How do I place a cake on a board covered in fondant without messing up the board? Do I place it on the board after the cake is completed or only lacking bottom border?

I cover my cake board at least two days before i am ready to place my cake on it - that way the fondant hardens and the cake doesn't make an indentation...
Its the first thing i do when the decorating process begins -


When the board is rock hard - thats when i also add my ribbon trim around the edge.

Then the fondant covered cake.
Then the final touches of decorations.

Hope my time frame helps you.
Bluehue

Your cake is on the same size cake board as the size of your cake of course. The fondant covered board is completely dry.2-4" larger that cake. I wet the center litely with water(brush it on), This is your glue for the cake you are fixing to adhere to the board. Then i put the border. I usually have most of the deco on it already. The sticky center will make the glue for the cake board that your cake is sitting on. hth

Ok. So you don't recommend putting a buttercream cake on the fondant covered board?

I would not put the cake directly on the fondant covered board. That is how i was taught and that is what i have always done. I have my cakes on the same size board as the cake, Put that on a bigger cake board and frost it, then use spatula and move to my bigger board(fondant covered or not.). When you slice the cake, then you are stopping at the cake board, not the fondant cover part. That is my opinion and how i have done it for 17 yrs. I am sure others will say that put their cake(not on same size board ) on the fondant board. I also learned this a ices convention. Kerry Vincent says not to do it.

If I don't cover the board I will ice it directly on the drum. But usually I cover my boards. I have the cake on the same size cardboard round, then transfer it to the fondant covered board. I do what Blue does. I cover it a few days in advance so it gets good and hard. Cheap fondant works great for this. I usually use Wilton.

If you accidentally get icing on the fondant covered board, how do you get it off?

You just wipe it off. It really does wipe away easily. If the fondant is white and the icing is chocolate, it might leave a little stain if you don't wipe it quickly enough. But I usually don't have any problems.

I cover the whole board if the fondant is white. Otherwise I only cover the edges of the board after the cake is on it. The fondant under the cake will soften up a bit and when the cake is served there will be some discoloration on the bottom of the cake. Cake with a slightly blue or greenish edge is not very appetizing.

Or if you're like me, I forget to do the board until I'm almost done with the cake itself. Cover board, put in frrezer for 15 minutes, and immediately transfer cake before it starts to soften up and get sticky. Bada bing.

A good basic rule of cake decorating is that EVERY cake goes on a board the same size as that cake and then on a decorative board 2+ inches bigger than the perimeter of the cake.

It makes it easier to move the cake around while decorating and transferring it to a decorated board or cake stand is no problem.

I've "glued" down cakes with royal icing, softened fondant, buttercream, and scrapbooking glue dots.

Rae

You can also remove stains from fondant with vodka and a soft towel or a paintbrush.

AOk so how about a no 3 cake? How do I place that on a fondant covered board without making a mess! I don't intend on taking it out of the silicone tray until its on the board then I can carefully cover it or is that wrong I'm gonna make a mess aren't I....please help!

Can you cut a cardbord board the same size and shape as your number three. Cover it with baking paper. Put your cake on this board and decorate. Then slide a long knife under the board when it's done and had some time to set up and place it on your fondant covered board.

What you can do is put 5 or 6 pieces of baking paper over the fondant covered board, place your cake on that, and then when it's ready, carefully pull the baking paper out from under your decorated cake. Keeps mess off your display board.

I can't see you to put your cake directly on a fondant covered board and then decorate, no.