I made a Halo helmet cake for my son's birthday tomorrow. I completed the cake at 1:00 today and now it is cracking! The bottom is 3 layers with 2 burger king straws supporting the top one-layer tier (the brim of the hat). The top tier is on it's own board. I have a wooden dowel going all thru the cake and into the board. If I press the back of the cake towards the front, the cracks disappear. I have pics posted in my pictures (couldn't get a pic to attach). PLEASE HELP!! Is there anyway I can fix this?! Right now I have several small pieces of cardboard shoved under the back of the cake to support it. Thanks!

Is it stable now? If you have fondant still you can add one more strip over top to cover that. I hope it works out for you, I'm sure it will be a big hit with the boys, good luck

It sounds like it's sliding. Is everything level?

I would refrigerate it! I think it is top heavy and the moist cake is just tearing around the straws! That happened to me with a chesire cake cake. The face was all cut out fondant, and the weight pulled it all down, face first. I kept it in the fridge after that.

Cheatize- I thought everything was level maybe not. Any suggestions on how to better stabilize this? The cut-up cake boards propping it up at the back are kind of noticable. Maybe I'll cover them with fondant. I think part of the problem is that I carved out a section on the back bottom to make the helmet appear more round...should of just left it alone!

Annabakescakes- It's covered in fondant, can I refridgerate that? I thought you weren't supposed to put fondant in the fridge because it would sweat when it came out. Very high humidity here...kind of afraid to do that.

You can put it in the fridge.It is not sweating, if it is humid, the moisture in the air is what causes condensation. To keep it from condensating, (is that a word? lol!) )what you will have to do is cover it when you take it out. You can use a garbage (clean!) or a box to cover it. The idea is to keep the wet air off of it. You can try to put a bit more support in it as well. Maybe a skewer jammed all the way through. I'll pray for your poor cake!

BTW, we have had 100% humidity and 95* weather here in KY, for the past few days! NIGHTMARE!

Thanks, annabakescakes. I'm in MO and it feels like 100% humidity here too!

I took a look at the photo. If the cardboard wedge is keeping it from sliding, it sounds like it wasn't level.

If I'm reading correctly, the doweling you put in is in three layers of cake. The cake is 3 layers and then the top layer which is the brim of the helmet, correct? You need a board and dowels for every 4 inches in height, so I would check the height on it.

You have a wood dowel going through all the layers and the cake is sliding. I would consider pulling out that center dowel before it tears out the entire side of the cake. Prop the sliding edge against something so it doesn't continue to slide while you figure out the answer.

I haven't read the whole thread yet, but have you asked Leah on the Friday Night Cake Club thread? She's a pro and will know for sure what to do.
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=687566&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=15

I hope all this helps. I am an amateur compared to so many on here. Please go ask Leah on the other thread.

Just thought of another thing: is your filling something that would cause the cake to slide?

AR's humidity is awful also today! I had a lot of trouble with fondarific today, but I am keeping it in the fridge until the birthday party tomorrow. If you don't have a box big enough it will sweat, but it will dry in about 2 - 2 1/2 hours. ( I do that a lot, if I don't have one, just don't touch it until it drys) I think Doug suggested putting it under a ceiling fan, and that works. Could you temporarily prop something underneath in the back where you carved it out to help hold the weight?

Thanks for all the replies! I only used 2 straws next time I'll use more. With the back of the cake propped with cake boards, the cake survived for the party which was this morning. All of the kids and parents loved the cake and didn't even notice that it was propped up.

I'm glad the party went well! Now - the next time you make a helmet, it will be stable!!

I am so glad the helmet survived! Most people don't notice small mistakes. I can ask my mom if my cake looks good and she wouldn't notice if it was leaning over and cracked right down the middle with filling coming out! I try to never ask my husband because he notices if I have a flower turned differently than the one next to it or a dot out of place or if one of my beads isn't quite round!

Yay! So glad to hear it survived!