Fondant Decorations On Buttercream - When To Add?

Decorating By hollyml Updated 7 Jun 2010 , 1:48am by hollyml

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hollyml Posted 3 Jun 2010 , 4:50am
post #1 of 12

I'm working on a cake (for this weekend) that will be frosted in buttercream, and decorated with flowers formed from MMF. I've already made the flowers and they'll have plenty of time to dry hard. (They are mostly hibiscus blossoms and they look pretty good for the first time I've tried to do flowers!)

But last time I did this, I put the flowers on the night before the cake was served, and the next day they'd gone soft and flattened out. I assume they somehow absorbed fat or liquid from the BC? I use actual butter, no shortening. The cake wasn't refrigerated, but it was in a fairly airtight container.

I may want to "fill in" with some BC drop flowers; I'd rather avoid using royal if possible. And I don't want to cover the cake with fondant. Do I have to wait until the same day the cake will be served before putting the flowers on, or is there some trick I can use to do it the day before?

TIA!

11 replies
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JanH Posted 3 Jun 2010 , 5:41am
post #2 of 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by hollyml

The cake wasn't refrigerated, but it was in a fairly airtight container.




A bakery type box would be a better option as "fairly airtight" is what's causing your flowers to soften up. icon_sad.gif

HTH

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hollyml Posted 3 Jun 2010 , 6:09am
post #3 of 12

Well, if that's all it takes! The cake for this weekend is too big to put inside a closed container anyway. icon_smile.gif I don't have to transport it, either -- it's for a party at my home.

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bmoser24 Posted 3 Jun 2010 , 7:34am
post #4 of 12

The container must have something to do with it, I make cupcakes w/BC and decorate with fondant shaped flowers, and they didnt loose thier shape. When i luster dusted them they did,though. so i stopped and let them sit out overnight decorated and they where fine. As for cakes...i have never used BC and then added fondant, yet- so now i'm curious about that too.
BFF

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KayMc Posted 3 Jun 2010 , 11:19am
post #5 of 12

Last week I had a cake covered in BC, and had a fondant pearl border at the base and on the top. It sat on my counter for 1.5 days before the party. The fondant border never lost it's shape and was fine when served. I always use gumpaste for my flowers, though, so I don't know how flowers would work. I need to know this as well, as I'm making two fondant bows this weekend, for two cakes for next weekend, and I was wondering when to apply them. Anyone?

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hollyml Posted 6 Jun 2010 , 7:03am
post #6 of 12

Well, it's done, so let's hope being left uncovered is all it needs for everything to stay the shape it is. icon_smile.gif
LL

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Hollandy Posted 6 Jun 2010 , 10:57am
post #7 of 12

oh that's so cute!

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aprilblack Posted 6 Jun 2010 , 11:29am
post #8 of 12

The reason the fondant went soft was because of the air tight container. It as to have air circulating or the fondant starts melting... I had to learn this one the hard way unfortunately. Guess you only have to learn one time!!

The cake is so cute!! Love it.. I made a Barbie cake last month and had SO much fun decorating that one!

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Maria925 Posted 6 Jun 2010 , 12:07pm
post #9 of 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by aprilblack

The reason the fondant went soft was because of the air tight container. It as to have air circulating or the fondant starts melting...!




So if a cake covered in BC is left out without covering, the fondant decor won't soften??? I am making a 2 tier cake next week that will be covered in BC and then I have numerous flowers on it, made out of a 50/50 gumpaste & fondant mix. I would rather put these on the night before because the party will be at 11am.

Has this been most people's experience? icon_smile.gif

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aprilblack Posted 6 Jun 2010 , 1:30pm
post #10 of 12

no, the fondant will not soften. The BC will preserve the cake and keep it fresh.. no worries. Just make sure your filling is not perishable. You will be fine!

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drakegore Posted 6 Jun 2010 , 2:11pm
post #11 of 12

i fridge gumpaste and fondant decorations on buttercream (smbc) all the time. the keys to avoiding problems are NOT to airtight cover like previous posters have noted, and to make sure your flowers or decorations that have to hold shape are fully dry (this does not apply to decorations like dots or stripes that are applied flush on the buttercream).

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hollyml Posted 7 Jun 2010 , 1:48am
post #12 of 12

Yep, thanks all, it worked fine. Put the flowers on last night and just left the cake out on the table. They did not soften or sag at all. The flowers were all MMF, not mixed with gumpaste or tylose or anything, but they'd had lots of time to dry. Had some trouble with smoothing the BC -- I think that because it was unusually humid here yesterday, it just didn't want to crust -- but no problems with the already-dry MMF flowers.

The earlier cake that I had the droopy fondant problem with was just an 8" round and it was in one of those Rubbermaid cake plate/carrier things overnight. I hardly ever use that thing because most of my cakes are too large for it, so I didn't realize!

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