I have a cake to do on a Sunday.Will it be ok to cover the cake in fondant on Friday night and decorate it on Saturday night?

It would be just fine.

Can I jump in with a question here? The layer of buttercream that one puts between the fondant and the cake, is it basically a messy crumb coat or more of a proper layer?

Yes, a thin crumb coat.

Thanks Mexx, my fellow Canadian newbie (to the boards that is!)

Your timetable for covering and decorating the cake is good - it's the one I always use, although sometimes I cover and decorate the same day, especially if I have fondant cutouts to put on the cake: fresh fondant sticks to fresh fondant very easily with just a little water or tylo glue. If the fondant is dry you need to use something like RI which is a little messier (and besides you have to make it and tint it, whereas I always have tylo glue on hand (1/2 cup water mixed with 1/4 tsp. of CMC, let sit for a few hours).

I usually do a crumb coat then layer it in buttercream, many people don't like fondant so they can just peel off the fondant.

I'm going to jump in with another question too, if thats alright. I've looked at various cake decorating books and some had you just putting a layer of jam or apricot glaze on the cake before putting on the fondant? No buttercream except for the filling. Others had you putting almond paste or marzipan as the layer underneath the fondant? I found these all very odd, anyone done anything like this or heard of it?

Stephy42088 - all those methods are tried and tested, and good. its about what works for you and the customer. although usually marzipan and fondant go on fruitcake, its quite popular on sponge too in the uk.
xx

Hi Stephy,

I think its quite a British thing to do, and also a rather more dated/old fashioned way of doing it. Many of the older books I've picked up from my local library teach this way of doing the base for fondant. I have to say it has been nothing short of miraculous since I've discovered CC that there's a better way of doing it than the jam coat. It truly is a PITA to have to work with, and now that I have discovered the buttercream way of doing the crumb/base coat, I will absolutely NEVER be going back to jam again!!

I also hated the taste with the jam, especially apricot, yuck!

Now that I've been enlightened to the ways of the buttercream, my caking has become soo much more enjoyable.

As for the marzipan, it's mostly used for fruitcake under fondant, although I'm not sure of the technical reasons behind it!!

HTH!

Hey brincess_b !

looks like we posted similar reply at same time there! I just noticed you're in Scotland too!! I should add that I agree with you, it is a case of personal/customer preference. The jam is just way too sticky for my liking, and a bit too thin. Much easier to cover up lumps and bumps etc with BC. It has been my saviour!!

The apricot glaze and marzipan under fondant is generally only used on fruitcake.

Thanks Mirianna46 for the tip on the Fondant.So if I cover the cake with fondant on Friday I may have a hard time getting my RI flowers to stick on Saturday?I gues I will use RI to get them to stick.

Stephy42088, aside from the fact that cakes need a crumb coat, the thing about fondant is that it won't stick to cake itself, it needs something a little more moist. Some people use buttercream, some (like me) use ganache and some use strained apricot jam (a REALLY thin layer), which is what I used to do. Where I live now is too humid to use either buttercream or jam, which is why I switched to ganache. I also find that jam, no matter how thin I spread it, just makes the cake too sweet.