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Wedding tomorrow - feel like crying :-( Wonky, uneven cake!

post #1 of 43
8/31/12 at 10:29am
Thread Starter 
Ok so I've been trying to make this Martha Stewart Chocolate Lace Cake - I don't know what I got myself into! It's for a friend and it's supposed to look like that:

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/sites/files/marthastewartweddings.com/ecl/images/content/pub/weddings/2006Q3/msw_fall_06_piped_dotted_xl.jpg


I have attached the pictures of what it looks like at the moment. First of all, the middle tier (haven't done the bottom tier yet) is slightly wonky..and the icing is pretty bad on the sides of the top tier...Since I can't use a ribbon to hide my sins in this case I don't know what to do icon_sad.gif

Or am I just being over-dramatic and you think it'll look fine in the end?

Not sure why it posts one pictures twice..argh
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post #2 of 43
8/31/12 at 10:40am
No one wants to be hurtful. It's pretty awful. I'm sorry. I wish I could say it is ok.

Is it supposed to be that color? It looks like there are splotches of different color. It also looks like it's cracked in alot of places.

The "middle" tier looks good in terms of structure. That top is awful wobblie & weird. I would rebake that or at least crumb coat it to fix it. Are you using some support system? The top looks like it is sinking into the middle.

You are going to fix this. It is going to be wonderful when you are finished. There are plenty of wonderful people here to help!

www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

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www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

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post #3 of 43
8/31/12 at 10:46am
Did u use the pan that have that shape ? Or u carved it by ur hand ? Coz it looks uneven dimensions in the cake

It will look good am sure
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post #4 of 43
8/31/12 at 10:47am
Yes, take off the fondant. Go back over the cake with ganache, and use your offset spatula to make that cake the perfect shape. When it's perfectly shaped, refrigerate it until it's quite firm, then reapply the fondant. You still have time to save this.

Is this marshmallow fondant? It looks like it may be. Is it possible to pick up some chocolate satin ice?
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post #5 of 43
8/31/12 at 11:12am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your honesty icon_smile.gif

In actual fact, it is chocolate satin icing - but my friend wanted it lighter so I put some whitening powder in - not sure if it's the picture but there are not blotches..only cracks..

I am using dowels and boards so not sure why it's sinking - I used shaped tins though - only the middle tier fell apart (I posted about it last night) and I had to reshape the sides. Thing is, I don't have the tins anymore, I had to give them back.

When you say Ganache, do you mean buttercream? And crumb coat - I still haven't figured out how to do it.. I have now finished the bottom tier and that one looks a lot better...
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post #6 of 43
8/31/12 at 11:17am
Some people use ganache under fondant. I, like you, use buttercream.

Did you knead the satin ice real well? That helps. I've never used whitening powder. Maybe that changed the fondant. I would mix a little white fondant to the brown fondant. New!!! Not this that you've used.

www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

Groom's Cakes
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Other / Mixed Shaped Wedding Cakes
(3 photos)
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www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

Groom's Cakes
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Other / Mixed Shaped Wedding Cakes
(3 photos)
Retirement
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post #7 of 43
8/31/12 at 11:29am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeliciousDesserts

Some people use ganache under fondant. I, like you, use buttercream.

Did you knead the real well? That helps. I've never used whitening powder. Maybe that changed the fondant. I would mix a little white fondant to the brown fondant. New!!! Not this that you've used.



Yeah maybe - actually I did knead it well. And to be honest, the colour is my least problem at the mo..haha..I put a piece of extra board underneath the wobbly tier and it looks a lot better - I am more worried about the cracks and uneven edge at the bottom because I can't use a ribbon..This satin icing is actually easier to repair than normal icing I found..I go over the icing with a warm knife. I hope it works...because I am worried if I un-ice the cake, the cake will fall apart..it was a bit of a light cake to begin with..
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post #8 of 43
8/31/12 at 11:32am
I don't think you need to scrape off all the buttercream but you do need to re-ice it in terms of getting the right shape. Take off the fondant & ice over what you have.

www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

Groom's Cakes
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Other / Mixed Shaped Wedding Cakes
(3 photos)
Retirement
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www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

Groom's Cakes
(1 photos)
Other / Mixed Shaped Wedding Cakes
(3 photos)
Retirement
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post #9 of 43
8/31/12 at 11:35am
A trick I use for the bottom is to put the cake on something a bit smaller so the edges hang over. Cover with fondant then trim just below cake board.

www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

Groom's Cakes
(1 photos)
Other / Mixed Shaped Wedding Cakes
(3 photos)
Retirement
(1 photos)
Reply

www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

Groom's Cakes
(1 photos)
Other / Mixed Shaped Wedding Cakes
(3 photos)
Retirement
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post #10 of 43
8/31/12 at 12:11pm
Thread Starter 
Ok - I don't know if that's any better...bear in mind, I am not a professional icon_smile.gif

I just hope that the piping can hide any imperfections..I tried to re-shape the cake with butter cream yesterday but it actually made id harder to ice - even though I let it cool.

P.S.: The original has an even color! It just lookes funny in the picture!
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post #11 of 43
8/31/12 at 12:51pm
Good recovery. Can't wait to see a photo of the finished cake. thumbs_up.gif
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post #12 of 43
8/31/12 at 1:56pm
Well, IMO, that looks much better than the earlier pic above from approximately the same distance. It's not Ron Ben Israel perfect by any means but it looked like you were heading for the "What the bride asked for/what the bride got" section of Cakewrecks.com before. You are headed in the right direction.
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post #13 of 43
8/31/12 at 2:49pm
Looks so much better. Now get piping-the wedding's tomorrow!!

Best of luck!
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post #14 of 43
8/31/12 at 3:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by VanillaSky

it looked like you were heading for the "What the bride asked for/what the bride got" section of Cakewrecks.com before. You are headed in the right direction.



That was exactly my thought!

www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

Groom's Cakes
(1 photos)
Other / Mixed Shaped Wedding Cakes
(3 photos)
Retirement
(1 photos)
Reply

www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

Groom's Cakes
(1 photos)
Other / Mixed Shaped Wedding Cakes
(3 photos)
Retirement
(1 photos)
Reply
post #15 of 43
9/1/12 at 1:28pm
Thread Starter 
Ok so - it's not perfect but she got it for free icon_smile.gif

jk - I am jaded after this, I spent all morning smoothing the edges and corners...And only then I was able to start piping. The result is only mediocre but hey...you live, you learn...(That was my first attempt at piping mind you...)
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