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How to skim-coat a cake A skim coat or crumb coat is a covering of buttercream that acts as a base coat to prepare cakes for a flawless top coat ready for decorating. Buttercream is a good base to use, as it can be spread over the sides and top of the cake with an offset spatula to both smooth and shape the cake to ensure it has clean, sharp, angular surfaces and joins and to prepare the cake so no crumbs will crumble into the top coat, spoiling the finish. Misshapen or novelty-shaped cakes benefit from being skim-coated in buttercream to create the perfect base for the top coat.
Makes enough to cover one 8-inch round cake INGREDIENTS 1 (8-inch) round cake
VARIATIONS Many flavors, purees, curds, chocolates, and ganaches can be added to buttercream. Here are my favorites—to be added to 1 quantity of vanilla buttercream. FRUIT CITRUS CURDS—Stir in 9 ounces homemade lemon or lime curd (page 90). FRESH ZESTS—Add 2 tablespoons fine lemon, orange, or lime zest, or combine flavors.
FRUIT PUREES—Add fruit purees to taste as they are in season: raspberry and rose, black currant, mixed summer berries, strawberry, and champagne. WHITE CHOCOLATE—Stir in 7 ounces melted white chocolate. COFFEE—Add a cooled shot of espresso (about 3½ tablespoons or dissolve 2 teaspoons coffee granules in 2 tablespoons freshly boiled water) and let cool. MOCHA—Combine a shot of espresso into chocolate ganache buttercream (page 101) for a mocha flavor.
½ quantity (or 12 to 14 ounces) Chocolate Ganache Buttercream (see Variation, page 101)—this depends on the depth of the cake and whether it is to be split and filled
Trim the cake and turn it upside down onto a cake board the same size as the cake. Starting on the sides, use an offset spatula to paddle the buttercream around the sides of the cake, filling all the holes and gaps to create straight sides. Draw the offset spatula inward around the cake to remove the excess buttercream over the top of the sides so that there is a flat top to work with.
Paddle more buttercream over
the top of the cake and smooth and level with the offset spatula. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes until the buttercream has firmed to the touch. It is now ready for its top coat.
YOU WILL ALSO NEED 8-inch cake board
MICH’S TIP Top coats can include more hand-piped buttercream decorations, poured ganache, ready-to-roll icing, or chocolate sugar paste. This method would be the same if you were using a Swiss meringue buttercream (page 124).
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Mich Turner’s Cake School
Putting It All Together
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