Hello! I'm going to try to do this cake for a party Sat, and wanted to start ASAP.

How far in advance cane I bake and put the fondant on the cakes? If I do it Thursday, will i be good for Sat? Do they need to be refrigerated until Sat?

I cant wait to make it! I'm terrified it will be a mess, but I'm sure it will be fun!!

thanks,
Michelle

Hi
I don't know where you are from so don't know what the weather there is like.
We never have very high temperatures over here in the UK and even when we have had a 'heat wave' as such I never ever put fondanted cakes in the refrigerator as the fondant will sweat when you take it out and it will not set properly.
I always start to decorate at the beginning of the week and I never have any problems with sponges drying out - always get told that they are lovely and moist.

Thanks ... I live in New Jersey, and it is about 85 degrees right now, heading toward 90 for the weekend. I think I'll try to make the cake tonight and fondant tomorrow, that should be plenty of time!

Thank you!

It took four nights, including one all-nighter, but i made the cake!!!

It was a blast - I had so much fun making the flowers and figuring out the fondant. My DH learned quite a bit too!

Thank you soooooo much to all the ladies who gave me tidbits -- your suggestions were priceless!

Here are my suggestions for any future folks who might attempt the cake:

- Place the cake on a woods base, then DRILL a screw (flush to the wood) through the bottom of the cake into the towers to keep them securely attached. The icing was just not enough for me, especially today at 98 degrees and 90% humidity.

- Overfill the cake pans when baking because you lose too much when making them level, and it can make the doors/windows look out of proportion.

- Start early! This was my first attepmt at anything more complicated than a 9x13 cake, and it took much longer than I thought it would. Decorate all the towers a few days ahead of time so they're ready to go by the time the cakes are done.

And last of all -- have fun! This was such a blast for me to do! If you're considering it but have reservations - I say go for it! And the fondant was much easier than I thought it would be!

I couldnt figure out how to post a picture inside this post -- is there a trick? But here's a link to the cake.

Michelle

My sis is here with her baby and brought me this Wilton Castle kit to make for Wednesday! I bought everything I need and have made over 300 flowers for it. I thought I would do this in shifts since I have five children at home and sis is also expecting a smocked dress on Wednesday. I have never layed eyes on this kit before today. It is very deceiving and scary! PLEASE HELP ME!! Tell me what to do!!!

It said to attatch dowel rods to towers with cany melts and turn upside down and put in fridge to firm. I DO NOT understand this at all. It is NOT making any sense to me... Is that to put on the side of the towers to push into the side of the cake to hold it upright (those that are on bottom board and on top of bottom tier? My dh just drilled holes in the bottom of each tower to put dowels for those that I push down into the tops of the tiers; is there anything else I should do?

NOW, my biggest issue is the turrett peaks. They are not a snug fit onto the top of the towers. Do I feel the entire inside of the peak with melted candy or just a thin layer on the top of the tower and push the peak onto it and let it firm? Someone suggested super glue......Has Anyone Ever Done This? Does it work?

What is the best way to transport this? It is Monday around 8p now; the party is Wednesday at 1. I live 30 mintues from the party. The party is at the Incredible Pizza Factory. What are your suggestions? HELP PLEASE!!! I am so new at this! My sis is very critical and I just don't want a disaster!

Please email me ASAP! I got in a panic today and baked the cakes (thinking tomorrow was Wednesday!); so I have all the cakes and flowers made. Is there anything I can do tonight or just do it all tomorrow, Tuesday? Would you go ahead and put it all together and then transport (glue/candy melts) or would you assemble at the pizza party (ugh!!)? If you do wait to assemble, what all do you assemble ahead of time and what do you wait and do onsite????

I greatly appreciate all your help. I only get to see my sis and niece twice maybe three times a year, she is only 1, but I want it to be my best. Your help/advice/tips are greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I appreciate what I have already read.

Penny; [email protected] 901-813-8200

i dont know i found the romantic castle set ok to work with... i only had problems with one of the towers...
i removed the turrets and put them in an extra cake bos to deliver the cake... i have since not used it so i dont know if it was worth the price... although i mostly did it because i wanted to enter the wilton contest...
im so stressed .. i havent seen them post the winner yet...

You did great! I had about 13 hours total invested in my first attemp for my daughter's bday...it's crazy! It was a challenge, and I used ALOT of candy melts to hold everything in place.

ok...I'm curious...how come everyone is talking about using candy melts when royal icing would seem sooo much stronger? I don't know...is that a dumb question?

I am still debating if I should get this kit or not...

I prefer candy melts b/c they dry so much faster than RI. It means you have to work quicker, but I think it holds better than RI - JMO! The instructions state to use candy melts on parts of the cake, like the dowels for the towers that go into the cake, but I also used CM to attach the flowers to the windows & towers, and the turrets to the towers. Worked out well!

Sorry; this is long!!

First let me just say THANK YOU!!! Thank you to this website, this thread, and everyone that has posted suggestions about the castle cake!!

After reading this thread, I was so SCARED to tackle this cake. My sister was expecting it for her 1yo. I had three days to do it in; and it took all three!!! Some of you called me and emailed me and I am so thankful; because it was your suggestions that made my cake! It sure wasn't the Wilton directions!!

SO, for anyone wanting to know...this is exactly what I did.....

I made all 300+ Fondant flowers first. Then, my dh drilled a hole in each tower and the roof. I inserted dowels until they touched the top. I made the dowels long enough to go through both layers of the tier and touch the board. I bought a large square piece of syrofoam and left the plastic on it. I measured each tower/dowel and cut it off and stuck it into the styrofoam and labeled where it went on the cake. Then I completely decorated the towers with RI. I used BC to hold the flowers. All flowers were fondant, all leaves were RI. I used the sugar glitter and stuck them in the styrofoam to dry and until I needed them today.
I then covered each peak with crisco and then fondant and brushed them with piping gel and rolled them in sugar crystals. I put them in a rect. cake pan to dry. This was done the day before.
I baked the cakes and crumb coated them. My air was out so it wouldn't dry. I put it in the fridge for a little bit and then iced it with BC; and put it back in the fridge.
Last night, I decorated my boarders on the cake with BC, attatched the fondant flowers and added RI leaves. I left empy places where I was going to attatch the towers. I attatched the roof which was also treated like the peaks and covered in fondant and sprinkled with sugar crystals. The roof had a dowel in it also. I used candy melts to 'glue' it to the cake
Last night, I used candy melts and generously 'glued' the peaks onto the turrets while they were on their dowels in the styrofoam. I left them out all night to harden. The DID NOT BUDGE!!!!!! The fondant made it thick enough, it didn't slide around. They did not mess up when I attatched them to the cake.
This morning, I attatched the turrets to the cake using a lot of candy melts. I made sure the dowels went thru the tier to the board. Which meant the tower itself went into the cake about 1/4". I then piped around the bottom with a lot of BC icing. The ones on the board I did the same way but made the BC piping around it, thicker. I also did not use a dowel on those. I pushed them up against the cake and used candy melts to 'glue' it to the cake. THESE TOWERS/TURRETS DID NOT BUDGE!!!!
I then put the fondant flowers all around the castle, randomly, in the BC and added RI leaves.
I bought a very sturdy box and taped up the bottom very well. (A moving box, a brown 16 x 16 x). I then cut down two corners, all the way to the bottom and made sort of a 'drawbridge' opening. That way I could slide the cake inside. Once the cake was inside, I pulled the side back up and taped it up. OH, btw; my dh had some foam board. I cut two 15" circles out of it and glued and taped them together, then coverd it in the white foil. This was SO sturdy, but very light!!

I had to drive 45 min. to get to the venue. I drove with the cake in my lap while my 19yo son drove thru the curvy country roads!!!! This cake NEVER budged!! I added large BC circles on the tops of each peak as we drove.

I had NO problems, issues, trouble or anything during construction, delivery or set-up. It went perfect! Thank you all! I was only able to do this because I read everyone of these threads and several of you called and emailed me. Wilton did not have adequate instructions and the towers should have not been solid on the bottom. I would still be sitting trying to figure it out if it weren't for CC!!

Although I was up until 3 for three nights; I might would do this again. My only issue is it took me three long days to do; ignoring my five children (one actually went to church tonight and told his teacher that!! lol ) and after set-up; it only took five minutes to tear it up!! I couldn't let them cut it after presents! I had to wait and make the kids go play and come back in an hour for cake! My heart just couldn't take it!

I had taken pictures along the way to post here; but.......while we were at the pizza place.......someone got in my emergency icing repair kit and stole my camera!!!!! My only evidence of me making the cake!!! My sweet children did take some pics;. Go to the albums and look in Children's Birthday Cakes for hmschlmom5. I am new at this.

If I can do this cake; anyone can! Just go by the suggestions here and not the Wilton instructions. I will make this cake again. I had so many complements that people were asking for my card! I wouldn't make this to sell; they wouldn't pay me enough; but I would make it for someone I loved.

My sons pics are too large to post. If interested you can go to his photobucket. Here is the link. Bottom of page 2 and top of page 3 are the cake pics. 1st page is of some of my babies. Sorry. Everyone is asleep and this is all I know how to do it!

www.photobucket.com/albums/dd24/trinitydesigns07/new/

I completly agree about the hole in the bottom, I can't believe they didn't I made one and half of my turrets fell off in transport too. Luckily I was able to patch and save the cake but what were they thinking!

ok...so I saw the one picture with the whole bottom was cut out...what about just making a little hole for a dowel to go through the middle?

and would it be okay to attach the turrets with hot glue to just keep them like that forever? I just plan on wrapping fondant around them...I think that having the turrets already on would be okay...

gosh...I don't know if I want to do this cake for only $80. But I want to make it and want this kit soo bad! I don't want to make my own turrets!

I didn't drill a hole in my turrets, I just cut my plastic dowels flat and attached the flat side to the bottom of the turret w/ candy melts and they held perfectly There's no way I would do this cake for only $80 - I think the cake would be more than than! My labor alone for the flowers and decoration type things would be $170.....

thank you abw2005...this is sounding like too much work for soo little...I think i will go with something else...thank you for explaining it!

I made this cake and wanted to thank everyone who has posted on this thread for their great advice. I drilled into the bottoms and put wooden dowels all the way through the cake (we don't have candy melts in the UK), I also iced the top of the turrets with fondant a couple of days before. (if the fondant is too dry to stick, 'glue' it on with royal icing) I also stuck the peaks to the turrets with royal icing. i had to drive with it in my car for an hour and it never budged. Thanks again!

I think you did an awesome job on this one. I've done this cake now 3 times and each time I find better ways of attaching the towers as I find that sometimes even using the candy melts the towers don't want to stick to the dowels.... I kind of like the idea of drilling the holes in the bottom of the towers!! I'm posting more pics later of the other ones i've done......

I just want to thank everyone who contributed to this thread because I read them all and used many of the suggestions. I believe that is why my castle cakes came out so great AND the towers remained vertical! lol I made 2 castle cakes this past Saturday. We had a joint party for my son who turned 10 and my niece who turned 1. They share the same bday. So, I made my niece a princess castle and my son a medieval castle. Two very different looks!

I did drill the holes in the towers and inserted wood dowels! This was a lifesaver! But even so, the medium tower in the middle of my 2nd tier on my medieval castle was beginning to lean the morning of the party. I kept readjusting it, but the hole had become too large and wouldn't hold the dowel in place.

Sooooo...I took the candy melts I had been using to adhere the towers to the cake board and to attach the dowels to the inside of the towers and I squirted it in the hole. Then I re-placed the dowel in the hole and the candy melt acted as a cement and held my tower straight! I was extremely pleased and am happy if I can pass this little tidbit on to someone else.

Thanks again to all who posted their suggestions! They were extremely helpful!

If anyone has any tips for adhering the fondant to the towers and cutting out all the little squares at the top, I'd love to hear them! I did my best but let's just say they didn't look exactly like the picture on the box.

Ann Marie