I'm finding that my fondant bubbles where the cake layers meet. Can someone explain why that happens? Does it have to do with the cake layers being level or frosting I'm using? I would greatly appreciate any guidance. Thank you
define bubble, please
do you mean like an air filled random floaty pocket/edema
or that it just has more of a muffin top from icing pooching/filling out underneath there
If it's where the layers meet you probably have too much filling in there. When you fill the cake, put the top layer on, then press down on the top firmly to make any excess filling bulge out on the sides, and spatula it off to make sure the side is smooth. @leah_s has a method of putting a couple of heavy-ish books on top and letting it sit for a while to make sure the cake isn't going to compress when you cover it, maybe she can explain that further for you.
I used to get them all of the time and the solution for me was quite simple. It doesn't depend on any particular filling (bavarian cream, SMB, etc). I was getting them across the board.
1) Before filling your cake, use a cake dam close to the edge of the cake. I use a #12 tip and a buttercream like Wilton's , but on the thick side (almost like a rope).
2) crumb coat your cakes. I used to not do this and would always wind up with 'bubbled' fondant where the layers meet. When you crumb coat, it's important to really press the icing in between the tiers. If you don't, air can get trapped in there and lead to 'bubbles'. I use a bench scrape and really press the icing into the cake. I almost always use SMB as my icing btw. Once that's done, I ice the cake as normal and put it back in the fridge for about 20 minutes before putting on the fondant.
3) I don't always do this step, but you can also let your cakes sit for a bit with a weight on top of them (like a book) , to mimic the pressure that fondant would put on your cake. I've only done it once or twice. Honestly step #2 was the problem for me.
Hope that helps!
Frank
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