I Need Help With My Cakes Bulging At The Sides!

Decorating By SugarExplosion Updated 20 Apr 2013 , 12:12pm by SugarExplosion

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SugarExplosion Posted 19 Apr 2013 , 1:59pm
post #1 of 11

AHi everyone,

I need some help. I made a birthday cake for a friend of mine, it was better in my head then it turn out in person. When I put the fondant on the cake and let rest I could see a bulge between the cake layers. I so frustrated! I didn't want to give my friend the cake. :( She loved it but i was having a come apart. I don't know why it keeps happening to me on every cake I do when I find it. Am I using too much ice cream? Or am I rolling my fondant out too thin? Please help me because I don't know how to fix this problem. Thank you so much!

DeeDee

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kazita Posted 19 Apr 2013 , 2:25pm
post #2 of 11

ADo you mean buttercream not ice cream? If you mean ice cream I don't know if the trick that I'm gonna give you a link to will work. Read through the entire thread people ask questions and leah answers them.

cakecentral.com/t/633571/my-newest-trick

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SugarExplosion Posted 19 Apr 2013 , 3:25pm
post #3 of 11

AYes, I mean butter cream. I'm list on how to fix this.

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kearniesue Posted 19 Apr 2013 , 5:39pm
post #4 of 11

I used to have that problem too - it drove me nuts!  I switched to ganache, and haven't had issues since then.  Here's some good information on it, if you're interested:

 

http://cakecentral.com/t/718828/working-with-ganache-and-smoothing-a-cake-tutorial-videos

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lomikesa Posted 19 Apr 2013 , 8:28pm
post #5 of 11

AI use to have that problem when I put filling but since I started using the Toba Garrett spackling technique, I don't have that problem I don't even have to trim the cake anymore because the spackling takes care of even it out. Lomikesa

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SugarExplosion Posted 19 Apr 2013 , 9:50pm
post #6 of 11

AIs that in her book called the well decorated cake? If so I need to find that technique and start using it ASAP.

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SugarExplosion Posted 19 Apr 2013 , 9:52pm
post #7 of 11

AI have wondered about using that technique with ganache but I have never tried it I will look into it thank you for the link I will definitely check it out.

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lomikesa Posted 19 Apr 2013 , 11:49pm
post #8 of 11

AActually I have both her books, the well decorated cake and professional cake decorating which she uses for her classes. If you want I can scan the pages with the instructions and email them to your email address.

Lomikesa

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SugarExplosion Posted 20 Apr 2013 , 5:09am
post #9 of 11

HI Lomikesa,

 

That would be great!! Thank ou so much.. I need all the help I can get..

 

DeeDee

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FromScratchSF Posted 20 Apr 2013 , 5:25am
post #10 of 11

Hello!  OK, work with me here:  Visualize you are getting ready to put fondant on your cake.  You have your cake, it's perfectly iced.  You roll out your fondant.  You lift it and place it on top of your cake.  Then you take your hand or grab your fondant smoother and start smoothing the fondant to the top of the cake.

 

STOP.

 

THIS is a key time you make your filling bulge.  If you are applying ANY downward pressure, you are pushing filling out the sides or displacing the air in the cake.  You should only be applying a very light touch to get the fondant to stick to the icing.

 

You are not laying cement.  :D

 

OK, assuming you are applying a very light touch, you start stretching and getting the fondant on the sides of your cake.  Then you trim your excess.  Now you take your fondant smoother and start smoothing your fondant, trying to make the corners even and sharp, your sides smooth, your top level...

 

STOP!

 

This is also a key time you are forcing your filling to bulge.  Again - you should ONLY be using a very light touch on the surface of the fondant, especially when working the top and the top corners.  If you press down at all, you are forcing your filling to bulge.

 

This doesn't happen with ganache because ganache is so hard.  But if you are working with any type of buttercream, cold or not, you can force bulges by trying to manhandle fondant onto your cake.

 

Good luck!

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SugarExplosion Posted 20 Apr 2013 , 12:12pm
post #11 of 11

AHi FromScratchSF,

Now that you say that I am pressing down hard because I want smooth finish. So I'm causing the very thing I don't want to happen. Hmm thanks for the insight!

DeeDee

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