Help Please With My Saran Wrap Faux Paus!!!

Decorating By Melissa-makes-cakes Updated 14 Jan 2009 , 6:30pm by JanH

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Melissa-makes-cakes Posted 13 Jan 2009 , 4:43pm
post #1 of 19

I was told to place cake tiers on cardboard cake circles before stacking the tiers. Then someone said I need to cover those cardboard cake circles with saran wrap or wax paper so that they don't disintegrate. When I did this on my first wedding cake the saran wrap did'nt stay on tightly and some snuck out the sides which looked very tacky. How can I avoid this in the future or what should I use in between the layers of a multi tier cake.

18 replies
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VannaD Posted 13 Jan 2009 , 5:15pm
post #2 of 19

i also use saranwrap on all my cardboard cake circles. I cut the cardboard circles at least an inch smaller than the cake so that it doesnt show. Ive never made a wedding cake, but i have done cakes that are 2 tiers and this has worked for me. Im not sure if it makes it less stable though (cutting them so small) but ive never had any of them collapse or anything. KNOCKING ON WOOD! good luck getting more answeres, i would love to see what others are saying.

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sugarshack Posted 13 Jan 2009 , 6:05pm
post #3 of 19

try glad press and seal

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KoryAK Posted 13 Jan 2009 , 6:10pm
post #4 of 19

I don't wrap mine. Also you do not want them smaller than the cakes, if nothing else you want them slightly larger (like an 8" round under a cake baked in an 8" pan that shrunk down to 7.5-7.75", you know?) and then you make up the difference with icing. You are just adding a load of headache doing it that way.

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cupcakemkr Posted 13 Jan 2009 , 6:22pm
post #5 of 19

Kory - what would you do if you are doing a ribbon border or other small/no border cake?

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jammjenks Posted 13 Jan 2009 , 6:28pm
post #6 of 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by KoryAK

I don't wrap mine. Also you do not want them smaller than the cakes, if nothing else you want them slightly larger (like an 8" round under a cake baked in an 8" pan that shrunk down to 7.5-7.75", you know?) and then you make up the difference with icing. You are just adding a load of headache doing it that way.




yep...me too. You would use the board as a guide as to how much icing to put on. Your icing would be the same as the board so any ribbon or border would be over that.

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cupcakemkr Posted 13 Jan 2009 , 6:33pm
post #7 of 19

duh! I wasn't even thinking of the icing! sorry for the silly question.

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all4cake Posted 13 Jan 2009 , 6:52pm
post #8 of 19

why would you put plastic wrap on a cake circle? wouldn't it get cut up and possibly eaten when the cake was cut??? Sounds dangerous to me.

I don't wrap the cake circles either...

The only one I cover is the base and it's mostly done to keep from seeing the multiple layers of the cardboard.

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thefrostedcakencookie Posted 13 Jan 2009 , 6:52pm
post #9 of 19

i've never saraned my cake cardboards, but i use the kind that are waxed/white on one side and the cardboard color on the other.

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indydebi Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 12:22am
post #10 of 19

(big sigh!) I'm sorry but whoever told you the cardboard would "disintegrate" was SO wrong.

Boards are made of CARDboard ... not rice paper! Why someone would think they would disintegrate is totally beyond me! icon_confused.gif

I never wrap or even cover cardboards. I cut most of my wedding cakes, so I see first hand what the cardboards look like. Trust me, they hold up JUST fine!!

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BlakesCakes Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 12:42am
post #11 of 19

Aw, heck, avoid the issue all together and cut your own circles (same size as the cake tier) out of 3/16th inch foamcore. It doesn't soak up any liquid or grease, it adds genuine support, and even a bit of height to each tier.

If you buy the foamcore on sale, you can cut 6 10" circles out of one for $1.....

Rae

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KoryAK Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 1:32am
post #12 of 19

Yes... but that is a LOT more work than buying a case of 100 circles for $20 icon_smile.gif

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BlakesCakes Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 1:40am
post #13 of 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by KoryAK

Yes... but that is a LOT more work than buying a case of 100 circles for $20 icon_smile.gif




True--each custom cut board probably adds about 5 minutes onto my time.

But in all honesty, the security, support, strength, and added height makes it very much worth it to me.

It only took one buckled cardboard circle to convert me icon_eek.gif

Fool me once, shame on you.....fool me twice, shame on me icon_redface.gif

Rae

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mixinvixen Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 1:55am
post #14 of 19

i used saran wrap also, when i first started, and then i started thinking about how careful i had to be when i was carving to not nick it...which led me to thinking how in the heck the average joe blow was gonna cut it with a serrated knife without getting small pieces of plastic "garnishments".

i use contact paper. i don't feel like getting reamed for that, either, btw!

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BlakesCakes Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 2:30am
post #15 of 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by mixinvixen


i use contact paper. i don't feel like getting reamed for that, either, btw!




It's not a reaming.

It's a simple statement of fact:
The company that makes contact paper doesn't recommend prolonged contact with foods (especially greasy or acidic foods). The grease and acids in the food can accelerate the release of the chemicals in the contact paper (phthalates that make the vinyl very flexible), so a barrier (like a cardboard cake board or piece of parchment/wax paper) should be placed between the bottom of the cake and the contact paper. No food should EVER be placed directly on colored or printed contac paper because those contain lead, which also leaches in the presence of acid and grease.

Short term, or incidental contact (like a piped border that often winds up staying on the board, anyway) isn't a big issue.

No, no one will become immediately, violently ill if they eat something that's sat on contact paper for days or hours. It is, however, an issue of an unhealthy exposure that shouldn't occur, so preventive measures should always be taken once someone is aware of the issue.

Rae

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SweetHeather Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 2:04pm
post #16 of 19

Is clear contact paper safe?

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liapsim Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 2:25pm
post #17 of 19

I don't cover my boards either. Nor do I cover them....I put the icing to the outside of the circle too. Never had a problem. Good luck!

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Melissa-makes-cakes Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 4:17pm
post #18 of 19

Is foam core food safe or do you have to cover it?

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JanH Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 6:30pm
post #19 of 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by SweetHeather

Is clear contact paper safe?




Clear contact paper doesn't contain lead, but it's still contact paper so will leach phthalates. thumbsdown.gif

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlakesCakes


It's a simple statement of fact:
The company that makes contact paper doesn't recommend prolonged contact with foods (especially greasy or acidic foods). The grease and acids in the food can accelerate the release of the chemicals in the contact paper (phthalates that make the vinyl very flexible), so a barrier (like a cardboard cake board or piece of parchment/wax paper) should be placed between the bottom of the cake and the contact paper.

No food should EVER be placed directly on colored or printed contac paper because those contain lead, which also leaches in the presence of acid and grease.




Thanks for the extremely useful info BlakesCakes. icon_biggrin.gif

I try to avoid imported (especially Chinese) plastics and foodstuffs as much as possible because of lead and other contaminants....

No sense in being vigilant in that respect, if I'm going to unknowingly poison myself. icon_eek.gif

What are phthalates and why we should care:

http://www.breastcancerwatch.org/research/phthalates.pdf

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NEWSCIENCE/oncompounds/phthalates/phthalates.htm

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