How Long Should It Take Me To Cover Three Tiers In Fondant?
Decorating By pinkpiggie78 Updated 9 Nov 2010 , 7:38pm by pinkpiggie78
So I am trying to determine whether I am a slow, average, or fast decorator and I was wondering how long would it take you to cover a 6, 8, 10 inch tier, each 6" high, in fondant. Fondant is already colored, but needs to be warmed up.
Kory, 10 min for all three or 10 per tier? It takes me more than 10 min to warm up the fondant and roll it out for a 10 in cake...
It takes 5-10 minutes to knead the fondant so its ready to roll out, then its not too long, but then of course you need to smooth it and do edges .....I guess it would depend on how fussy you are too...also if the fondant is not cooperative add more time....I don't think you can really put a time on that. IMHO 
10 minutes total.
That's fast!!!! 
WOW!!! I guess I am really slow. It seems to take me forever to get it to where I am happy with it. I must say I am faster now that I got a silicone mat to use. I love that thing. I would say it takes me 15-20 to get my surface preped, the fondant rolled, cake covered, and smoothed. And that is per layer.
If the cakes are ready to go, maybe 15-30 minutes depending on how much I need to mess with them. 10 Minutes is fast!
I am amazed at everyone! I must be at granny speed at 15-25 min per tier.... but then again I rarely get to do fondant cakes, so maybe I could improve my time with more practice.
I am amazed at everyone! I must be at granny speed at 15-25 min per tier.... but then again I rarely get to do fondant cakes, so maybe I could improve my time with more practice.
Aww, don't worry, it would take my granny much longer than that, ha haha! 
Thanks Costumeczar... thanks a lot. Here I thought I was doing well...
Really you could do it super fast, but what is it going to look like? I was watching amazing cakes last night and could not believe all the wrinkles along the bottom of their fondant cakes....I know that happens to me now and then but these peeps are ona show....lol
Thanks Costumeczar... thanks a lot.
Here I thought I was doing well...
heh heh heh!
Really you could do it super fast, but what is it going to look like?
depends on the person's skill level, of course.
Thats exactly right...and of course some people are more perfectionists than others too 
I still consider myself a beginner, especially in the fondant arena. I just need to push fondant more so I can work on those numbers!! Of course I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I keep trying and trying to get them closer to perfect.
I appreciate everyone's input!
I have never timed myself. If you are counting from the time you first touch the fondant to the time it is completely smoothed onto the cake I will say I am faster at work than home.
At work we have a sheeter. At home I have The Mat and a rolling pin. Enough said I believe. 
I still consider myself a beginner, especially in the fondant arena. I just need to push fondant more so I can work on those numbers!! Of course I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I keep trying and trying to get them closer to perfect.
I appreciate everyone's input!
Michaelangelo did not create la pieta in a day nor paint the sistine chapel in a day.....art takes time.....masterpieces are not rushed my cakes are my masterpieces lol
I still consider myself a beginner, especially in the fondant arena. I just need to push fondant more so I can work on those numbers!! Of course I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I keep trying and trying to get them closer to perfect.
I appreciate everyone's input!
Michaelangelo did not create la pieta in a day nor paint the sistine chapel in a day.....art takes time.....masterpieces are not rushed
my cakes are my masterpieces lol
I got the chance to meet with one of the best cake decorators in my area. This guy has been in the business for 21 years. While talking about the cake decorating business, he said something to the effect that "time is money". And he is right. He was talking in the context of doing the best job you can and doing it in the best efficient amout of time. That does not mean rush and do a shoddy job, it means doing the most beautiful work you can and don't dawdle. Those that decorate for a living had better find a way to be more efficient or they will work for pennies.
Those that do it for a hobby have all the time in the world, they have another source of income and those that do it for a living are their source of income. One cannot compare the two, it is apples and oranges.
I have a couple cakes to cover this weekend so I will try to remember to time myself, just because now I'm curious. But I really think I'm on the slowwww end. There's a lot of factors as everyone mentioned...type of equipment...is the fondant cooperating...are you a perfectionist...
I also agree that if you are a hobby baker, you don't think so much about how fast you are getting it done. At least for me anyway. I'm still working on perfecting my skills so I'm more about getting it to look good than getting it to look good fast.
When everything is working in my favor, I think it would probably take me 30-40 minutes to cover all three tiers from beginning to end. And I'm one of those perfectionists. Even if the end result doesn't always look that way
Well, like I said, 10 minutes is if I'm in panic mode. Usually it's about 20 minutes. And as for concerns about quality, here is a pic of a cake that I spent about 1 hour 15 minutes fondanting and doing the double overlays on two of the tiers at a local "cake challenge" type event (read: not on my home turf, actually at a makeshift kitchen at a reception hall). The cakes were already buttercreamed and chilled. Clearly shoddy, shoddy, work
ok i cant get it to attach..... trying again....
Well, like I said, 10 minutes is if I'm in panic mode. Usually it's about 20 minutes. And as for concerns about quality, here is a pic of a cake that I spent about 1 hour 15 minutes fondanting and doing the double overlays on two of the tiers at a local "cake challenge" type event (read: not on my home turf, actually at a makeshift kitchen at a reception hall). The cakes were already buttercreamed and chilled. Clearly shoddy, shoddy, work
....
KoryAK, by the looks of the pics in your gallery, I'd say you've got it down. Nope, no shoddy work there.
ok, i went ahead and posted it as an "additional view" here:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1846126.html
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