Every time I torte a cake and then cover it in fondant, for some reason, there is a buldge like are (almost looks like a fat roll, hahaha) under the cake. What am I doing? Should I make my barrier closer in the towards the middle, am I putting it too close to the edge? Please help.

Sounds like you're not letting your cake settle. The icing dam goes about 1/2 inch or so from the edge, then some filling but not too much. Then wrap the cake in plastic wrap and let it settle at least 12 hous, or if your weight it with a ceramic tile, then about 2 hours. To weight the cake, place a ceramic tile at least as big as the cake diameter on the top of the cake and let it sit.

or if you don't have the patience that leahs does,

after being sure you've got the 1/2in gap between the dam and the edge as leahs points out as being very necessary....

take a big ol' cookie sheet

put on top of tier

press down evenly using both hands with fingers spread as far apart as possible until the icing just peaks past the edge of the cake about an 1/8 to 1/4in all the way around.

hold for about 15 to 20 seconds

release and take off cookie sheet.

give the poor tier a few minutes to recover from being squished so hard! (usually the amount of time it takes me to load up my big ol' pastry bag that has the icing tip in it (like the one Buddy on Cake Boss uses to "dirty icing")

by the time I'm ready to ice, it's "recovered' enough and I haven't had bulges since.

i've even done this with a 6" tall tier (6 - 1" layers of cake and 5 layers of filling)

(this is the I"m not waitin' no 2 hours version of leah's put a tile on it method! -- so typical of a guy )

::chuckle::

You can also use ganache. It forms an outer shell and it works great.

As well, using a thicker outer edge such as Sugarshack (Sharon Zambito) does works wonders. You still come in about 1/2", but the buttercream has been thickened to about the consistency of PlayDoh with powdered sugar. You then pipe this through a smooth coupler. Fill the rest of that layer with your regular filling. It works like magic. I've also used modeling chocolate as my outside dam. Still cuts through smooth, but is an awesome dam as well. I then do the same as either suggestion above from leahs and Doug --it all depends on how much time I have.

Win, curious about the modeling choc. How do you apply it? I assume you can't pipe with it, so do you roll a snake and place on your tier to act as your dam?

Wow!!!!!!! This is the first time I've ever used the forum and I am so thankful to all of you for your help. I appreciate it more than you know. Kindness is all around...I love it! God bless.

Wonderful advice everyone!! I'm currently doing my first stacked construction cake and this site is just what I needed!! Thanks!