Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating › What can I do to fix this cake?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

What can I do to fix this cake?

post #1 of 7
3/22/12 at 8:07pm
Thread Starter 
I'm doing a 3 tiered wedding cake for a wedding next week. I did a practice cake this week to be sure I can stack 3 tiers properly. The fondant is really lumpy looking on this cake. What did I do wrong?

Let me give you my steps: I froze the cakes, then put filling in and did the upside down icing method that Jessicakes shows on her blog. I put them back in the freezer for about an hour, then applied the fondant. The fondant is just shy of 1/4" thick.

I used this buttercream recipe: http://cakecentral.com/recipe/chocolate-buttercream-crusting

I have the cakes stacked with boards and supported with bubble tea straws. I also did a wooden dowel through the center.

I know the ribbon and single rose look messy and stupid. I was just playing with those. I'm not worried about getting that part right. I just really need help figuring out how to make the fondant smoother.

I do have the fondant smoothing tools. Do I just need to be more aggressive with those?

Also, the top tier has a concave look. What did I do wrong?

Thanks in advance for the advice!!
LL
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 7
3/22/12 at 8:27pm
Ganache under the fondant! Crisp edges, smooth surface to cover!
Legal, licensed, and insured since May 2011!
Reply
Legal, licensed, and insured since May 2011!
Reply
post #3 of 7
3/22/12 at 9:13pm
it's kinda hard to see what you're seeing as the photo is kinda small. there could be many factors... how much buttercream you put underneath the fondant? did you let the cakes settle for a couple of hours or over night? were the cakes warm or cold?

i do you the fondant smoother and i am "not nice" with the fondant. also, what type of fondant did you use?
It's not "just" cake...it's my life!
WI State Representative for Icing Smiles...start 'Baking a Difference" today!
Reply
It's not "just" cake...it's my life!
WI State Representative for Icing Smiles...start 'Baking a Difference" today!
Reply
post #4 of 7
3/22/12 at 10:11pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by step0nmi

it's kinda hard to see what you're seeing as the photo is kinda small. there could be many factors... how much buttercream you put underneath the fondant? did you let the cakes settle for a couple of hours or over night? were the cakes warm or cold?

i do you the fondant smoother and i am "not nice" with the fondant. also, what type of fondant did you use?



Let me try to make the picture a little bigger. That way you can see the lumps.

The amount of buttercream that is under there varies a little based on the unevenness of the cake. I would say an average of 1/4" of buttercream is under the fondant.

What do you mean did I let them settle? Should I let them sit out after I do the crumb coat? I've always thought I should put them back in the freezer. Maybe I'm doing that part wrong? I did let them sit overnight before I stacked them.

They were definitely frozen when I applied the fondant.

The fondant I use is homemade mmf (just marshmallows, water, flavoring, powdered sugar, and crisco).

Thanks for helping me through this!
LL
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 7
3/22/12 at 10:43pm
A simple white cake is the hardest, I think. When there aren't other decorations, every flaw is amplified. I don't think the cake looks very bumpy, its a little hard to see by your pictures. Its just that its all white and the fondant has to look perfect, I won't do a plain cake like that, it would stress me out too much, lol.. ganache does really work great under fondant. I coat the cake with ganache and put it in the frig to harden. I then slightly mist the cake and put the fondant on. There are alot of videos on youtube using this method.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 7
3/23/12 at 6:10am
I have trouble using the smoothers when I put fondant on a really cold cake. It starts to get a little sticky and then sticks to the smoothers. I don't know if that's what's causing you trouble. It doesn't really look as bad as you're thinking it does, or at least the picture doesn't show the problems, if there are problems.

What did you mean about the unevenness of the cake under the buttercream?
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 7
3/23/12 at 6:30am
If you are freezing your cake you need to let it defrost before covering with fondant. Fondant doesn't adhere well to a frozen cake.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cake Decorating
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating › What can I do to fix this cake?