I have always covered my cakes at room temp but a few people have told me to crumb coat my cakes, refrigerate then cover in fondant for a smooth finish. I would like to know what everyone has experienced doing this? I am worried about it getting to room temp then bulging????

I seem to get more air bubbles when the crumb coat is really cold and I put on roomtemp fondant. ?? I usually take out the cake right before I start to kneed the fondant. Roll it out then cover the cake. By then the cake isn't completely cold on the outside but overall still chilled.

I level, fill, crumb coat and then refridgerate overnight every single cake that I do. Then the day that that I put the fondant on, I smooth on a very thin layer of bc on my cakes. I only pull the cake out after I have the fondant rolled (and covered with plastic wrap so it wont dry out).

This is the way that you prevent bulging of the sides. The cake is able to "set up" and support the fondant. Then I decorate the cake. After I am done decorating, I put it back into the fridge untill delivery. The fondant by now has set, and so it will hold the shape and not bulge.

Thanks for the tips, I will have to try it out. Usually I fill the cake, cover loosely with saran wrap, put a 12x12 tile on top of the tier let settle 3-4 hrs, crumb coat and cover in fondant. I would like more crisp edges so hopefully refrigerating will work, I am also concerned that refrigerating the cake will dry it out some???

This blog is pretty helpful about straight edges and refrigerating in between.

http://sugarsweetcakesandtreats.blogspot.com/2010/06/music-themed-80th-birthday-cake.html

http://sugarsweetcakesandtreats.blogspot.com/2011/01/baptism-cake.html

http://sugarsweetcakesandtreats.blogspot.com/2010/05/covering-cake-in-ganache.html

Thanks for the links, her cakes all have beautiful straight edges!

I live in a tropical place and I decorate without the benefit of AC. I am worried that when I chill the cakes, the condensation will make decorating or adding fondant a nightmare.

Anybody with such experience please give advice.

I don't live in a tropical place but I have put a fondant covered cake in the fridge. Just take it out about 2 hrs before serving and the condensation should dry up by then. Just don't touch or mark the fondant while sticky! Try it on small test cake and see what happens. HTH

Thanks for the advice.

Thanks for posting this link! It will come in very handy.

Thanks for the links. I will surely use them tonight when I ice my round cakes.