Coating cakes with buttercream was a technique I found hard at first, it took me lot attempts to get a smooth buttercream coat but I have found the right technic to always get a nice smooth coat.
One important tip I can give is to have patience. Make sure you give the cake enough time in the fridge to cool because this will make it easier to get a smooth coat. This process may take a long time but the results are worth it! To coat a cake in buttercream you will need a few pieces of equipment: a piping bag, dough scrapper, cake turntable, a piece of cardboard and an off set spatula.
1. Cut a circle out the same width as the cake you want to coat and place on the turntable.
2. Place the first layer of cake on top of the piece of cardboard. Try to centre the cake on the cardboard.
3. Next fill a piping attached with a Wilton 368 tip or a Wilton 789 Tip. Fill the middle of the cake with around 1.5cm thick layer of buttercream. Then place the second layer of cake on top and lightly pressed down.
4. Pipe the buttercream on to the slides and the top of the cake. By piping the buttercream on to the sides of the cake it will help to make a thin layer of buttercream around the cake.
5. Next hold the dough scrapper against the side of the cake and slowly rotate the turntable until you go all the way around the cake. Using the off set spatula smooth the top of the cake and then place in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the buttercream to set slightly. This first layer is the crumb coat and will help prevents crumbs from appears in the final coat of buttercream.
6. Take the cake out of the fridge and then pipe another coat of buttercream on to the cake and then repeat the same process as before. Then place the cake back into the fridge again for another 30 minutes.
7. Next fill a small tray with boiling water and place the dough scrapper and the off set spatula in the tray. This will heat the scrapper and will slightly melt a thin layer of buttercream off the cake. This is what gives you the smooth finish.
8. Take the scrapper out of the hot water and dry the scrapper. Place the scrapper on the side of the cake and slowly turn the turntable until you go around the cake.
9. Dry the off set spatula and smoothen the top of the cake. Then place the cake back into the fridge to set.
10. Decorate the top of the cake with buttercream decorations.