I'm trying to teach myself fondant and getting alot frustrated! Can you please help? I've watched and read everything I could on and about fondant and nothing is helping when I get to the point of the skirt around the cake. The problem is that I can't seem to get everything straight! RRRR@!!! What am I doing wrong? Any and all tips would be appreciated Please!!!
Hello,
Here is a link to a video by Lorraine McKay, showing how to cover a square cake with fondant.
Don't get discouraged. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. It sounds like you are not rolling out enough excess. When you have excess fondant around your cake, you alleviate the pleats and gaps around the bottom of your cake. I always measure the top of my cake plus the sides. So if my cake was a square cake that was 3 inches high x 6 inches long, I would add up all four sides, plus the top: 3+3+3+3+6 =18. I would then roll my fondant out to about 19 or 20 inches circle (I like to add an additional inch or so just to make sure it's not too short).
Remember to not roll your fondant too thin, because any imperfections in your icing will show. You also don't want it to be too thick on the cake. The thickness of a nickel is a good gauge. Good luck.
Also, I learned that as you smooth the side down with your left hand, use the other hand and lift the 'skirt' up almost as if you were folding the 'skirt' back up onto your left hand. If you keep the 'skirt' of the fondant lifted up higher than the bottom edge of your smoothing hand, it really helps the fondant smooth out and avoid bunching and wrinkling. I hope that makes sense. It's hard for me to explain without actually being able to show you.
I found it totally helps to elevate the cake off of the surface (like with a short mixing bowl). It makes it easier to grab the skirt and even it out without bunching up around the bottom.
Hi ccr"s I seem to have the same problem but with round cakes, I always sem to have extra fondant, tht I cant fix with just pulling the skirt and then smoothing. I have to cut a seam and cut a piece off. Thank goodness so far I have been able to cover with flowers and ribbon. But I dont know what Im doing wrong. The fondant isn't too thin. The only thing I can think of is that it is streatching. Any ideas?
I've found that the closer my fondant is (after rolling it out) to the actual size I need, the less trouble I have. That is to say, don't roll it too big. Also, not too thin. Measure the cake and aim for that plus maybe one extra inch. For round cakes, start with a round piece of Fondant, for square start with the fondant in a square shape. With the square, roll kitty corner every few strokes to keep it in a square shape. Thickness of a nickel is a good guide too.
Good Luck. HTH.
A.
I also find that if you roll it too thin it will tear when you try to smooth it out. Lift and smooth lift and smooth!! Just remember that! And the more you do it the easier it will become. 
As far as the crisp clean edges.. I put my cake on a turntable and after it is smooth and read to trim.. slowly turn your cake while taking a pizza cutter at an angle and slowly cut while turning. As far as the buttercream.. I find that the key is to lightly ice the cake if too much is put on the cake then you will have it oozing out.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%