To crumb coat a cake, you need the cake layers, frosting, such as buttercream, an offset spatula, and a flat work surface to easily turn the cake. Many professional bakers use a cake turntable for this reason, though you can also use a flat plate, a cake stand, or a cake board.
If you need some recommendations, my Basic Vanilla Buttercream is the perfect consistency for both crumb coating your cake and adding your final layer of frosting, so feel free to use that if you're in need of a go-to vanilla buttercream recipe.
Our recommendation on how long to cool a cake before icing it is to wait 2-3 hours for your cake to cool completely. Then, add a crumb coat and refrigerate the cake for up to 30 minutes. Once that is done, you'll be able to ice until your heart's content.
Yes, after you sprinkle the cake with syrup, allow it to totally soak into the cake before you start adding buttercream or fondant. You want to be sure the frosting sticks!
When do I add the simple syrup? Always upon building the cake, never before freezing. You don't want to create ice crystals inside the cake which will then make the cake soggy upon thawing.
Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes, until the crumb coat is chilled, and no longer feels sticky. If it's a warm day, and your buttercream was warm and soft to begin with, you may need to chill the crumb coat for 45-60 minutes.
To properly crumb coat your cake recipe, wait until it has thoroughly cooled before applying frosting. In fact, using a crumb coat on a day-old cake actually works much better. It's much easier to decorate, plus the cake is still fresh.
Frosting options for crumb coating a cake
The frosting that I like using the most for my cakes is Vanilla Chantilly / whipped cream mixed with some icing sugar and vanilla. It's absolutely delicious and goes so well with any cake.
It should be thin enough that you can see the cake (and crumbs) through it. Don't worry about visible crumbs, it's all part of the process! Smooth the icing as best as you can and let it dry until it crusts over, or feels dry to the touch.
When you frost the cake it will be stable, not wobbly, so you'll find it much easier to get your frosting really smooth than if you try frosting a room temperature cake. After you assemble and crumb coat a cake, getting those stages out of the way, you can freeze the crumb coated cake.
Cakes can be filled and crumb coated up to a day in advance.
Before jumping right into your finishing layer of frosting, it's important to let your crumb-coated cake set in the fridge. A rest of 15 minutes or up to 2 hours in the fridge ensures that your crumb coat sets up before applying your final layer of frosting. From there, you're ready to decorate!
The answer is yes! Just wrap them in plastic wrap for extra protection from odors. Also may I suggest that you fill them after baking and cooling, crumb coat, wrap well in plastic and then freeze them. It's a whole lot easier that way.
This thin layer of frosting helps "glue" the crumbs to the cake so they won't be picked up when you apply the final layers of frosting later. "Without the crumb coat you will have a bumpy, non smooth and speckled finish.
Apply the crumb coat
Notice I said a thin layer; you want to just barely cover the cake. Honestly, the frosting should ideally be no more than 1/8” thick.
Absolutely, you can frost a cake the day before you plan to serve it. But keep in mind, any cakes frosted with dairy-based ingredients, such as cream cheese, butter, or heavy cream, should be refrigerated. They should not sit out overnight.
To work ahead, you can always frost the final layer of the buttercream, add any ganache drips, and store the cake overnight in the refrigerator. Then finish the rest of the decorating the day the cake is due to keep those berries looking fresh.
Why Should I Add Simple Syrup to Cakes? Simply put, it keeps the cake moist throughout every stage of assembly and decoration.
How to Make a Cake Ahead of Time. Un-iced: If you don't need to ice your cake until the day, you can bake your cake at least 2-3 days ahead of time. But you will need to store it carefully. Ensure that you wrap the cake and have it stored in an airtight container so it doesn't lose moisture.