Help! Fondant Toppers Melt When Sitting On Buttercream

Baking By mprista Updated 14 Oct 2010 , 9:19pm by mprista

mprista Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mprista Posted 14 Oct 2010 , 1:44pm
post #1 of 7

Hi, can anybody help?
My fondant toppers, even after dried and hard, melt when sitting on the buttercream.
Does anyone have a clue on how to prevent this? I wanted my toppers to stay hard and firm.
Thanks!
Mprista icon_sad.gif

6 replies
MariaK38 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MariaK38 Posted 14 Oct 2010 , 4:32pm
post #2 of 7

how long did you let them dry for? I did some for wedding cupcakes about 2 weeks before (they were kind of thick) and they were fine.

TrixieTreats Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
TrixieTreats Posted 14 Oct 2010 , 4:41pm
post #3 of 7

The fondant shouldn't melt at all on the buttercream. Fondant cutouts and applique on buttercream, with "wet" fondant(freshly rolled) shouldn't even melt. Did they go in the fridge?

what_a_cake Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
what_a_cake Posted 14 Oct 2010 , 4:45pm
post #4 of 7

Once had the same problem, although I molded and dried the same as always and never before had this reaction.
The only thing different was that buttercream was cream cheese BC instead of Italian meringue BC. Cream cheese has some content of water therefore increasing the moisture of the final product, maybe the dried pieces "pulled" water from the icing... sounds weird but at the end it all comes to basic physics

yummy_in_my_tummy Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
yummy_in_my_tummy Posted 14 Oct 2010 , 4:50pm
post #5 of 7

That happened to me with gumpaste toppers. They were thin leaves, and I put them on (actually stuck them IN) buttercream frosting on the top of cupcakes. Overnight, the gumpaste sucked up the shortening and started to wilt! So the shortening re-softened the gumpaste.

I know gumpaste and fondant are different, but maybe a similar thing happened to your fondant??

sweettoothmom1 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sweettoothmom1 Posted 14 Oct 2010 , 4:57pm
post #6 of 7

another contributing factor.... i found that if i close up the cupcakes in an airtight container or carrier, gumpaste or fondant toppers will melt. so i store for a few hours in boxes instead

mprista Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mprista Posted 14 Oct 2010 , 9:19pm
post #7 of 7

Thanks everyone.
I understand now that I have made the following mistakes:
-cutouts were too thin
-I stored the cupcakes on a cake stand with a lid (airtight)

They didn't go in the fridge though.

Next time I'll cut them a bit thicker, maybe I should let them dry for a few more days and will not store them in an airtight container.
Hope it'll work.
If anyone has additional suggestions, I'll appreciate reading them.
Thanks!
Mprista

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%