Leaning Cake

Decorating By Hollysuann Updated 8 Sep 2009 , 1:08pm by Hollysuann

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Hollysuann Posted 7 Sep 2009 , 5:55pm
post #1 of 9

I searched for an answer or topic on this and didn't see anything. Sorry if it has been discussed before. I made a 2 tier cake this weekend for an anniversary party. I was super conscious of making sure I got the cake level and square. However, by the time I got the fondant on, one corner of the top tier was leaning....I had it supported so I know it wasn't due to support. I had cooled and stacked the cakes the night before so I would think that they had time to settle. Am I using a cake that is too moist? I just use mixes from a box. I can't remember which brand but they have pudding in the mix. Any ideas why I can't get a cake to stay level?!

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Texas_Rose Posted 7 Sep 2009 , 6:03pm
post #2 of 9

If it's the one with the purple roses in your photos, it looks like maybe your filling squished out a bit while you were smoothing the fondant...maybe a stiffer icing dam?

Anyhow, I used to use box mixes too but I tried the WASC recipe that everyone here goes on about and I got hooked on it! icon_biggrin.gif It tastes really good and since it starts with the box mix, it's not too complicated.

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Win Posted 7 Sep 2009 , 6:24pm
post #3 of 9
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollysuann

I searched for an answer or topic on this and didn't see anything. Sorry if it has been discussed before. I made a 2 tier cake this weekend for an anniversary party. I was super conscious of making sure I got the cake level and square. However, by the time I got the fondant on, one corner of the top tier was leaning....I had it supported so I know it wasn't due to support. I had cooled and stacked the cakes the night before so I would think that they had time to settle. Am I using a cake that is too moist? I just use mixes from a box. I can't remember which brand but they have pudding in the mix. Any ideas why I can't get a cake to stay level?!




A couple of things come to mind... you mention cooling and stacking the cakes the night before. Does this mean you covered them in fondant as well? I see a bubble in the fondant which tells me the cake still had not settled enough and in the process of continuing to settle, moved the fondant as well. The cakes really have to be cooled, filled and allowed to settle long before they are covered in fondant. Most people will do that overnight. Or, you can cool them, fill, and lay parchment or wax paper over the top and then lay a heavy object on the layers for up to two hours so the cake can settle.

The other thing that comes to mind is somewhat close to what Texas_Rose mentions. The mixes by themselves are fine for many cakes, but often you need a denser cake to hold up fondant. Recipes that start with a mix and have additional ingredients are usually denser cakes (moist, but dense) and can withstand the weight of fondant.

... even with the droopy corner it is an effective cake and the roses are very pretty. I'm sure it bothered you greatly because we are so critical of our own cakes. To me, it does not look as if it were a horrible lean.

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Hollysuann Posted 7 Sep 2009 , 11:25pm
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I filled and stacked them and then the next day I did the fondant. I think there were several things that led to the bubble. One was that I made the buttercream icing wrong. I used all shortening instead of the newer recipe that uses shortening and butter. Also, I transported this cake 8 hours to New York. I know that all that time and vibration in the car had to have made the cakes settle more. The bubble wasn't there when I left the house. Thanks for the suggestions. I think I am going to do a practice cake this weekend and use the WASC recipe.

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leah_s Posted 7 Sep 2009 , 11:59pm
post #5 of 9

I use an all shortening bc recipe and always have. There's nothing wrong with that type of bc.

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Hollysuann Posted 8 Sep 2009 , 12:41pm
post #6 of 9

I was under the impression that since Crisco had changed their formula that the BC recipe had changed and you needed to add butter to it. Am I wrong?

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jillmakescakes Posted 8 Sep 2009 , 12:54pm
post #7 of 9

I gave up on crisco when they changed their recipe. There are other brands of shortening that still have the good ol' trans fats left in them. There are many bakers that prefer to use hi-ratio shortening.

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2SchnauzerLady Posted 8 Sep 2009 , 1:06pm
post #8 of 9

Since it's not a shaped cake, you could use a tile as another cc'er does (I use a pyrex baking dish), or any appropriately sized dish, on top of the cake for several hours with just the filling in it. I take a sheet of parchment on the cake and then put the pyrex dish on top. It helps the cake settle and if any filling squishes out, that will do it before decorating so you will be able to get rid of any potential bulges!

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Hollysuann Posted 8 Sep 2009 , 1:08pm
post #9 of 9

When I made the BC and used all Crisco, I had done the dam and filled the cake. Then I stacked them and started to crumb coat. The frosting wouldn't stay on the cake...it kept sliding all over. That's when I realized I hadn't used any butter in the frosting. So I threw it away and made a batch of Indidebi's bc. I will have to check out the hi-ratio shortening.

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