After making my 2 tier fondant cake, I transported it to the shower and it didn't look as good as it did at home. It looked as if someone sqeezed down on it (does that make sense?) The filling from the layers seemed to be poking out from the fondant. I used BC frosting without shortening, I'm wondering if that had anything to do with it... The good thing is that they loved the cake and didn't notice the same thing I did.....help!
Cakes need 2-3 hours to settle if you use a weighting technique and 12-24 hours without weight. That's before you can frost them or put fondant on.
Thank you for this tip, I've been wondering exactly how long cakes need to rest. I tend to have little patience when it comes to waiting for cakes to "settle", after a few hours i'm dying to frost them!
Are you talking about letting them sit after being filled and crumb coated? Or just the time from when you take them out of the oven? I fill, crumb coat and ice my cooled cakes and don't do any kind of "settling time" in between. Let alone let them sit for 24 hours, what the heck?
I always let mine sit over night. Sometimes it could be about 24 hours before I begin the crumb coat. In doing this, I havent ran into an issue yet. Like all have said before, we learn as we go. I learned this weekend to not trust a leveler to retain its settings. I am about ready to get a new one that is more trustworthy.
I bake my cake way in advance because i usually have so many orders, that i can afford to wait until a day before to back. I let my cakes cool completely, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then freeze them until the night before i'm ready to decorate the cake. At times, the cake is fine, there are times when it starts to bubble. I usually don't get smooth sides (btw i use MMF). For this instance, where do i start timing the settling time, after i bake and before i wrap and freeze or when i take out to thaw?
forgive me, could you explain the "Wash" step?
Ha ha, I was confused about that one too, before I realized that she probably means apply a sugar syrup wash to the cake.
Is a wash really neccesary? i never heard of this??? Sorry I know this is a dumb question
Even if the cake doesn't NEED it, it can add flavors to the cake if you want to use a flavored syrup. I use a wash on some cakes but not on all of them, but it does give a nice depth to the taste of the cake to layer flavors.
When working with layered and stacked cakes, you should really consider using professional cake decorators icing recipes' or formulas. If you are layering with fruit type fillings... Keep in mind that the slur from the fruit likes run. Be sure to put a good border of buttercream to hold in your filling. Once you have your cake filled, dirty ice or (crumb ice your cake) Freeze after the crumb ice. After the crumb iced cake has had time to set, ice with one more layer of the butter cream and let it set again. Be sure to remove any condensation that may have developed on your icing. To do this, simply take your spatula and lightly run any condensation from the icing....Now you are ready to put put your fondant or any layer such as ganache. The structure and build of your cake should have a strong foundation to keep it sturdy during transportation.
Did you use a cake board and legs to stack?
Hope this helps!
hahaha, no freezing makes the cakes moister. Geez where's you get the ideas that freezing makes cakes tough? What the heck is a tough cake anyway?
If you made it with bread flour it would be tough! I don't freeze anything at all, so you don't have to freeze.
hahaha, no freezing makes the cakes moister. Geez where's you get the ideas that freezing makes cakes tough? What the heck is a tough cake anyway?
If you made it with bread flour it would be tough! I don't freeze anything at all, so you don't have to freeze.
You do not HAVE to freeze the cake, you can refrigerate it if you like. I personally like freezing the layers. It does not dehydrate your layers unless you leave them in for a really long time. Like a few months left uncovered.
They are easier to work with especially if you are carving them. It also assists in keeping your crumb factor under control. The only time you will have an issue with freezing is if you freeze after the product is completely finished. That could result in the icing cracking.
Not freezing large layers or sheets will give you a lot of headache along with the cake possibly falling apart when creating layers to be filled. Unless you use cardboard to separate cut layers of larger size. Even then, you will be risking cracks and separation in your product.
Refrigerate after your art is complete.... 
Thanks for the tip about using a ceramic tile! I've always let my cakes settle after filling (before crumb coating) but probably not long enough. I'll try the ceramic tile this week. I learned about having the cake settle after filling from Sharon Zambito's DVDs (excellent by the way). Also, be sure to use a very stiff buttercream as a dam and put your filling inside.
hahaha, no freezing makes the cakes moister. Geez where's you get the ideas that freezing makes cakes tough? What the heck is a tough cake anyway?
Have you not ever bit into a piece of cake that was dense, dry, etc?? To me, that's a tough cake.
I can see freezing one if you want to carve, freezing does make that easier. I know of several decorators that do not freeze at all... and are very proud of that fact.
I agree, freezing cakes actually makes them moister. And easier to handle. I do it all the time now.
I freeze every cake I make, unless time just doesn't allow it. But I firmly believe that freezing improves cake.
Freezing doesn't always improve cake, have you ever had something from Walmart? 
Freezing doesn't always improve cake, have you ever had something from Walmart?
Haha! Thankfully, I've never even been IN a Walmart. 
Freezing doesn't always improve cake, have you ever had something from Walmart?
Haha! Thankfully, I've never even been IN a Walmart.
Then you need to go to peopleofwalmart.com to see what you're missing. I've never seen anything like what's on that site at the Walmart near me, though, I never see the good stuff!
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