Vent: My attempt at a birthday cake for my son in Chicago last weekend turned into a leaning tower of frosting.

Thomas Palmer · 2026-03-18T11:10:06.090867+00:00

I tried a new buttercream recipe that said it was 'stable' but after stacking the third layer, the whole thing started to slide sideways, and my 8-year-old just said, 'It looks like a sleepy cake, mom,' which honestly made me feel a bit better about the whole mess.

henry_hernandez5mo ago

That freezer trick sounds smart. Did the recipe say anything about the butter being a specific temperature before you started mixing? A lot of those "stable" ones need it to be just right, not too soft.

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thea6926mo ago

Love that sleepy cake description, honestly.

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derekcarr6mo ago

Oh man, been there. I stick my cake layers in the freezer for 15 minutes before I frost them now. It firms everything up so the layers don't slide around. A crumb coat with thinner frosting first helps a ton too.

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