I am self taught as many I see on the site, and I know this is one of those little tweaks you may learn in cake decorating classes...

How do I attach/lay fondant onto a cake?
I've tried laying it onto a frosted cake........But the frosting was kind of mushy under the fondant and it didn't give me a nice smooth surface.
I've tried laying it onto just a crumb coated cake, but I don't think that's enough frosting!
I've laid it on a nicely crusted frosted cake and dampened the frosting with a brush and water.....That leaves a drippy mess at the base of your cake. Yuck!

Any tips would be appreciated!
Thank you

Hi there, I use buttercream under fondant and use a thin layer of it. Maybe a little bit thicker than a crumbcoat. And don't brush the buttercream with water. The wetness of the buttercream is more than enough to stick the fondant. If you go to Youtube, there are loads of videos on this. And I also highly recommend Sugarshack's fondant dvd, which I learnt lots from it.

HTH!

I know what you mean! I am trying to teach myself how to make fondant cakes. My work schedule is almost impossible for me to work with so attending a cake class at the moment isn't an option.

I will be watching this thread with interest. They always make it look so easy on the youtube videos, but I guess if you already know what you are doing then it is easy!

EvArt, you first crumb coat the cake and then add a thin layer of frosting. Make sure your top frosting layer is smooth. Also, if you add a lot of frosting the fondant wont be smooth and settle firmly on the cake. After frosting, refrigerate the cake for a couple of hours so the frosting can set. If you still find some rough edges, dip your spatula in hot water (make sure you wipe it dry) and smooth the frosting before applying the fondant. Hope this helps...

You can also use ganache under fondant for a really smooth look. Crumb coat the cake, the frost with a layer of chocolate ganache. Let that set up hard (you can cool it in the fridge) Smooth that with a hot knife--it will get really shiny/smooth.

Planet Cake uses this method. There are tutorials on YouTube and here on CC for more info

HTH
Kristy

I am self-taught and definitely still learning. From advice from others here on the forum and trial and error, I have found that you can put on a decent amount of buttercream if you want (thicker than a crumb coat). I apply buttercream let it crust and smooth it out as much possible, then I chill the cake in the fridge for a little while, after I take it out I spritz the cake with a very light mist of water (I put my spray bottle on mist and hold it at about a foot from the cake), and then cover with fondant.

Brushing the water onto the cake would be way too much.

I have had a ton of trial and error, but now that I am using this system I am finally getting beautiful looking fondant results and no more buldging, cracking, or goopiness.

From the sounds of the forum, sounds like I am on the right track, just needing to learn those little tweaks. OK, so no more water on the frosting. So a fresh coat just before applying the fondant sounds best. And that would actually help since I am covering a chocolate cake. And the crumb coat has left a lot of crumbs showing!! lol

Still would love to hear what works for others though, so keep those tips coming please!! I love them! and maybe I can help some of the newbies here too, just ask and I'll tell you if I've learned how to do that.....;^)

I'm trying my first fondant covered cake tomorrow and I was wondering that once my cake has been "dirty iced" as Buddy, et al would say, and it's covered with fondant, how long after can it be stored at room temperature before you eat it?

Does it/should it always be refrigerated? Home hobbyists like me don't have industrial-sized refrigerators.

PenGwenny, I too have a tiny fridge... First, once you decorate the cake with fondant, you're advised not to put in the fridge so it won't 'sweat' and draw moisture. My mother places her fondant cakes in the fridge and they come stay fine, I've never risked it. I usually decorate my cakes the day before the event (I have a full time job and never have enough time to do things the day of). I crank up the airconditioning though just incase (live in Kuwait so it's on most of the year and it's super hot here). However, on humid days I did face some problems although the cake was indoors. Also you have to bear in mind the type of frosting/filling you're using. I usually use buttercream or ganache. I prefer using ganache due to its taste, consistency and texture. When working with fondant, I prefer my cakes to be 'dense'. So back to your question, my decorated cakes basically stay out up to 2 days before eaten and they're fine

First, frost the cake with your choice of frosting (I use buttercream). Use a little more than just a crumb coating, but not as much as if it were all you were using, especially if you're using Marshmallow Fondant that is sweet in and of itself.

After you frost it, put it in the fridge for a few hours, or at least until it is nice and hard. Sometimes I let it sit overnight.

Take your cake out of the fridge. Have your fondant already dyed before you take the cake out. Roll out your fondant. Lay your fondant over it (using a rolling pin to help your pick it up if necessary).

Just the fact that your frosted cake is going to sweat a little will help the fondant stick. I never add water to the frosting because I haven't needed to, it sounds like misting it the way Crissielyn does might work though if it isn't sticking sufficiently (I've never seen it done on the many videos I have seen though).

I agree with Mikail on using a hot spatula to smooth out the bumps on the frosting before laying on the fondant. You can also use a Viva paper towel to smooth out the frosting before you place it in the fridge (do a search for it, lots of vids).

Remember to firmly put the fondant on the cake too. Don't be too scared like I was at first to really push on it. You can use the smoothers that you buy at the store (one in each hand) so you don't leave dimples from your fingers on the surface (learned that the hard way). I'm still learning too, but this has worked out for me so far. Hope it helps