How to make airless buttercream that is smooth and creamy and has zero bubbles

Do you struggle with having too much air in your buttercream making it hard to get a smooth finish or possibly causing air bubbles under your fondant? Well fret no more! Learning how to make airless space buttercream is the second installment in our basics series! Here we show you just how to solve that issue with this super simple American Buttercream Recipe.

Step 1:

The amounts we are using in this recipe are perfect for a 4.5 quart mixer. If you have a different size mixer you will need to adjust the amounts accordingly. This is very important as it is the main trick to airless buttercream. Don't worry, you'll see why later!

Step 2:

You will need equal amounts of softened room temp butter and vegetable shortening, in our case for the 4.5 quart mixer, 16 oz of each. The shortening adds extra stability in hot weather but if that's not an issue and you'd rather use all butter, go for it!

Step 3:

Being sure to use the paddle attachment, mix these two ingredients on low to combine. This recipe does not use a whisk to prevent lots of air from being incorporated in the first place.

Step 4:

Scrape your bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure it's all mixed up well!

Step 5:

Add in 4 teaspoon of vanilla or any other flavoring of your choice.

Step 6:

Next add in ¼ of liquid coffee creamer or additional liquid for flavoring.

Step 7:

Add in 4 lbs of powdered sugar while your mixer is on the LOW setting. I repeat, THE LOWEST SETTING. It's not a pretty site if you try to put it in when it's on a higher speed. Yes, I do know.

Step 8:

Once you've added in half your sugar, 2 lbs for this recipe, cover your mixer in plastic wrap to keep the sugar dust from coating your entire kitchen.

Step 9:

Add in your salt, ½ teaspoon.

Step 10:

With all of your ingredients in the bowl, the buttercream should be coming up just over the entire paddle but not so high that it's to the edge of the bowl. This is why having the proper amount of ingredients is important! With the buttercream at this level, the paddle attachment is able to completely rid the buttercream of air.

Step 11:

Now just let it mix! On low for 10-20 minutes. Yes, you heard that right. Until it looks creamy and no air is inside.

Tip:

Adding just a touch of violet food coloring to your buttercream will counter act the yellow tint it may have from butter or extracts. Purple and yellow are opposites on the color wheel so they cancel each other out.

Voila!

You have gorgeous, smooth buttercream without any air to ruin your day of caking.

Have your own buttercream recipe you love? You can also rid the air from any recipe by making sure the correct amount of buttercream is in your bowl and mixing on low with the paddle attachment until all the air is gone. Now you have a superb medium to create your edible masterpieces with. You're welcome.

Going over the basics? Check out these!

Cake Decorating Basics: Must Have Tools

Cake Decorating Basics: Leveling and Torting

Cake Decorating Basics: Filling and Crumb Coating

Cake Decorating Basics: Avoiding Cake Blowouts

Cake Decorating Basics: Smooth Final Coat of Buttercream

Cake Decorating Basics: The Upside Down Method

Cake Decorating Basics: The Secret to Small Cakes

Cake Decorating Basics: Covering a Cake in Fondant

Cake Decorating Basics: How to get  Sharp Edges

Cake Decorating Basics: Easy Double Barrel

Cake Decorating Basics: How to Panel

Cake Decorating Basics: Stacking Cakes

 

Cake Decorating Tools Every Beginning Cake Decorator Needs To Know About!

Cake decorating tools cake be overwhelming! Are you just starting out as a cake decorator? Do you still struggle with the basics of cake decorating such as getting level cakes, straight edges or even just how to cut the dang things?! Do you know what cake is?! Okay, that was a sarcastic stretch, but DO YOU?!

Well, strap in cake decorators because for the next several blog posts I am going to take you through the basics of cake decorating on a detailed level the likes of which you've never been before! We will go over every tip and trick we have learned to get the most perfect basic cake canvas possible to ensure your cakes look professional and, well yeah, super professional.

If someone were to ask me the biggest difference between a professional cake and an amateur cake I wouldn't say sculpted shapes or fondant figures, I would say clean basics. If you're looking to be considered a professional, your cakes really need to be level, smooth and clean underneath any decoration or design and that, my friends, will set you apart as a pro.

The first few video tutorials for this series will be available for free in the near future on the Sugar Geek Show YouTube Channel and the rest will be available for Premium and Elite Members as the entire Cake Decorating Basics Series we just released a few days ago.

Okay, let's get to it shall we? To start this series we are starting with a review of the basic tools you will need. I told you we were starting from the very beginning, you didn't believe me did you?

(Pssst. Click on the photos or titles for a direct link to buy each product!)

#1 Pans with Straight Edges

So if you're gonna bake a professional cake you're gonna need some pans. If you're like me when I started out I had never baked a cake in anything but a 9x13 glass baking dish. It helps to invest in good pans that will last you a lifetime and we highly recommend Fat Daddio's! Liz and I both use them religiously and they have nice straight edges (which help you get a nice straight cake, get with the program on that one Wilton) and bake your cakes perfectly through.

#2 A Good Turntable 

If you're gonna decorate like a pro you'll also need a turn table. It's a necessity for icing a cake smooth. Believe me, it's frustrating trying to do it straight on your counter. There are lots of turntables out there that will work but getting one that turns smoothly, doesn't slide around on you and locks in place when needed will definitely make a difference. The Innovative Sugarworks one does all three and looks fabulous doing it. It's like the porsche of turn tables. I personally have several turntables so that I can have several tiers going at once. If you're looking for a less expensive option to start off or as an additional table, this Wilton one will get the job done too, more like a Prius, practical and affordable.

#3 Shelf Liner

So this is one of those tips a pro can offer. It is REALLY annoying when you're trying to ice your cake and it just keeps sliding around all over the place playing hard to get. Save yourself some sanity and get some of this inexpensive shelf liner and cut it into circles just smaller than your cake boards. I've linked to some on Amazon because I said I would but this can actually be found at just about any local grocery store or dollar store for cheaper.

#4 Cardboard Rounds

When you break into the world of cakes that you take out of the pan, you need to place each one on it's own cardboard round, (or square, or whatever shape your cake is). This is the big secret to stacking more than one cake on top of another, well one of the big secrets.

#5 Offset Spatula

Offset spatulas are the foundation for icing your cake. They are much more ergonomic then the straight spatula and in time will feel like an extension of your own limb. I, myself, prefer a small spatula for most of my icing, but I also have child sized hands. I've linked to a set of three for you so you have a variety for different jobs! If it is a huge cake, a larger spatula is more practical and I use the large spatula to lift my cakes for stacking or transport.

#6 Bench Scraper

The offset spatula is the foundation for icing your cake but the bench scraper will give you that smooth even finish. It took me a while before I learned about the bench scraper and it definitely made all the difference. I use a bench scraper to get sharp edges on my square cakes and nice straight sides on my frosted cakes. I prefer the Ateco bench scraper with the rounded handle that helps you keep the bench scraper straight up and down. 

I also use this bench scraper from Fat Girl Cakes quite a bit for tall cakes. This is the 12" tall bench scraper. 

#7 Serrated Knife

There are plenty of fancy gadgets out there for leveling your cakes but with a little practice, all you really need is a good serrated knife. These are also a necessity for any sort of carving you might want to do in the future, you know, once you've mastered the basics.

Need to know more about how to trim your cakes and make your very first cake? Check out my how to make your first cake blog post. 

#8 Ruler

Yep, a ruler. This will help ensure you have level, even sides to your cake.

#9 Fondant Smoothers

Fondant smoothers, plural because you need two. The name is self-explanatory but you need two to also help you get sharp edges and to keep from making indentations on one side of the cake while you smooth the other.

#10 Exacto Blade

Okay, so this is technically a Penblade which I am in love with but any exacto blade will do. Penblades are just insanely sharp, stay that way longer, and have a convenient and safe click and release handle that is easy to use. The blade is to cut nice sharp edges off your fondant.

#11 Corn Starch Pouch

 

Aright, so you can't actually buy these already pre-made (did I just have a million-dollar idea?) but all it is is corn starch put into a knee-high stocking, tie a knot and cut off the excess. This is one of those cake decorating tools that I use for on every cake! Great for rolling out fondant, gumpaste, modeling chocolate and even for dusting the outside of a cake when it starts sweating too much. 

This isn't one of those dual-purpose situations so don't wear the stockings first. You use this to lightly dust your surface before rolling out fondant to keep it from sticking. While I prefer corn starch, powdered sugar or a 50/50 mixture of the two will also work.

#12 Toothpicks

Toothpicks act as a guide to help level your cakes when you're first starting out and aren't used to eyeballing it yet, but don't worry, you'll get there! I also use them for testing a cake to see if it's done baking and for use as supports in small cupcake toppers! 

#13 Smoothie Straws

Fat straws, smoothie straws, milkshake straws, they go by many names but we aren't talking about Boba or Bubble Tea Straws here. These straws are actually skinnier and stronger. These are used as the supports between tiers for stacking. Who knew such an important cake decorating tool would be straws! Read blog post on how to stack a cake with straws. 

They are secret number two. Liz and I both have used these as supports for up to 4 tier cakes for many years without a single issue. They are plenty sturdy if you use enough and cut them straight.

#14 Kitchen Scale

If you've used any of my recipes then you know I weigh everything. The reason for this is because of accuracy! Check out my kitchen scale blog post on how to use a digital kitchen scale and which scales work best. 

Going over the Basics? Check out these!

Cake Decorating Basics: Airless Space Buttercream

Cake Decorating Basics: Leveling and Torting

Cake Decorating Basics: Filling and Crumb Coating

Cake Decorating Basics: Avoiding Cake Blowouts

Cake Decorating Basics: Smooth Final Coat of Buttercream

Cake Decorating Basics: The Upside Down Method

Cake Decorating Basics: The Secret to Small Cakes

Cake Decorating Basics: Covering a Cake in Fondant

Cake Decorating Basics: How to get  Sharp Edges

Cake Decorating Basics: Easy Double Barrel

Cake Decorating Basics: How to Panel

Cake Decorating Basics: Stacking Cakes

We recently came across a post that's entire purpose was to eradicate the existence of cake at weddings. Yes, you read that correctly, a mass genocide of wedding cakes if you will. Some wrongs just have to be righted and so, in this post, I will explain exactly why you should always and forever serve cake at a wedding.

Liz made a good point in saying how irritating and not to mention unfair it is when someone tries to pass off their own bad experience as "good advice". Is every wedding cake in the world delicious and moist as it should be? Probably not. Does that mean all wedding cake should get a bad rep and be eliminated as a timeless tradition? Absolutely not. That would be like saying because you leave a hair salon with a bad cut, color or manicure that you should never go to one again and they should all be eliminated. I mean really? You can not blame the whole for one small bad piece. As in everything, you have the good and you have the bad. It is outrageous to say that every wedding cake ever has been bad and that is just a fact of wedding cakes.

My first bit of advice is to do some research and make sure you're getting what you want out of your wedding cake. Delicious wedding cakes do exist, you just have to be sure to find them. Checking reputation and doing a taste test yourself are great ways to ensure you will have a delicious cake at your wedding. My second bit of advice? Home bakers or smaller scale bakeries and cake artists may be more likely to yield a moist, delicious cake. I am not saying a large bakery cannot because that also would not be fair, but they are more likely to take on more orders and have the need to make their product further ahead of time and use straight commercial mix and shortening based frosting. Again, no matter where you are thinking of getting your wedding cake from, take the time to know what you're getting before your special day.

---

Delicious wedding cakes do exist,

you just have to be sure to find them.

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The next point I would like to make is what a unique centerpiece and dare I say work of art wedding cakes have become at weddings. Most everyone, especially the bride, looks forward to seeing the wedding cake and it adds a beautiful element of awe to a wedding that cannot be replaced by a chocolate fountain. Just look at the face on this bride as she sees her wedding cake. That, my friends, is irreplaceable. I for one have never been that excited to see a chocolate fountain.

From sculpted masterpieces to perfectly themed pieces of art, wedding cakes can add a personal and/or elegant touch to your wedding that will not be forgotten. I'd like to see anyone do any of the following with pie and ice cream.

It was hard for me to stop at five photo examples but the point is, no, passing around cookies like hors d'oeuvres will not be as memorable as a gorgeous cake that, as I have mentioned, can also be delicious.

Next on the list of wrongs to right is the naked wedding cake. Clearly the writer of the other post is not a baker and does not know what goes into making a naked cake. While she was correct in saying that the frosting keeps in the moisture, it does not automatically mean that naked cakes are dry and insufferable. Some naked cakes are "half dressed" with a thin layer of buttercream which is enough to hold in the moisture and naked cake layers should be treated with a simple syrup to ensure moistness. Once again, make sure to do your research and choose a bakery or cake artist that knows what they're doing and produces a cake that tastes as good as it looks.

 

So hey, if you want to have additional desserts at your wedding as well, by all means go ahead! I've had many brides serve several desserts at their wedding with my cake. I also have renowned reviews for the moisture, taste and artistry of my cakes and my brides have been thrilled with their wedding cakes. Take it from a successful cake artist/baker and not a disgruntled consumer, don't eliminate the wedding cake from your wedding lineup, let them eat GOOD cake.

I believe I mentioned in a previous post that for quite some time Liz and I tried to be the first ones to come out with an effective crackle technique to no avail. Then they started showing up everywhere and we were left in the dust, womp womp. However! Liz by accident came up with possibly the easiest and most effective crackle technique of them all and we want to make sure you've seen it! Don't worry there is a FREE video tutorial at the end of the post!

Liz used the technique for the cake board on her amazing Porsche 911 Car Cake, which also is a tutorial for Sugar Geek Show Members. I mean, it has real working headlights guys, you might want to get on that. The star today though is this fantastic crackle!

And again for the board on her lovely Super Woman cake...

And since releasing the free tutorial a handful of other people have tried their hand at it and let me tell you they are amazing creations!

Here is an awesome dragon cake from Mandie Shelton of Mandie Bakes Custom Cakes. What a cool way to get texture for dragon skin!

Tara Kelliher of Hot Cakes By Tara used the technique on this incredible superhero cake for an Icing Smiles boy and again for the board on a sculpted girl cake. Doesn't it add so much interest to the superhero cake? Move over plain fondant!

I love the subtlety of it on the board for this cake. It almost looks like leather!

 I recently saw this cake by Jessa Coline of Abtract Edible Arts and fell in LOVE. What a genius use of this crackle effect for Te Ka's skin!

Lesley Wright of Royal Bakery added the crackled technique to the bottom tier of her Descendants 2 cake and it looks fab! Just look at that flawless crackle texture!

It seriously adds so much to the design of this cake! Incredible job!

Are you dying to know how it's done yet?! Here's the tutorial, and spoiler alert, it involves airbrushing and a torch. So, if you have those two things or have always wanted them but felt you needed an excuse to use them, now you have one. You're welcome. Go forth cakers and crackle all the cakey things!