So I delivered a wedding cake on Sat. about 2 hours prior the reception, every thing looked fine. The bride came by today and said there was a slight bubble on the front side on top tier. Not enough to notice in pics. but she noticed it. It was about 65 that day, went straight from the refer, traveled about 30 minutes then dropped off at venue. I always crumb coat when cake is room temp, then immediately ice then stick straight to refer. This has only happened to me once or twice. Flavor was tuxedo and fudge, so there wasn't any fruit in it, which sometimes causes that to happen. Any thoughts? I think the table may have been moved a foot or so, but that shouldn't cause the bubble to happen. Help, don't want this to happen in the future to any cakes, esp. weddings!

Was it fondant? (I've never heard of a bc cake getting a bubble but you never know?)

It could be from the filling settling as the cake changed temperature from cold to room temp.

yup, it was bc icing and thick fudge filling. I think it's wierd that it settled like that being it sat in the fridge overnight stacked. But I think you're right, it was the temp. diff. just wish there was a way to avoid it in the future.

Can a cake really 'settle' in the fridge since the fridge firms a cake up?

In my experience with these nasty bubbles (buttercream cakes every time) is that they always tend to happen after the cakes have sat for a while. I've never had one do it an hour or two later, but have gotten up the next morning and found them.

I think that all the jostling around helps form them, especially after moving it from one place to another repeatedly when you are decorating and driving with them. I've had cakes with no bubbles get bubbles in transport.

I've seen bubbles form as the cake was iced--And yes buttercream cakes can get bubbles. One way to help avoid them is to pin prick through the icing to the cake in each layer of each tier--I use a hat pin (when I remember) and I do it in a inconspicuous spot. It does help and you gotta go deep. And yes I've had them form after delivery.

So what is the solution - there must be one, cause I have a hard time thinking that the famous cake designers have cakes for customers with bulges in them???? And all the pictures I look at on cake central of covered cakes without bulges and no necessary disguises all over the cakes to hide anything! I am so frustrated with this problem. For me, it is with fondant covered cakes. I layer and ice the cakes, put in fridge, cover them usually the next day in fondant so that the day after that, I can decorate. So, it is usually anywhere from 3-12 hours later that I come back and find hideous bubbles and bulges in my fondant - and it isn't just on the sides where I might suspect the filling or something, i get them on the TOP of the cake - it is as if there is gas building up under the fondant and can't get out. What is this? I just did a cake this weekend, and I had to redesign and cover up major flaws so that the customer would be happy, and me happy too! I have become a master of disguise, but I don't want to always depend on that - so, what do the great designers et al DO to prevent bulges???? I so hope cake central has the answer - please!!!!

One thing I do is take a dowel and push it into the top center of the cake, all the way to its base after I've applied the fondant. Then I pull it out, leaving a hole through the core of the cake. Then I let the cake set out, undecorated, about 8 hours or overnight. This allows the cake to come to room temp while it's still in my possession. The change to room temp, combined with the settling is what can produce air expansion and its need to escape from its fondant trap. The dowel hole in the cake's core gives the air a way to escape.

And the hole being in the top center means it will either be refilled with a dowel anyway if I'm going to stack, or covered with whatever goes on top of the cake when I decorate it.