1. MY cakes keep settling. I use cake mix cakes should I not?
2. How much icing should be over the cake? Should I be able to see the cake still?
3. Fondant figures won't dry after 10 days! Why??
4. Do the Wilton mats work well?
5. If I roll the fondant with powdered sugar it sticks after i get it rolled out if I roll in shortening then its to greasy. HELP!
6. My cake was perfect last night and looked this morning and it had sunk and the fondant rippled and looks awful???? Wasn't hot only like 60??? Should I keep refrigerated ALL the time or was the cake too soft or fondant bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey there,

1. You can definitely use mix when covering in fondant, however you should change up the recipe. Use 4 eggs, pudding mix and additional liquid. This will make a more dense cake that can stand up to the weight of the fondant.
2. Icing should cover the cake but not be too thick Typically I shoot for full coverage, just enough to cover completely, too much icing will allow the fondant to slip around and slide down the sides, or squish out the bottom. Also, remember to dam properly when filling your cake with anything other than icing, and don't go too thick there either. Too much filling or improper filling will cause a "belt" when covered and settled.
3. Thick fondant may crust nicely on the outside but remain moist and pliable inside, so mixing with gumpaste usually does the trick to help it dry/harden, or you can work in some Tylose powder.
4. Any mat that is laminated will work just fine. Just attach it with tape to your work surface to prevent shifting while you work. I have even used silicone cutting boards for smaller work.
5. I only use corn starch when working with fondant. This prevents the sticky or greasiness and will not affect the consistency of the fondant that the sugar or shortening will.
6. I think the cake may be too soft. Try the altered recipe and also the thickness of the icing underneath. If your fondant was rolled too thin, it may look lumpy, or if it was too thick it can collapse a cake if the cake is not dense enough.

Hope this is helpful.

Ok, answers to your questions:

1. MY cakes keep settling. I use cake mix cakes should I not?

You can certainly use regular cake mixes...I usually add an extra egg and a little more oil to mine...helps them be more dense (So I put in 4 eggs, 1/3 cup oil and 1 cup water to each mix). The most important thing to do is to allow AT LEAST three hours for your cake to settle after crumbcoating...overnight if you have the time. This will allow your cake to settle completely before you put the fondant on it. Some people even put tiles on the top to help them settle more.

2. How much icing should be over the cake? Should I be able to see the cake still?

Thin smooth layer. And yup, seeing the cake thru is not a bad thing but you just want to make sure to "seal" your cake with a smooth layer.

3. Fondant figures won't dry after 10 days! Why??

You must add something like gumpaste (a 50/50 mix works well) or tylose powder (about 2 tsp to one cup of fondant) and then let it dry about a week. To have faster drying figures use more gumpaste.

4. Do the Wilton mats work well?

I have the square one...about 20 inches square I think...and it works great.

5. If I roll the fondant with powdered sugar it sticks after i get it rolled out if I roll in shortening then its to greasy. HELP!

This is a tricky skill to pick up. First dust your surface then roll...turn your fondant a quarter turn, pick up one side, dust the surface, pick up the other side, dust the surface, then roll, turn a quarter turn, dust/dust, then roll...keep doing till it's the size you want it to be and you won't have any sticking.

6. My cake was perfect last night and looked this morning and it had sunk and the fondant rippled and looks awful???? Wasn't hot only like 60??? Should I keep refrigerated ALL the time or was the cake too soft or fondant bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is your cake settling. As I said, make sure it settles well before you cover with fondant and you won't have this issue. It's like hanging drapes and then dropping the rod down 2 inches...the drapes would puddle on the floor. And unless your house is hotter than 80 degrees or there is perishable filling in the cake then you shouldn't need to refridgerate a fondant covered cake (or a buttercream one either).

HTH

Cat