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Fondant on topsy turvy

post #1 of 4
3/14/12 at 6:09pm
Thread Starter 
So today I am working on my first Topsy turvy cake, its kept me awake a couple nights worrying about this one.
Ive done a couple practice cakes before, both "looked" right but when it came to covering them in fondant it split on the tallest corner (which i managed to hide most of with decorations). My question is:
Is there some secret to doing this without it splitting? I live on a tropical island where humidity is INSANE, I have all my ac on so my house is freezing and not humid so I'm hoping that will help. I am also going to let my cake set on the counter rather than fridge so that it doesn't get condensation on it. I'm coverings it in ganache also rather than buttercream.
I just really want to know I have as much info as i can get my hands on before I go to lay the fondant over this one. I figure if it goes wrong I could always hide a lot of the faults but I'd rather not have to worry about splitting edges.
Sorry I kinda rambled on a bit there eh?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. TIA
I'm a cake geek and I am proud of it!
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I'm a cake geek and I am proud of it!
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post #2 of 4
3/18/12 at 12:30am
Oh, dear, I know exactly what you mean about the perils of humidity - I live in the tropics myself. In addition to that, there's the problem with the topmost edge of topsy-turvy layers: either the fondant wants to tear or the cake itself breaks off there. My kitchen doesn't have any AC at all, so I've found a way to make my fondant more resistant to tearing, bagging and sliding off the cake after a while. I add about 1 tablespoon of shortening, 1 teaspoon of CMC and about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to each pound of fondant. This has worked nicely so far. I also put the minimum possible of whatever (buttercream, ganache, apricot jam) under the fondant so there won't be too much additional moisture. Actually, sometimes, I don't even use anything at all underneath, if the cake itself is moist enough. Besides making my cakes look better, these things also help keep the fondant from tearing on sharper edges, although it also helps to get the fondant in place and trim the excess on those high, sharp edges first and then to take care of the other parts of the cake. Hope some of this helps!
Marianna
"I know my own mind...and it's around here somewhere!"
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Marianna
"I know my own mind...and it's around here somewhere!"
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post #3 of 4
3/18/12 at 12:46am
Thread Starter 
I actually managed to get the fondant on the cake without it splitting (which was some kind of miracle) I just took my time with it. made it thicker than usual. made sure the edge wasn't too sharp and used chocolate ganache rather than buttercream which I think made a world of difference. Next time tho I think I will give your advice a try. It sounds like a good method.

Thanks for the reply icon_smile.gif
I'm a cake geek and I am proud of it!
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I'm a cake geek and I am proud of it!
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post #4 of 4
3/18/12 at 10:07am
Ooh, yes - ganache is the goods under fondant! It gives your cake a much crisper look. Also, your idea of rolling the fondant a little thicker than usual for this kind of cake is a good one. I just took a good look at your cake, and it's totally adorable. You can't tell it gave you trouble or that there are any flaws in it, and Larry the Leprechaun is my new St. Patrick's Day mascot!
Marianna
"I know my own mind...and it's around here somewhere!"
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Marianna
"I know my own mind...and it's around here somewhere!"
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