Covering Cake Bases In Fondant...
Decorating By The_Sugar_Fairy Updated 11 Jan 2010 , 4:35pm by Texas_Rose
Hello all! I've never covered a cake board (I guess they are technically called bases - the thicker ones) in fondant and I'd like to try it. Most books tell you to cover the entire board in fondant, but I swear I've seen somewhere that someone just covered the exposed parts of the board with a strip of fondant somehow (so you don't waste as much). Does anyone know what I'm talking about and if so, how to properly do it? Thanks!
I've seen it in one of my books too. I believe the author cut a long strip, wide enough to reach from the edge of the base to well under the cake. Just wrap it around and smooth it out or texture it or whatever you planned. Maybe someone can explain it better on here than me, hths!
What I have done is say you have a 12'' round cake base cover the top with your foil wrap then the fondant make your impressions or design you want on the fondant.. Then cut a 8'' circle (the size of your cake ) by using a 8'' round board to trace, peel out the cut circle exposing the covered board on your base..Then place frosting or piping gel on the exposed board to help hold the frosted cake which is on a 8'' board in place.. place your ribbon around the edges.. or when covering the bottom tier let the fondant go over to the edge and trim and put ribbon on that way..hope this makes sense...
I recently started doing this and I love it.
It gives a more finished look to the whole cake presentation and it it's super easy.
I cover the entire board and it does'nt use that much fondant,you'll be surprised how little it takes.
I roll it out pretty thin and just place it on the board,then using my rolling pin I roll all the air bubbles out, trim and let dry.
My cake sits on it's own cardboard circle so when I'm ready to stack I just put a dab of icing on the board and stack . I use a center dowel through the entire cake so that holds it to the board.
Good Luck!
If you are covering the board with the strip method and the fondant is natural colour, use royal icing to hide the seam. Put a bit in the seam and rub of the excess with you finger. Keep doing this until the seam is hidden. This looks better than overlapping or smooshing the seam together.
How do you get the fondant to stick to the board?
Oh cool. I never used the strip or cut out method, I just cover my whole board thin. Usually just cover the top and put ribbon around, but on one of my cakes I covered the whole board, even sides. I just use left over fondant, parts I cut off covering my cake...
I should try this too. 
I just started doing this too and absolutely love it! Like cakemommy said, it gives the cakes a finished look. I also like how you get an additional surface to decorate as well.
You can roll it out first, brush the board with a little bit of water or RI, then lay the fondant over it or, I found this to be a lot easier, just roll the fondant right onto the board and it sticks to it by itself (no need for any water or RIl). I'm still using cake circles or cardboard layered 2 or 3 high depending on the cake size that are glued together. I make mine a few days ahead so that it'll dry hard and that I don't have to worry about putting dings and dents into it when I put the cake over it. If I don't have time to let it dry hard, I mix the fondant with Tylose and it dries hard within a day.
I always cover my boards with fondant and have tried both methods. I like covering the entire board and cutting out a circle in the middle where the cake will be (saving that fondant since you won't see it anyway). By using this method, you don't have the seam in the back and can do it in advance and let it dry so as not to get finger marks when you pick it up.
There was however a tutorial on the strip method but I'm sorry I don't have it saved. But it was very easy. Just cut a strip the width that is exposed on the board and long enough to go the whole way around. Place it on the board right up to the cake. Overlap the seam and cut through both layers. Then trim the edges.
(You have to understand, I come from a family that broke those unbreakable dishes!)
I haven't ever done this - I have always been worried I'd crack it or smoosh it (which even if it's dry I'm sure I could manage to do!)!!! Those of you who have done it a lot, how do you handle transporting it and not damaging it?
Once it's dry, it's hard and solid. Just cover it a couple days in advance and set it aside to dry. It dries hard enough that I've had people think it was some kind of plate instead of fondant and want to return it when they're done with the cake 
As long as your foamboard is strong enough to support the cake and you don't hold it by the very edges when you're carrying it with a cake on it, it shouldn't crack.
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