OK so I made some MMF yesterday and fondanted my first cake.

Soooo how do I stop the icing from 'pleating' and folding on the sides?

The tutorials ive watched just seem to smooth it all on no probs!

Tips, tricks?

I elevate my cakes so that it doesn't sit flat to the work surface. Also keep the fondant pulled taut with one hand while you smooth it down and gently press it against the cake with the other hand. Kind of skirting it slightly as you go around the cake.

There are lots of videos on youtube that give tips on how to apply fondant. You should check them out, it will help you alot.

Also, it's a good idea to invest in TWO fondant smoothers, so that your hands never touch the cake and leave hand marks on it. I agree with the others, that youtube has some great visual demonstrations of how to cover a round cake smoothly with fondant.

GL!

One last helpful tip...elevate your cake 2-4 inches off your work surface. I use a one size smaller cake pan turned upside down for this. It allows the fondant to drape past the bottom of your cake making trimming of the excess fondant easier and allowing the folds to fall past the cake and make smoothing much easier!

Cat