Somehow I managed to cover a heart shaped cake with fondant several weeks ago and it looked pretty good. Also covered some smaller mini heart cakes, no problem. I think I got cocky. Figured this was going to be "a piece of cake" working with this fondant. But I tried to do an 8" double layer tonight. It was a disaster. LOL Usually I freeze my cakes so they are easier to ice (with buttercream); I ice them when they are still chilled; but I didn't do that this time. That might be part of the problem. But I'm also wondering if since I bake from, uh, cake mixes! maybe the cake texture is just not dense enough to handle the fondant??? And here I was thinking that I can handle making a fondant covered wedding cake in 2 weeks. :-O

Any of you out there bake with mixes and have great success covering cakes with fondant? Tips? I'm not quite ready to give up. But if I do, I'm changing my name here to IHATEFONDANT2.

It helps a lot to "doctor" up your cake mixes to help them withstand fondant. Instead of water, add either a cup of buttermilk or sourcream (I prefer the buttermilk) or use a pound cake recipe. A pound cake recipe calls for a regular cake mix (no pudding in the mix) and then you add 1 cup of oil, 4 eggs, a package (3.4 ounces) of pudding (the same flavor of your cake) and 1 cup whole milk.

Patton, so if I am wanting a white cake, are you saying I can substitute buttermilk for the water called for on the box? Or do I need to use a yellow cake mix?

I use mix cakes all the time for my fondant covered cakes. So far I haven't had any problems - unless you count the cowboy boots I tried to make!

Debbie

Do you do the MMF Debbie?

I use the MMF when I make cakes for the kids. Otherwise I usually use Satin Ice fondant which is great.

Deb

Can you just scoot on over here Deb and give me a demonstration!

(I also seem to get little bubbles in my MMF when I'm rolling it out.)

I'd love to! You might be kneeding too much air into your mmf. If you get a bubble - use a pin to stick it and then rub it shut. That will release the air. I've found mmf to be forgiving enough to be able to make small repairs like that.

Debbie

I use DH mixes and I doctor them using the DH recommendation for creating "pound cake":

1 box Duncan Hines Cake mix
1 small package instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil

The texture is great for large cakes, stacked tiers, carving, etc. I use Satin Ice fondant and I usually roll it between 1/8 & 1/4 inch thick (so it's pretty heavy) and I haven't had any problems with it "smooshing" this cake recipe.

Hope this helps.
Rae

You can use buttermilk in any flavor of a boxed mix cake.

I'm going to try a doctored mix. Thanks y'all.