Okay, I really hope there is someone out there that can tell me what I am doing wrong. Here is my problem-when I cover my cakes in fondant you can always see part of the cake through the fondant. It is usually visable where the layers are torted and there is icing and then cake. Here is the problem-if I put a thicker layer of buttercream then it squishes out the bottom and makes the fondant all lumpy but if I make the fondant thicker then it buldges at the bottom!!! I have been fighting with this forever and can't figure out how to fix this. I have even tried torting my layers into thinner layers so the cake blends better with the icing but you can still see the lines! Does anyone know what I am doing wrong?

What type of buttercream do you have under your fondant? Is it a crusting, or non-crusting buttercream? I use a crusting and it dries nice and holds up well under my fondant.

I use a recipe that I found on here, I think it is called buttercream dream. It has butter and shortening instead of the just shortening recipe that I think is too greasy. It does not call for meringue powder but I add it anyway to make it crust. I have to say that it doesn't crust as well as the all shortening icing but it does taste much better.

How much frosting do you have layered on? I normally put on a 1/8 of an inch(? thin layer), let it crust then throw on the fondant ( 1/3 cm). I use Indydeb's recipe and love it. The taste is great, crusts wonderfully, and the frosting is always white.

What type of fondant do you use?? I wonder if it's that your fondant isn't dense enough? And, does it do it when your fondant is colored?

The meringue powder doesn't cause the crusting. Crusting is all about the ratio of fat to powdered sugar. If your recipe isn't crusting enough, add more PS.

I roll my fondant on the thinner side and I have had problems with the bulging at the torte line. I solved it by not spreading the icing between the layers all the way to the edge. I leave a small border and then put a book or something on top of the cake in order to weigh it down a bit. Then I let it sit for several hours so it settles. Then I crumb coat it and scrape off any bulging. Once I've totally iced it, I put it in the fridge for a bit so the icing firms up. Then I fondant the cake.

I hope this has been clear and not a rambling run on.

If I need to use filling, I put a thick icing dam around the edge, but not completely up to the very edge of the cake. Then when I put the top layer on and weigh it down a bit, the dam will smoosh out to the edge, but not beyond, creating the bulge around the middle.

The weight isn't very heavy....esp if it is a small cake. Just a little something to help it settle. I read somewhere on here that one of our members uses a floor tile (obviously not touching the cake itself....she puts it on top of the plastic wrap.)

I don't know if this helps at all....

This sounds like a "bulging" problem, doesn't it? Are you allowing the filled cake to settle before covering in fondant? Maybe I misunderstood the problem, because I don't see what it would have to do with your buttercream. I mostly use SMBC to fill and under fondant and I don't have any issues. Having a crusting vs' non-crusting buttercream shouldn't make a difference as to if/where your "squishes" out. If this sounds like it might help... Try allowing the cake to settle after torting/filling/layering. Usually I put it into the fridge, I place a sheet of parchment over top, then place anything from a cookie sheet to a floor tile on top (depending on the size/stability of the cake), making sure it stays level. Then I just leave it for at least an hour or so. After removing from the fridge, cut off any excess cake/icing/filling from the sides and you shoudn't have any problem with filling squishing out from anywhere once the fondant has been applied. Good luck! HTH!

I use Satin Ice fondant and I love it so I don't think I could change to anything else. Maybe the problem is that I don't let it settle but someone on here told me that I needed to put on the fondant before my icing dries too much or my fondant won't stick.

Karateca-yes, your explanation makes sense and thank you for the suggestions!

I will definitely try the recipe by indydeb, does it have a specific name?

I usually put on a thin coat of icing, a little more than if I were going to crumb coat it but not as much as I would if it were not covered in fondant.

I have a cake to do tonight so I will try the "weighting" procedure and see if that helps me. If I can find the recipe I will use that too! Thanks to everyone that replied, I appreicate it so much.

If anyone else has any other suggestions please keep them coming, I am always looking for new tricks of the trade!

The cake needs to settle a few hours before adding the fondant. With a little weight maybe only a couple of hours. Do a member search for indydebi and then look for her recipe in her profile

If my icing is too dry for the fondant to stick I just very very lightly mist it with a squirt bottle. Works everytime!

Karateka, that's the most brilliant idea I've heard labout this problem. I'm gonna be trying it on my very next cake in a couple of days. I've never had a cake NOT bulge at the torte lines and I'm really tired of it! I never saw indydebi's post, but thanks SO much for bringing it up.