I used my diamond impression mat for the first time today. I had nice smooth sides until I used the mat, then I had little cracks. How can I avoid this in the future? If I pressed to lightly I hardly got an impression. I was surprised at the amount of pressure I had to use. I also didn't get good marks at the bottom, but thankfully the shell border covered most of that up.

I was also going to ask how do I get rid of the powdered sugar marks from dusting my mat, but they have disappeared.

darkchocolate

Any help out there? How can I avoid cracked and wrinkled sides when they started out smooth? Anyone else have this problem after they used the impression mats?

darkchocolate

I use a diamond impression mat and have never had any problems with things cracking. Are you using it on buttercream or fondant?? I use it immediately after putting the fondant on the cake before the top surface crusts over. I do have to press on mine pretty hard as well. I usually will place the impression mat on the cake and rub it with my fondant smoother to make sure it's getting pressed evenly. If it doesn't make the indentions as deep as I'd like them to, I go back over the lines with a small fondant rotary tool very lightly so I don't accidently cut through the fondant.

If you're using it on buttercream, I would dust the mat with powder sugar and use it on the buttercream immediately after smoothing it. If you allow it to crust over completely it will definitely crack when you go over it with the mat.

Hope that helps a little bit and that others have some better ideas than I do.

Valerie

ditto on what valerie said... if you wait too long to do the impression mat, your icing will be too far set for it to work. Do it immediately after smoothing. If you are worried about it sticking, dust it with pwd sugar and/or cornstarch.

Sounds like your fondant is drying out. Try a little crisco on it first. I have an impression mat are rarely use it now that I got the one from Patchwork Cutters. Its like a cookie cutter and its so much easier to line up, etc.

I used my impression mat on buttercream. I want to try it on fondant also.

weirkd, Where did you get your Patchwork Cutters from?

I really appreciate all the responses. I feel better about using the mat again.

darkchocolate

I agree that you waited too long and your icing crusted too much, but I wouldn't recommend using the mat IMMEDIATELY after smoothing - unless your bc crusts REALLY FAST. When I used a Crisco recipe, I waited about 5-10 minutes before using the mat. Too soon and the mat will stick and pull off the icing. I NEVER powder my mat. But I do wipe it clean between pressings.

I now use a recipe that takes so long to crust, sometimes the cake isn't ready for 20-30 minutes, but I don't wait any longer or I'll get the cracking you had a problem with.

You can touch up areas that didn't get a good impression with the side of a round toothpick. I break the toothpick in half, but don't separate the halves, so I can handle it easier.

You can get it at Global Sugar Art.