Ok I don't get it. I got my frosting really nice and smooth on my cakes. FINALLY. And everything looked good. No bulges or crazy weird places on the cake. I covered the cake with the fondant after allowing the cake to crust overnight. By the next day, there were bulges in the top tier, but not the bottom. I know that not letting your cake settle causes this but my cakes were nice and level and set before the fondant went on. Why did it only do it to the top and not the bottom which obviously has more weight?

Describe your settling process, please.

I know Leah_s will certainly be able to help you, (she's helped me) and I also know others will disagree BUT...I jusst switched over to magic line pans and it has made ALL the difference! I made 4 cakes-2 with wilton, 2 with magic line and the difference is substantial. Magic line gives a straight smooth side every time. That together with Leah_s process, my cakes are FINALLY starting to look better

Here are a couple no-bulge successes because of the two changes. HTH!

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2070340
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2070297
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1917674

Took the cakes out. Let them cool. Stacked them and put paperback books on for weight. Left them there for maybe 30-45 minutes. Chilled them. Frosted them. Let them sit over night. Fondant applied next day.

The bottom wasn't as bad at the top.

http://media.cakecentral.com/gallery/791402/1309178506.jpg

I did notice a big line of air on the back of the top right in the middle the morning of the shower. I did the pin thing and it smoothed and looked ok. Then about 2 hours before the shower, it was bulging.

This cake had been trouble since the start for you, hasn't it! I read about your little girl figure. It's still a lovely cake