I live in Australia and have just finished my second cake decorating course. I'm not sure if this is a humidity issue, but I was taught the "plugging method", using fondant, to fill in any holes or cracks before covering the cake completely in fondant. Nothing about buttercream, or crumb coating. Apparently this is not done in Australia?

I'll like to give this a go though, to see WHY we don't do it here (or shouldn't, because of humidity issues). So do I "plug" the cake with fondant first, THEN do a crumbcoating of buttercream? And are there any Aussies on this site who use this method?? Or can I skip the plugging entirely... Cause I hate doing it!!

Where are you doing your courses? I have never heard of that method at all... You plug a fruit cake before you marzipan it but to fondant without buttercream or ganache is alien to me.

You plug a cake before you cover in marzipan or fondant (as in staright over it). Buttercream does not lend itself to covering fruitcake, so you probably need to continue using the plugging method for that.

As far as other cakes go, a lot of Aussies (myself included) use cooled ganache the consistency of peanut butter to cover the bare cake and get a super smooth surface prior to layering on a thin layer of fondant. This works best for your firmer non-fruit cakes, including all mud cakes (which are popular here in Oz).

You csan also do crumb-coating with buttercream as most American folks do - but only on your non-fruit cakes.

I hope this makes sense...please ask more questions if you have them

I am from Aust but i am learning off the internet and this site which are all mainly american lol so i pretty much just do the buttercream and ganache thing under my fondant (but not fruit ones like evoir said) and havn't heard of the plugging thing except for fruit cakes.

Hi Bel_Anne,

There are a few fellow Aussies on here so hopefully we will be able to help you out!

Plugging your cake before covering with fondant is usually only done on fruit cake, either with fondant or marzipan - and this is a very traditional way of decorating. Buttercream is better suited to 'sponge' cake type cakes and no, you don't need to plug first - the buttercream fills any holes or cracks.

Buttercream is the most common method in the US and wedding cakes are more traditionally white cake filled with fruit or cream fillings and then covered in buttercream. The recipes on here for buttercream usually involve large quantities of shortening which we don't really have here (it comes in big tins and is soft - copha is the nearest thing we have here but is hard in blocks). You can try Italian or Swiss meringue buttercream as we have everything readily available for that.

Using chocolate ganache under fondant is becoming popular in Oz - like Planet Cake do - there are a few forum topics on ganache on here if you search.

What you choose to put between the cake and the fondant depends on the cake more than anything else - I use marzipan for fruit cake, ganache for mud cake and buttercream for lighter chocolate or sponge cakes - they all work here!

If you do have problems with humidity there are plenty of people on here who can help out as it causes problems all over the place!

Is viennacream the same as buttercream? Cose we use to cover cakes in viennacream all the time in the women's weekly books and it sounds pretty much like buttercream

The place I'm learning is actually the Australian Institute of Cake Decorating and Cullinaire. The lady has had many cake shops and is VERY good. But just doesn't use buttercream (or ganache) under fondant. And plugs every single bloody cake she does! haha. She moistens the cake (if mud) with an ice cream topping, plugs it until it's very smooth and has no lumps or bumps, then applies more topping and covers it. I asked her about the buttercream and she just said it can melt under your fondant on a humid day and she doesn't recommend I use it. But it appears many aussies do and if it's quicker I'd much rather give that a go. She also doesn't ever fill or torte a cake before covering in fondant. Just plain cake. After seeing some cakes on this site, I can't even comprehend how they're so smooth as she's scared me into thinking fillings will "squish out" the sides and make for a lumpy cake. Haha...

I think I need some tips! Thanks for the replies.

Hi Bel_Anne, welcome to CC.

Here 2 websites that I visit often for Aussie cake decorating tips and info.


http://www.how2cakes.com/index.html

http://www.cakesandmore.org/blog/

Where in Australia are you Bel_Anne? Just wondering if you are somewhere where weather would be more of an issue than here in Sydney? I have to say her cakes may look nice but I don't fancy eating one (ice-cream topping? yuk!). Planet Cake run courses on the ganache technique which is definitely easier than plugging and very very good eating too - they do courses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane now if that is any use to you? (They are really expensive but you can do a demo course where you just watch for a lot less money, then practice at home!)

Thanks for the links, alwayscake. I love a good link, haha.

And I live in Brissie, Bunsen. Tropical climate, higher humidity, but not that different to Sydney... So I'm not sure what my teacher is talking about. She's won sooo many awards and she really is fabulous, but I think I'd like to give these other options a crack. I'll definitely have a look at those planet cake classes. Ta for your help.

Ys I was taught the same way not to use any buttercream. Also to "plug" a cake and then use warm jam to stick on fondant.
I must say it is an extra step to apply the buttercream or ganache I suppose but gee it makes a difference.
I would be mortified if my cake looked beautiful but it tasted just awful.
Other things that I have tried is also a syrup on the cake.
Generally I have started using the ganache technique more now and gees it makes a difference when applying fondant. It is always smooth.
So Bel-Anne I would say just experiment and see what is more comfortable for you to work with.

Hi Bel_Anne - i am in Perth and even tho we have the high humidity i still Ganache my cakes and torte them - unless otherwise requested.
I ganache my cake - place in fridge overnight and then cover with Regalice/what ever medium you use - and have never had a problem with the Ganache melting -
Indeed - do try it - i think you will be pleasantly surprised - and yes - it is quicker than *plugging*

As the other CC's have mentioned *plugging* is done for fruit cakes -
She plugs Mud Cakes ????-
What is there to plug - Sorry for laughing but i find that amusing -
Covering = yes .... but plugging

I would of thought using an *ice cream type of covering* would be worse than Ganaching - hmmmm, wonder what it consists of

I torte and fill every cake - unless Fruit Cake - mind you i don't fill cupcakes - not many Aussies do - occassionally a client might ask for a little something to be piped into a cuppie - but usually not.

Will be interested to hear what you think after using Ganache - do let us know.
Good topic
Bluehue.

not from Australia but... erm... what is "plugging"?

Well I'm definitely giving ganaching a go, Bunsen! I'm not a huge fan of buttercream.... but I'll try that also. Thanks for all the tips. Seeing that it's freezing here at the moment, it's probably a good time to try. Does anyone have a link for a suitable ganache recipe?

Bluehue, yes she plugs mudcakes! She fills every tiny little crack - very painful. Her cakes are very rich, so I guess if she filled/torted them it may be too much. I'd also like to know about the refrigeration...

Bel-Anne...the first course I did in cake decorating had the instructor teaching us to 'plug' mud cakes as well. So, like your lady, it was a plain mudcake, no torting, no filling, with sugar syrup then fondant. Blerrrgh! LOL

I am a huge fan of sponge cakes, and delicate cream fillings, and the idea of chowing down on a 'dry' mudcake with think fondant is totally unappealing!

if i put the choc ganache you said bunsen under the fondant would that be ok to leave the cake out? cose i don't like to put fondant in the fridge...i heard maybe some ganache you can, some you can't and it depends of the ratio of cream or maybe how you heat it?

Elise: I leave it out and have no drama with it.

awesome thanks! i am sure it will lol

Oh so it's just a normal ganache recipe, Bunsen... I thought it would be some fandangled, high-tech, decoraters recipe. Haha. Good good! Ta.

Elise, when you do a mud cake can you still put a filling in? Won't the heaviness of the mud compact the filling so it 'smooshes' out the sides. Especially if you leave it overnight? This is my main concern. Or does the buttercream/ganache layer on the outside stop that from happening?

Oops, that last question was for Evoir... or anyone who knows the answer...

well i'll take a shot at the question anyway lol

1. Simply just do the filling like normal a tiny bit thicker then if it oozes it oozes and once it has, just go around the outside of the cake with a spatular to take the excess filling that has bulged out

2. Or i heard the method where you pipe a dam of filling around the edge of the inside of your cake and then let that sit for abit then continue to fill in the rest of the middle (this prob only work for buttercream) and this is suppose to help the rest stop oozing out.

.....let's maybe wait for evoir for a proper answer lol

LOL, I am no expert but with chocolate mud cake, I (like Planet Cake) torte it into three layers, and fill both lasyers with the same ganache that goes under the fondant. It seems to have enough structural integrity to not squish out

If you let your filled cake sit over night then weight of the cake will usually cause the excess fillling to squish out the sides. As well, since you ladies love your fondant, you can also put a plastic wrapped tile on top of the un-iced cake to make up for the added weight of the fondant.
The butter cream dam works like a charm too.