two are awesome! 💞💞
Great tutorial ‼️👍love this‼️thank you so much for sharing❤️
Would love to see a video on hiw you make your swiss buttercream
Love the idea of the press n seal!!!
Best method I’ve seen thank you
Thank you! This is fantastic!
Thank you SO MUCH for this tutorial! This helps me so much!
finally! that's a real smooth buttercream with real sharp edges!
Thanks for sharing ❤
How do you secure the foam disc to the cake drum? Do you leave it under the cake or remove? Best tutorial as of yet!
Thank you! We leave the foam board under the cake, we use what is called "gunge" to adhere to the drum or base board. You take a little fondant and mix with water to make a paste, spread that and put the cake on top. it will dry very secure! hope this helps.
A lazy suzan is perfectly level and a much better option for a turn table
What a awesome tip, thank you for sharing
Thank i purchase these disc but never use them your tutorial is the best
WOW! So very helpful!! Thanks so much for this awesome tutorial! I can't wait to try this. I've also never used swiss meringue buttercream, can you use meringue powder as a substitute for the egg whites?
Hi Tina - no, for swiss meringue buttercream, you cannot use meringue powder as a 100% substitute! However, you can use the egg white containers (instead of cracking each egg) and add a little meringue powder to help thicken it more quickly. =)
@@laurenvicari4932 thank you.
This is great!! Would you just add the cake with the foam board intact to another , final, drum? Will buttercream under the board keep it from sliding?
we like to use royal icing to really keep it in place! depending on the weather just buttercream could have the board slide a bit:)
Wow,I just ordered the press n seal.
Can you show how to remove a bottom acrylic disc please.
I use two 6.25 discs for my 6in cakes but always have trouble removing both of them and usually use greaseproof paper,,,but the press n seal looks a lot easier.
Great video.❤🎉
Just put shortney on your acrylic before you wrap it with press and seal . When you ready to remove it hold the press and seal with one hand and try to slide the acrylic it should come off easy
⁰@@zacdi333
Great tutorial!
Lauren!... omg... I can't thank you enough for the advice for the mythin cake boards! How did I decorate a cake without them?! They're a game-changer. (Even if I don't use the acrylic discs and decide to 'free-hand'!) It's always seemed so much easier to have a little bit of extra diameter around the cake for a layer of buttercream when smoothing/combing, and so regular cake circles never seemed to work. (I always had to trim down the sides of my cakes a little bit and I hated doing that.) I ordered these, and... problem solved!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Wonderful!!! I am so happy to hear you love them! I don't know what we would do without those boards!!!
where do yo u buy these boards?
@@willietop www.cakethings.com - and we use discs that are .5" larger.
@@SweetPassionCakery Intended to purchase two cake boards…3 bucks & change, total…great price…but shipping was $19.88…for 2 flat boards (6&8”)
I’m in the US, so that’s just ridiculous. I cleared my cart.
@@cakerbaker9965 Yes, prices and shipping on things have gone crazy!! You can also use 2 acrylics, one on the bottom, one on top. use a cardboard and attach it to the bottom acrylic with a little buttercream. then when all finished just use a palette knife and remove the bottom acrylic.
I love this tutorial!! Would your first round be considered a crumb coat? Just thicker than you would normally do one?
Sure you can call it a crumb coat! It's the first coat we put on the cake and not only almost fully ices it, it seals in the crumbs =).
Seriously! I LOVE this video xoxoxoxoxox
How do you insert a central dowel? I saw on the website that some of the boards have a hole in them? I just want to make sure I'm ordering the right ones. I usually like to put a center dowel in all my cakes. But I don't want to struggle with piercing the foam core. Thanks!
Hi Malissa! Great question. We generally don't get the foam cores with the holes... here's why we've personally landed on that. For our normal 3-4 tiered cake (that require a central dowel), we just hammer a pointed dowel through the entire cake and it goes through the foam cores PERFECTLY. It's super easy and not a struggle at all. And it keeps the dowel very snuggly fit into the boards. The holes are more necessary if you already have a dowel secured to a board (which we would do for larger cakes, or cakes that have to travel a longer distance, etc.) and you are lowering your tiers over the dowel. If we have a cake that requires that method, we buy the foam core boards with the holes in them specifically for that cake. We also tend to use all 1/2" thick boards for those cakes given that they tend to be higher end, etc.
Will this work on whipped icing?
Thanks so much. This was very helpful. Where did you get the pink level?
Amazing..thank you so much
Love to get the recipe for your cake!
That’s what I wanted to know to reading comments to see if anyone ask
Hope you can share your sponge cake recipe
Love the method of using the foam board for the bottom the same size as the top acrylic, but what then do you do with your revealing foam board on the bottom to cover that in a situation where it's a stacked, clean buttercream cake (no border, ribbons, etc.)?
Hi David! In that case we would do what we call a "double acrylic" approach. We would have a matching acrylic (or foam board if we didn't have a matching acrylic) on the bottom like normal BUT we would then add another slightly smaller foam board on top of that bottom board. You adhere the smaller board to the bottom board with a little dollop of buttercream (or double sided tape) and then stack and buttercream the cake like normal. Then when you're done you pop OFF the bottom acrylic/board and you are left with the smaller board underneath and a full buttercream border. So if I was prepping a 6.5" cake, I'd be using two 6.5" acrylics (or you can substitute an acrylic with a foam board) and one 6" foam board that the cake will ultimately sit on if that makes sense?
@@SweetPassionCakery yes it does. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this! I just used discs for my first time... the standard, recommended way. I had an ok experience with them, but could totally tell there's room for improvement, and this method using press and seal on top seems way better than trying to deal with the parchment... as well as using the foam core bottom disc seems excellent (because every time I try to mess with getting the chilled cake off of the disc, or even off one cardboard onto another cakeboard even with a cake lifter, it always seems like one side of the cake with buttercream gets chipped/messed up - so this seems perfect. (Would the only downside be from using the bottom foam core board, would you always be able to see the thin white line at the bottom, yes? (especially if it was a chocolate buttercream.) Or is it not that noticeable?? 2nd question for you is... I always tend to pop the cake in the freezer to chill in between coats. Do you recommend the refrigerator instead of the freezer and just giving it more time that way? (rather than like 20 min pops in the freezer.)
Hi Matt! Yes, the visible 1/4" of white foam core board is certainly a downside if you are not covering the cake in fondant (or if you don't plan on having a border). As for refrigerator vs. freezer, I don't think there's much of a difference there. So wouldn't call one method better than the other! We do refrigerator because we have a larger space available to us and the 20-30 minute cool time is never really a problem. If you are looking to get the cake cooler faster, then yes, a freezer would work. We just don't have any large commercial freezer in our kitchen which is why it's not something we do =).
@@SweetPassionCakery thank you so much for your quick response and information!!
Where Have You Been!!!, I have Been Struggling, THANK YOU!!!, WILL ORDER TOOLS YOU SUGGESTED TODAY, WOULD YOU USE THE SAME SIZE BOARD AND ACRYLICS , FROST THE SAME WAY IF COVERING WITH FONDANT????, YOU HAVE HELPED ME A LOT!!!!!!!
So happy we could help you out! Yes, we do the exact same thing when covering with fondant =)!
Quick question. I tried the method and unfortunately the disk was super hard to get off and two clumps of frosting stuck to the plastic wrap when I took it off. I kept in the fridge overnight. Do I need to wait awhile before I try to take off the disc and then peel the press and seal off? Thanks so much!!
sometimes when we don't take the top off until the next day it's a little harder and takes some chunks off....we try to remember to take the top disk off before we are done for the day, it needs like an hour or two before you take it off. see if that helps!
@@SweetPassionCakery thank you❣️❣️
do you use a disc that is 0.5" or 0.25" bigger?
Hello.. do you normally put the cake in the freezer or just the regular fridge?
Hi there! We just put it in the regular fridge =).
How many times do you think you can reuse the foam core boards? I’m trying to figure out how many to order. I’m just a hobby baker and will likely be keeping most cakes for my family.
We only have experience with one-time use since we sell our cakes, however, I think you should be able to get MANY uses out of a foam core! They say they are even dishwasher safe so that goes to show you how sturdy they are =). Just throwing a number out there, but I think a minimum of 10 uses for one foam core? Maybe just be careful when cutting the cake (or pop it off of the foam core onto a cutting board) to help extend the life so you're not jabbing a knife onto it over and over again =).
Can I cover fondant under buttercream?
Hi there! No, the fondant should go on top of the buttercream =)!
Hi,
Can it be used on whipped cream frosting.
Hi there! No, I would not recommend this method with whipped cream frosting. It is not stable enough and I don't believe it will harden enough for the acrylic to set.
@@SweetPassionCakery many thanks for your promp reply.
Is this possible with cream cheese frosting?
You can definitely do it with cream cheese frosting, however it will not hold up as well (cream cheese frosting gets soft pretty quickly). I would not also not recommend cream cheese frosting if you are going to cover the cake in fondant.
Hi! Great tutorial!! I tried it a few times and get super smooth sides but my top keeps getting stuck and I can’t remove it without ruining the top of the cake 😕 any idea what I’m doing wrong? I wonder if I should go thicker with the shortening... thanks!
To start, I definitely find that my top gets stuck more if I don't give the cake enough fridge time (maybe try letting it sit in the fridge a bit longer)! Once my buttercream has had enough time to set, the top comes off much more easily. Are you using swiss meringue buttercream? We have not tried this method with any other buttercream so, if you're using a different recipe, it's possible it's not setting hard enough. Yes, you can also try adding more shortening. I'm normally able to pop the acyrlic off with the press n' seal still on the cake. Then i can lightly take the press n' seal off.
@@SweetPassionCakery thanks for the quick reply! I left it overnight the first time and about an hour the second. I used Swiss meringue buttercream but I’ll give it a few more tries! Thanks!
Have been practising your technique and love how straight my sides are and even the top is. I am just having trouble releasing the acrylic from the press n seal. Any tips on what I could do to make it easier. I end up with some chunks or cracks out of the top.
Hi Janine! Yes, sure. To start, definitely make sure you have a good coating of vegetable shortening on the disc. Next, I'm normally able to stick my finger/nail right between the edge of the acrylic & the press n seal, apply pressure, and then slowly pop off the acrylic off. In the past, I've even used a scalpel to get in there. Last, maybe give your cake a little longer in the fridge. Chunks have appeared for me if I take the cake out too early and the buttercream hasn't had enough time solidify. Are you using Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
Sweet Passion Cakery Yes I do use Swiss Meringue Buttercream and I’m in Australia but I assume it’s basically the same recipe. Maybe I will try more shortening on the lid and I’ll let you know. Thanks so much for your reply.
@@janinewilson6992 great! Keep us posted! And FYI we use this recipe - sweetapolita.com/2011/04/swiss-meringue-buttercream-demystified/
Hi... Im practically new to this method, went to the cakethings.com page and theres a lot of alternatives.... specifically which ones do I need to get? standard, thick, econo and 1/2", 1/4", 1/8", please, and thank you!!
For our acrylics we have the 1/4 inch thick, as far as the foam boards, we go for some 1/4 inch and some 1/2 inch thick (when we really want a thicker more sturdy board for larger cakes.
How many batches of buttercream do you have to make for this? I’m just starting out and I have no idea. And by a batch, I mean the whole 2 pound bag of powdered sugar along with butter as being one batch. Thanks!
Hi there! We actually use Swiss Meringue Buttercream (no powdered sugar). Here is a link to the recipe - sweetapolita.com/2011/04/swiss-meringue-buttercream-demystified/. One batch for us will handle an 8" bottom tier and a 6" top tier. And our tiers are about 5-6" tall.
Hi, so if I am seeing this properly, are you covering the foam core board on the bottom with your buttercream as well?
Hi Judy! We just put a few dollops of buttercream on the foam core board to secure the cake (not a full coverage like the acrylic top). =)
When I start scraping my acrylic moves and it drives me crazy. What am I doing wrong? Also, how cold is your buttercream while filling the sides? It looks really stable and thick, not like mine. Thanks in advance. Love your videos!
Hi Laura! I'm so sorry we missed this comment! My apologies. First, after you adhere your board to the acrylic with buttercream, you'll want to give it some time in the fridge. That way the buttercream nicely adheres the cake to the acrylic. FYI we have a friend that prefers to use double sided tape instead of buttercream b/c it sticks nicely and there's no mess at the end =). Our buttercream is not that cold while filling the sides. We prefer it to be room temp and easy to manipulate! FYI we use Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
So after I attach the top acrylic I should put it in the fridge before filling in the sides? It’s the top acrylic that moves, my foam core board is fine. I don’t recall after the acrylic in the video is put on top that it’s put in the fridge before round one of the sides is begun? Maybe I’m wrong?
@@Lulu-bq9eu Oh sorry I misunderstood! Our top acrylic stays pretty well in place. What kind of buttercream are you using?
Sweet Passion Cakery Swiss merengue.
@@Lulu-bq9eu ok I've seen a few different swiss meringue recipes. We use Sweet Apolita's recipe (sweetapolita.com/2011/04/swiss-meringue-buttercream-demystified/). Also, if you get your acrylic to be level and straight on the sides, then I can't see a problem with putting it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to secure it - and then filling in the sides. But I would only do that if you have NO buttercream popping out from the sides. Maybe give that a try and report back?? =)
There's just one lil problem. I don't think I've ever seen press and seal in my country. Wonderful 🙃💔
Hi! Can this be used for whipped cream icing?
Hmmm you can always give it a try but it might be difficult given that whipped cream icing doesn't harden the way a butter-based icing does!
Can you tell us how much buttercream you need to frost a cake like that? My recipe (which is supposed to cover an 8 or 9" cake) just barely is enough. The filling is skimpy (to me) and the outside is ok...barely. I know I can double the recipe, but just curious how much *you* use. My recipe is 8 oz egg whites, 16 oz sugar, 20 oz butter (plus flavoring, salt, etc.)
Sure! One recipe of our buttercream is 450g of egg whites, 4 cups (32 oz) of sugar, 10 sticks (2.5 lbs of butter). Our cake tiers are normally about 6" high. Icing an 8" cake will use about 1/2 of our buttercream recipe.
I have used this tutorial a couple of times, and the Press n' Seal comes loose on the edges of my acrylic disc. I am not sure why. I set it up just like you did in the video, but I am doing something wrong.
Does it come loose while icing your cake or just in general? To start, are you sure you're not getting any vegetable shortening on the sides of the acrylic? Maybe you're spreading the vegetable shortening too close to the edges? Second, make sure you pull the press n seal super tight. We've also noticed that older press n seal won't always stick as well.
@@SweetPassionCakery Thank you. It comes loose while I am icing the cake. I see now that I am putting the vegetable shortening too close to the edges and I am probably getting it on the edges of the acrylic too. This help me greatly, so thank you so much!
Where do I get the larger metal scraper you are using?
That is the BEST scraper, it's a Cakeheads scraper by Shawna McGreevy. Here is the etsy link: www.etsy.com/listing/717931964/cakeheads-10-inch-bench-scraper?gpla=1&gao=1&&gclid=Cj0KCQjww_f2BRC-ARIsAP3zarEmf02BmBH0A7h_QMo2NForVlpEXMPGq4BAfOhwfrnJSYx1xT-Mc5gaAr8DEALw_wcB
Does the site you are referring to sell the foam board by 1/2 and 1/4 inches to match the acrylic disc that you are using?
Yes they do! They also sell them in various thicknesses. We prefer the "My Thin Board" for all cake sizes under 10" and "My Thick Board" for cakes sizes 10" and up. www.cakethings.com
Lowes sells the foam. Board
@@SweetPassionCakery I can only find the My Thick Board on their website. The My Thin boards don't come in round as far as I can see. Help!
@@jodiwilding3858 here's the link! cakethings.com/cake-board-and-supports/mythin-board/mythin-3-16-cake-board. The pictures shows square but you can choose round (it's actually selected by default)!
wouldn't press and seal cause tiny wrinkles? Beating the purpose of discs
Hi Padme! If you pull the press n seal taught then there will be no wrinkles. However, there definitely is a little bit of an impression on the top that you can get rid of by running a hot spatula/scraper over the top of the cake.
When you put the cakes on the foam core boards...if you are stacking your cake, how do you keep the foam core board from showing if you do not want to do a border?
Hi GiGi! Great question! We use the same size acrylic top and foam core bottom when we cover our prepped cakes in fondant (OR if we are using a ribbon/border at the base of our buttercream cakes). We find this to be the best approach give that all edges are 100% supported by the board.
If we have a cake that is all buttercream and we don't plan on using a ribbon/border, we take a slightly different approach. We do the same size acrylic top/acrylic bottom with a slightly smaller foam core (or cardboard) board adhered to the bottom acrylic. Once you have completed your prep, just pop off the bottom acrylic (with a spatula)! I think I explained this method in the beginning?
For example, if you bake a 6" cake, we would use 6.5" top and bottom acrylics with a 6" foam core board adhered to the bottom acrylic. When you are done prepping, you have .5" of buttercream all around and no foam core board is visible! I hope this helps!
@@SweetPassionCakery Thank you!!! You explained it very well and it is appreciated!
Where can I purchase the scraper?
No, I don’t think it will. I don’t think it whipped icing will get hard enough.
How thick is the foam board? :)
We use 1/4" thick for all tier sizes under 10" and 1/2" thick for all tiers above 10" =).
I'm confused can you please clarify. How does using a 8 1/2" acrylic disc on an 8" round cake give only 1/4" of buttercream around the cake? Did you mean to say that I should be using a 8 1/4" acrylic disc for an 8" round cake. I hope I didnt just order the wrong size. Thanks
Hi Donna! When you center the 8" round board on the acrylic... the extra 1/2" gives you 1/4" inch on all sides. If you used an 8 1/4" acrylic, you would only have 1/8" on all sides. I know it's a bit confusing! If you ordered the 8 1/2" then you ordered the same size we use =)!
Thanks so much for clarifying this point. Soo excited to try.;)
What buttercream do you use? Can you share your recipe please
Sure! We use Swiss Meringue Buttercream - sweetapolita.com/2011/04/swiss-meringue-buttercream-demystified/
@@SweetPassionCakery thank you! I used smbc and it stuck to the press and seal lifting the buttercream, even after refrigerating overnight :( I’m so devastated
@@MollyandthePoni sorry to hear that!! sometimes overnight might be too much, it gets too stuck!! try again, take the top off after 30-60 min next time:) cake doesn't always cooperate how we want everytime! haha.....good luck!
Thank you so much for replying :)
Where did you get your cake level pink?
Amazon! www.amazon.com/88200-Ladies-9-Inch-Torpedo-Level/dp/B004FN4C1Q
Where can I order the acrylic discs?
www.cakethings.com =)
Thank you so much!
Hey Ladies!! What size are your cake layers?
Hi Aisha! All of our cake layers are between 1"-1.25" high. With 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of filling, our total height ends up around 5.5" high!
@@SweetPassionCakery What number tip do you use to pipe the dam for the filling?
@@jessirichins Hi Jessi! We use Wilton piping tip #12. =)
Does the Press &Seal leave any sticky residue on the the disc where there is no Crisco? If so, how do you get rid of it?
Sometimes there can be a little bit of residue, but not much. It always seems to come off fine with the scrubby side of the sponge and hot soapy water:)
Sweet Passion Cakery thank you for your reply.
Half inch of butter cream don't sound like alot but it's alot I did it before. It's way too much buttercream
Hi! We use 1/2 inch up acrylics from the cake, so it's actually 1/4 inch of buttercream all around the cake. We have tried a 1/4 inch up acrylics, which made 1/8 of buttercream all around and we still had cake showing!! So for us, the 1/2 inch bigger work just perfectly:) No matter what size anyone chooses that works for them is great, the technique still applies no matter the choice differences:)
Most cakes shrink after baking. If you prefer 1/2 in buttercream , knock yourself out with it
@@SweetPassionCakery Yes I agree with you. I've tried 1/4" extra and its not enough to get good coverage of buttercream. Otherwise I kept getting cake showing through the buttercream. Love this tutorial. Thanks from Australia
@@janinewilson6992 our experience exactly!
!
Where can I order the scrapper ?
it's a Cakeheads scraper and unfortunately I think they are sold out right now and back ordred:(