Last Updated on February 3, 2023
Do you want to elevate your decorating skills? Then knowing how to crumb coat is essential! But first, you need a good crumb coat recipe.
Fortunately, there are two great crumb coat recipes These recipes we will be sharing today have the perfect consistency to create unbelievably smooth and lump-free crumb coatings. And, it is so great that you can even use it for your final layer.
What is a Crumb Coating and Why Use a Crumb Coat Recipe?
Crumb coatings are essentially a part of cake decorating that will take your baked goods from homemade (and a little bit amateur-ish) to professional! Trust us, it makes a massive difference in the result.
This process involves adding a thin layer of buttercream frosting to your entire cake. This initial layer will help catch any loose crumbs on the surface. This in turn will help you create a smooth surface. Why is this important?
Well, a smooth surface will allow you to add another baby-bum smooth layer of frosting that will make your cake look clean and professional. Furthermore, it will also create a smoother surface over which you can add fondant icing. This way, the surface won’t have any lumps to it.
Overall, learning how to properly make this crumb-coating icing recipe will enable you to create beautiful masterpieces and amazing drool-worthy content for social media. And maybe even more importantly, you can ultimately charge more for these cakes because of the added skill level!
What makes this crumb coat recipe different from regular buttercream?
Now, you may be tempted to use your everyday buttercream frosting recipe for a crumb coat layer. But please, whatever you do, don’t give in to the temptation.
We regularly see people devastatingly asking why their crumb-coating layers don’t look great. 99% of the time it is because they used their normal thick buttercream frosting to try it. It will not work!
The perfect crumb-coating icing recipe should be slightly softer and more pliable. This will help you spread it very thinly, literally creating a crumb coating.
If your frosting is too thick and dry, it will create more crumbs! So, our recipe has a perfect consistency that will allow you to catch only the ones there and create a silky smooth coating.
What You Need For a Crumb Coat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4-6 teaspoons milk, room temperature
Equipment
- Soft pastry brush
- Turntable
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer (with paddle attachment)
- Bowl scraper or rubber spatula
- Offset spatula
- Bench scraper
How to make this easy crumb coating icing recipe from scratch – And how to crumb coat a cake
Step 1: Prepare your cake for its crumb coat
To start, there are a couple of things that the cake needs to undergo. First, it needs to be completely cool. Then, you should stack your cake layers with filling or frosting in between. The frosting or filling shouldn’t ooze out of the sides.
Once your cake is stacked and level, you can brush off the initial crumbs with a soft pastry brush. Don’t press too hard or brush for too long. You don’t want to create more crumbs in the process.
Place your cake on a turntable and prepare all of your tools. Now, you are ready to begin making the crumb-coating icing recipe.
Step 2: Make your crumb-coating icing recipe
To start, place your butter inside a large mixing bowl. Then, beat it at a high speed for roughly 7 minutes to give it a fluffy and smooth consistency with a pale color.
Then, reduce the speed of the mixer and add your icing sugar. Only add one cup at a time to help properly mix the ingredients together. Scrape down the sides to ensure everything mixes well.
Finally, add the vanilla and 4 teaspoons of milk. Mix it in and add more milk to soften the frosting if it is needed. The final product should be pliable and soft, but still, be able to hold its shape.
Step 3: Add frosting to the cake surface
To start the crumb coating process, add a big dollop of frosting on top of your cake. With the offset spatula, spread the frosting to create a smooth thin layer.
Then, add more frosting to the sides and keep spreading it. You need to create a uniformly thin layer across the entire surface.
Step 4: Level the frosting for the crumb coating
Once the initial layer of frosting is on, you can level it with the bench scraper. Place the straight side of the scraper directly against the side of the cake. Then, turn the table as the excess frosting gets scooped off.
If there are any gaps in the frosting, add a little bit more and keep leveling!
Step 5: Chill the cake and add the final layer of buttercream
You must chill the cake before adding the final layer of frosting. This will prevent the crumb coating from coming off. Plus, it helps secure the crumbs in the bottom layer.
What You Need For a Crumb Coat Recipe With Cream Cheese Buttercream
For a crumb coat recipe with cream cheese buttercream, you will need:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 package (8 ounces) of cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Equipment
- Baked cake
- Large mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Electric mixer
- Offset spatula
- Bench scraper
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Beat butter and cream cheese
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Use a rubber spatula to scrap down the sides of the bowl as need be.
Step 2: Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until the frosting becomes smooth and creamy in consistency with no lumps.
Step 3: Assemble your cake
Once your cake has fully cooled, add your filling and stack. You can use the cream cheese frosting or a filling of your choice.
Step 4: Add your crumb coat
Add a large scoop of cream cheese frosting to your cake and use an offset spatula to spread it on the top and sides of the cake to create a thin layer. Then, use a bench scraper around your cake to smooth the crumb coat and fill in any gaps.
Step 5: Chill the cake and finish decorating
Chill the cake for around one hour or more in the fridge to allow the crumb coat to set. Once the cake is chilled you can take it out of the fridge to decorate with the remainder of your frosting and any decorations of choice.
Tips and Tricks Professionals Use!
- The size of your cake will ultimately determine how much buttercream you need to use. For a 6-inch cake with 3 layers, you will need 4 cups of frosting. For an 8-inch round cake with 3 layers, about 5 cups will do.
- Do not try to use frosting sparingly. You will need a lot to get a nice coating. But don’t worry about wasting any. Leftover frosting can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Invest in a proper turntable and bench scraper for this process. Cheaply made ones will make your life so much more difficult and not worth the process.
How Much Frosting For a 3-Layer Cake?
For a three-layer round cake that is either eight inches or nine inches, you will need about five cups of frosting. This is enough to fill your cake and frost the outside as well.
If you want to add frosting decorations to the top of your cake such as swirls, flowers, or other designs, you will need about six cups of frosting. If you plan on adding a filling that isn’t frosting to your cake, you will only need about 3 1/2 to four cups or five cups if you plan on piping decorations on your cake.
How Much Frosting for 24 Cupcakes?
To decorate 24 cupcakes, you will need around three to four cups of frosting. The exact amount will vary depending on how generous you plan to be with the frosting.
How to Dirty Ice a Cake
Dirty icing is another term for crumb-coating a cake. To dirty ice a cake, you add a thin layer of frosting using an offset spatula and then use a bench scraper to smooth it out and fill in any gaps. You then chill the cake and finish decorating once the first layer of frosting has set.
How to Frost a Naked Cake
There are a couple of different ways you can frost a naked cake. One method is only to add frosting as a filling and leave the outside of the cake undecorated beside the top. The other option is to create a thin layer of frosting on the outside.
To do this, you will use the same method as crumb-coating. After filling your cake, use an offset spatula to spread a thin layer of frosting on your cake, and then use a bench scraper to smooth it out. There should be patches of the cake you can see under the thin layer of frosting.
Allow your cake to chill and then decorate it with fresh fruit or flowers. You do not add any more frosting after the crumb coat layer to achieve the naked cake look.
Preparations Times and Servings For Both Crumb Coat Recipes
The servings and preparation time for both of the crumb coat recipes are the same as follows:
An Easy Guide to Making Crumb Coat Recipes – Final Thoughts
We hope that you enjoyed this article on making a crumb-coating icing recipe and that you found it educational. If you still have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments below!
And, if you like to learn more about cake decorating, our site is full of excellent in-depth articles on all things cake!
Easy & Uber Fluffy Crumb Coating Icing Recipe In 15 Minutes!
Equipment
- Soft pastry brush
- Turntable
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer (with paddle attachment)
- Bowl scraper or rubber spatula
- Bench scraper
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4-6 teaspoons milk, room temperature
Instructions
- Prepare your cake for its crumb coatTo start, there are a couple of things that the cake needs to undergo. First, it needs to be completely cool. Then, you should stack your cake layers with filling or frosting in between. The frosting or filling shouldn't ooze out of the sides.Once your cake is stacked and level, you can brush off the initial crumbs with a soft pastry brush. Don't press too hard or brush for too long. You don't want to create more crumbs in the process.Place your cake on a turntable and prepare all of your tools. Now, you are ready to begin making the crumb coating icing recipe.
- Make your crumb coating icing recipeTo start, place your butter inside a large mixing bowl. Then, beat it at a high speed for roughly 7 minutes to give it a fluffy and smooth consistency with a pale color.Then, reduce the speed of the mixer and add your icing sugar. Only add one cup at a time to help properly mix the ingredients together. Scrape down the sides to ensure everything mixes in well.Finally, add the vanilla and 4 teaspoons of milk. Mix it in and add more milk to soften the frosting if it is needed. The final product should be pliable and soft, but still, be able to hold its shape.1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 4-6 teaspoons milk, room temperature
- Add frosting to the cake surfaceTo start the crumb coating process, add a big dollop of frosting on top of your cake. With the offset spatula, spread the frosting to create a smooth thin layer.Then, add more frosting to the sides and keep spreading it. You need to create a uniformly thin layer across the entire surface.
- Level the frosting for the crumb coatingOnce the initial layer of frosting is on, you can level it with the bench scraper. Place the straight side of the scraper directly against the side of the cake. Then, turn the table as the excess frosting gets scooped off.If there are any gaps in the frosting, add a little bit more and keep leveling!
- Chill the cake and add the final layer of buttercreamYou must chill the cake before adding the final layer of frosting. This will prevent the crumb coating from coming off. Plus, it helps secure the crumbs in the bottom layer.
Notes
FAQs
What icing do you use for crumb coating?
You can use a normal buttercream frosting recipe, but the consistency needs to be perfect. For your crumb coating layer, the frosting needs to be soft, fluffy, pliable, and incredibly smooth. A thick frosting will create more crumbs.
How do you make a crumb coat of icing?
Crumb coating a cake is easy once you know all the tricks. But, it also requires practice and patience. To start, brush off any excess crumbs on the surface of the cake. Then, add the initial layer of frosting with a spatula. Finally, you will need to level the frosting using a bench scraper and turntable. Keep scraping off excess frosting until you get a completely smooth thin coating.
Can you do a crumb coat with frosting?
You can create a crumb coating with frosting, but the frosting has to have the correct consistency. If it is too thick, it will create more crumbs and won't adhere to the surface of the cake nicely. If it is too thin, it won't stick and will simply run off.
Do you use buttercream for a crumb coat?
You can use a buttercream frosting recipe for a crumb coat on a cake. But, as we have said before, it needs to have the correct consistency. So, our recipe works well because it is pliable but firm.
Lindy Van Schalkwyk is a culinary specialist with a background in Advanced Cooking, Advanced Pâtisserie, Media Communications and Nutrition. She has gained invaluable experience in the culinary industry having worked in some of the top restaurants in Africa in 2016 and 2017. Her expertise in nutrition has enabled her to develop recipes for special dietary needs. In 2018, Lindy began working in the Food Media industry, focusing on recipe development, recipe writing, food writing and food styling.