Thanks Debi! I will try sifting my mix together next time!

Scrapperjade, I hope I didn't sound snarky. I didn't mean to. I just think a lot of people overbake box cake mixes. I know I used to bake them until the cake sprang back like a sponge. You could've bounced a dime off my cakes!! And the lack of moisture reflected that. I've learned that you often don't have to bake them as long as the box says. : )

Debi, I'm so lazy! I HATE sifting!! Now, I guess I'll have to start doing it. I guess if you're going to do it at all, you might as well take the time to do it right, huh?

Ruth, when I'm doing a lot of mixes (like 7 or 8 in a batch), sometimes it takes 20-30 minutes to do the sifting, but I'm tellin' ya, it is SO worth it!!! I use a big mesh strainer, and once I get the rhythm down pat, it goes pretty smooth.

Well, since I just read one of your posts to my husband and told him "It has to be true because Indydebi knows these things, honey", I'm going to give it a try on my next cake!

This thread should be a cautionary tale to anyone considering decorating another person's cake:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-119551.html

Never, never, never. In fact, this experience is what led me to create my How to Prevent Bulging tutorial, because all I could think afterward was, "how could I have prevented this mess?"

There is SO MUCH MORE to making a beautiful cake than just the "decorating" of it!!

GOOD EXAMPLE KELLY!

Indydebi, the "standing up" bit was more just tounge-in-cheek. I do half scratch and half doctored boxes. Both will "stand up" under fondant quite well, but if this lady doesn't know a thing about decorating, and is asking you to do it, then you could probably tell her that her cake totally fell apart with the fondant on it and you had to use your own, as a way of just simply throwing hers out and not being held responsible for what could quite possibly be an inferior cake. And please note that I said that I'd charge $350 to cover "her" cakes!!!

I should have read to the end first, lol

I myself would send the woman to Wal-Mart to buy her own fondant. I would tell her that's how she'll learn the ups & downs of decorationg a cake . Suggest she start asap, (so she gets out of your hair ) & she'll get the hang of it somewhat before her cake is due.

I did it once.

A friend who is a chef wanted to do his own wedding cake. I offered my help right off the bat, but it was important to him and I think he just didn't understand how much there is to do to prepare for a wedding.

Of course, two days before the wedding, he was frantic. He didn't have time to do it, his specialty was not cakes (or even desert in general) and nothing was going right.

So, I wound up finishing it. His cake was dry and not perfectly level. Also, he torted it and used a buttercream I wouldn't have and the torting weakened an already weak cake, So, the corners and sides crumbled and it wasn't super looking t begin with. It couldn't hold the weight of fondant very well and, of course, was square which only emphasized how uneven it was. He'd also already dowelled it.

Anyway, he knew it wasn't a good set up so they understood that it wouldn't be perfect. I think they just wanted a cake by that point.

So, I finished it. And no, it was not great. I didn't have time to polish it the way I would have liked and it just wasn't strong enough to be stable and solid.

And that was a cake done by a professional chef.

But they were thrilled!

So, I highly, highly do not recommend it!

point her in the direction of a wilton cake class!

Tatania, that was a great save!

Well, I thought you all would be interested to know that I told her NO WAY, but thanks for thinking of me. I enjoyed reading all your responses! Thanks, I'm glad you all agreed with me!

Fruit cakes are obviously a different matter, because I have no problem covering & decorating someone elses' cake - if there are holes, I pack them. If it's not level, I level it....I haven't had to do any other types of cake though