You Ladies Are So Clever....

Decorating By ozlinz Updated 21 Mar 2007 , 12:44pm by ozlinz

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ozlinz Posted 19 Mar 2007 , 12:37pm
post #1 of 15

I am even more full of admiration for all you skilled ladies out there. I have just covered the two layers of chocolate mud cake with white fondant for my daughter's wedding. It took me about 4 hours from start to finish! It is just OK but not great looking. I was advised to use just a layer of apricot jam as a glue but in hindsight I wish I had tried buttercream although it is not so popular in Aus. Oh well too late. I hope to cover most of the blemishes with a lot of the roses I've made and to use ribbon round each layer. Any other ideas about borders between the layers? And is it possible to use royal icing (which I am much more familiar with) to smooth over any little cracks?
sorry for the long post. Hope for some ideas.

14 replies
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dodibug Posted 19 Mar 2007 , 12:52pm
post #2 of 15

I have used royal icing several times to fill in small areas on fondant (like if a hole is left behind when I use a pin to release an air bubble). There is a popular American cake show (Ace of Cakes) and the host has used royal icing many times to repair cracks in the fondant, etc.

Welcome to CC and I'm sure your daughter's cake will be beautiful!

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lapazlady Posted 19 Mar 2007 , 3:19pm
post #3 of 15

Dodibug, what a wonderful trick, thank you for sharing.

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dodibug Posted 19 Mar 2007 , 3:24pm
post #4 of 15

The funny part is I had used the ri to fill in spots and then saw it on Ace of Cakes and I was soooo proud of myself that I figured out something Duff knew! My husband just rolled his eyes at me! He just doesn't get it! icon_lol.gif

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lapazlady Posted 19 Mar 2007 , 3:36pm
post #5 of 15

That's really funny. One step ahead of Duff, far out!

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Peachshortcake Posted 19 Mar 2007 , 6:35pm
post #6 of 15

I used RI to fill in the cracks on my first fondant cake. Works like a charm.
A very dainty bead boarder works best with ribbon IMO. I saw a cake on here where the person did it on the top and bottom of the ribbon and it was gorgeous.
Good luck with the cake. Dont worry about the time it takes. Remember you are going for quality not quantity

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fytar Posted 19 Mar 2007 , 7:32pm
post #7 of 15

I saw Duff use royal icing to seam the base of each tier to the next so that the stacked tiers looked like they were all one cake. He didn't have to use borders then.

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ozlinz Posted 20 Mar 2007 , 12:15am
post #8 of 15

thanks for all the help and encouragement. Gives me the confidence to attack the next stage and then start sticking those darn roses on. I presume it doesnt matter whether or not you use glycerine in the RI as it is only a small quantity.

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sweet_as_tisse Posted 20 Mar 2007 , 10:00am
post #9 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by ozlinz

I was advised to use just a layer of apricot jam as a glue




Hi ozlinz

i cover my mud cakes all the time with fondant but i use a thin layer of ganache, i am not sure why some one would suggest apricot jam but anyway the ganache works better with the flavour of the mud cake so maybe next time you could use this instead...

please post a pic when you are finished, we would all love to see it... thumbs_up.gif

cheers

kylie

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LeeAnn Posted 20 Mar 2007 , 10:17am
post #10 of 15

Apricot jam is normally used for fruit cakes and buttercream for sponges

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dodibug Posted 20 Mar 2007 , 12:24pm
post #11 of 15

I'm going to guess that someone in the states suggested the jam. It's something commonly recommended by wilton in their courses. Most of us here had never heard of (and some still haven't) mudcakes untill all you wonderful friends from down under introduced us to them so they may not have realized what type of cake it really was and that ganache was more compatable.

Can't wait to see it!

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ozlinz Posted 21 Mar 2007 , 8:42am
post #12 of 15

No it was actually a friend here in Australia who has made lots of wedding cakes, either mud or fruit, and always uses apricot jam. She did have a terrible cautionary tale of someone who omitted the jam layer and arrived at a very posh reception centre to find the fondant icing had completely slipped off the cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway I am now on to attaching ribbons and above friend is coming over in the morning to see whether I should think about "rough icing' the whole cake. (a very popular look here at the moment but a bit of an admission of failure in my book!!)

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Chiara Posted 21 Mar 2007 , 10:57am
post #13 of 15

The apricot jam is heated and then strained. Once completely free of fruit clumps I brush it on any of my cakes.
Once completely cooled it creates a gelled barrier and reduces the use for a crumb coat. That is what I use as my crumb coat.
The one thing I like about the apricot is that it also balances the taste especially when one is using an exceptionally sweet icing. So you get the sweet flavour but a tang of apricot which cuts it.
It also tends to help hold any choice of icing you wish to cover the cake with. Good Luck

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fourangelsmommie Posted 21 Mar 2007 , 11:14am
post #14 of 15

Please forgive my ignorance ladies, but what is a mud cake? Is it some type of dense cake? I've never heard of it until reading a few posts here, so I have to ask. And what is a sponge cake? Is that like a pound or angel food cake?

Here in KY (USA) cake is cake! icon_wink.gif

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ozlinz Posted 21 Mar 2007 , 12:44pm
post #15 of 15

The recipe I have which is made up in batches by our local cake decorating shop is actually called Mississippi Mud Cake so I think it hails from your part of the world. It is a very moist, dense, rich chocolate cake so you only need to serve small portions. It is baked just like a fruit cake so a 10inch cake takes about 3 and 1/2 hours in a slow oven.
Very popular down under!

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