Okay, so I have a cake I want to make for christmas. A simple round cake. However, I'll be making FONDANT PENGUINS (5 of them)(http://www.marzipanworld.com/acatalog/Marzipan_World_Marzipan_Penguins_588.html) to go on top, AND COVERING THE CAKE IN MMF!!!! So, the more I think about this cake, the more worried I feel. I've seen the work here on CC, and honestly, as most will agree it's terrific. I've gotten alot of exposure here, More than I would have gotten from any book. Which is why I need some advice. Here're a couple of things playing on my mind.

1)I live in a tropical country, where it's humid ALL the time (especially now since it's the rainy season). What are the problems I should expect with the fondant, and how do I prevent them?

2)Do the fondant figures have to dry first, or can I put them on the cake at once?

3) The cake will be chocolate with mint buttercream and ganache filling. How do I make a dam for the filling? And since everyone tells me to freeze the cake before filling it, should I let it thaw completely before crumb coating and putting on fondant? Or can I do it straight away?

4) Is it okay to use crusting buttercream for fondant?

5) Should I support the figures with a toothpick? Or will they be fine as they are?

6) Is it really a sin to put a 'fondanted' cake in the fridge? Especially with my climate?

7) If they do have to dry(the figures), how long do you think it will take?

I'm going to practice the figures using plasticine. Should I expect the same results and workability with MMF?

9) After I finish the cake, if I do it before the date it's needed, taking into consideration the climate and ingrediants in the cake and the fact I can't refridgerate it, can I keep it out?

10) Can I attach my royal icing snowflakes to the sides using buttercream?

Well, that's all I can think of right now... I feel like I'm forgetting something so expect alot more questions. Bear in mind this is my first MMF cake and I'm really nervous, so do excuse all the uncertainties. Thanks for your time.

Wow! OK - I'll see if I can help answer some of these! Now about covering in MMF - I can't help you there - I have never used it (I only use commercial), but I'll see if I can can answer some of your other questions!

- If you live in a high humidity climate, fondand can be challenging. For your penguins, add a good amount of confect. sugar or cornstart to get it to workable (stiff) consistancy. A hardening agent can be added too. Otherwise, they may take awhile to dry. To prevent them from falling over on your cake, I would use a pick to set them in place w/ a little buttercream.

- If your ganache is firm, you shouldn't need to dam it. Otherwise just pipe a ring of buttercream around, and fill in w/ your ganache.

- If your covering the cake in fondant, it should be fine at room temp. You can attach royal to fondant w/ a little buttercream, but better yet, use royal.

Hope that helps!

cakesbyallison is right with what she posted, but I also want to add that attaching royal icing decorations with buttercream may not be a good idea. Like she said, royal is best to attach with, because the grease in the buttercream could melt the royal icing decorations and they could just fall off, or run, even if only using a little bit. If they are very well dried and 'aged' then you would be fine, but otherwise, err on the side of caution and use the royal icing to attach. I have seen royal icing ruined by being put on buttercream and would hate to see that happen to you.

4) I would not use crusting buttercream under the fondant, because it needs to be that little bit sticky to hold the fondant in place.

7) I would let the figures dry, and before you do, put a toothpick in the bottom of them so it can be stuck into the cake (don't want little penguins rolling around) let them dry and store them until needed by sticking the toothpicks into florist foam.

Good luck!