Ask Nancy

There could be a few explanations for your icing cracking on your finished cake. Do you have a thick enough cake board? Depending on the size and weight of you cake, you may need 2 or 3 boards thick depending on the size and weight of your cake? If not, the board may have flexed causing the cake to crack. Also, when you lift the your cake, make sure you hold the cake directly under the center of the cake and not on the sides. Another reason might be that your buttercream icing too dry. If this happens regularly, add a tablespoon or 2 more shortening to make it smoother. Or, if you notice the dryness after mixing, you can add light corn syrup (up to 3-4 tablespoons per recipe) to thin for icing your cake.