First Really Big Cake...have A Few Questions...
Decorating By Erin3085 Updated 15 Mar 2012 , 8:22pm by Erin3085
Hey all! Haven't been on in a long time because I took a caking hiatus. Love the new CC layout, too!
Anyway, I am making a pretty big (for me) wedding cake next week, and I have a few questions about technique. It's a simple, round, fondant covered cake with ribbon border and some fresh flowers around it...nothing fancy. However, I have never made something quite this size. I have to cover a 16" round with fondant. The biggest I have covered was 12", and that was a challenge for me! What is the easiest way to roll out that much and then move it? I'm worried most about transferring it from my table to the cake itself.
Also, I'm in central Florida, so humidity is a big issue for me, and 2 of the layers are going to have cream cheese icing in the middle. I know it has to be refigerated, and I know that sometimes people have condensation/air bubble issues putting fondant on a cold cake. If I were to assemble the cream cheese layers, then wrap them in saran wrap would that prevent condensation? Any other ideas? I've never had to chill a fondant covered cake.
Any other tips on making/moving a monstrosity would be greatly appreciated! I think I can handle it, but I'm always open to tips on making it easier. 
Thank you!!
Here's my 2 cents. Due to the heat/humidity, I would make the cream cheese filling out of 50% canned cream cheese (stable at room temperature, does not require refrigeration), and 50% buttercream. It tastes good and won't require refrigeration. (This combination was originated by Rae of Blake's Cakes.)
To move it: Make a base of 1/2" plywood and cover with food safe materials. Put FEET on the bottom of the plywood so you can get fingers under there to pick it up. Get 2 people that will be lifting the cake--one person will NOT be enough!
Although it's too late timewise (unless you order overnight delivery), I'd suggest using The Mat from Sweetwise, Inc. to get the 16" cake covered with fondant. You are going to have a 24" inch round of fondant to cover a cake that size and that is HUGE. Here's a link to the video:
http://sweetwise.com/mat-featured-product/the-mat.html
APTI, do you mean 50% cream cheese canned FROSTING and 50% buttercream? Just wanted to make sure.....I'm in FL as well and sounds like a perfect alternative to the real thing!
Best of luck to the OP with covering that big of a cake....I still have trouble covering a 6in! UGH!
THank you! I just ordered a mat. 
About the frosting, do you mean mixing store-bought cream cheese frosting with buttercream? What is the consistency like? Canned frosting is always really goopy, for lack of a better term. Does it mix well with the buttercream and stiffen some? I've also seen a few "stable" homemade recipes. Any experience with those?
Karema - is it any good? I'd be worried that would taste chemical-y, and not like cream cheese. That's a problem I've had with unnatural flavorings. Is there one that is really good?
I know it can be done with a cream cheese frosting...I just don't know what I would have to do to keep the whole condensation disaster from happening to half of my cake. 
Courtesy of BlakesCakes from CakeCentral.comDOCTORED RED VELVET CAKE:
1 Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix, 18.5 ounces (the box mixes are smaller now, so make sure you get 18.5 ounces)
1 box white chocolate (hard to find) or chocolate instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
BlakesCakes: Hand mix all ingredients until incorporated and then mix on medium with a hand mixer for 1:30 to 2:00 minutes. Bake at 325 until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake is tasty and sturdy. I often ice with a 50/50 mixture of homemade buttercream and canned cream cheese icing so that the cake can stay at room temp for long periods.
Yes, it is 50% canned cream cheese icing like Pillsbury or other commercial frosting (example):
http://www.pillsburybaking.com/products/details/727
AND your crusting buttercream recipe.
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Since your cake is due this weekend, I'd just stick with the 50/50 frosting for now and experiment later with "stable" recipes and cream cheese sleeve filling, etc. I used the cake and frosting recipes above for a 14" round cake for a 100th birthday celebration for a much loved family member. It came out beautifully as cake and filling. I covered her cake in buttercream. You can see a photo at: http://christinascakes.shutterfly.com/pictures/337#340
I torted the cake, used a super-stiff buttercream dam, and ended up with four 1" layers of cake with three 1/4" layers of 50/50 cream cheese frosting filling. (I don't remember if I used the 50/50 mixture and stiffened with powdered sugar for the dam, or whether I just stiffened my regular buttercream for the dam.) The cake tasted wonderful. I have not used this 50/50 combo as a final buttercream for decorations, so I don't know how it would perform.
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Did you watch the 2nd video about using The Mat for the first time? If not, you need to do that; it is important. Here's the link again in case you need it:
http://sweetwise.com/mat-featured-product/the-mat.html
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I really look forward to seeing a pic of your final cake!
Here is my recipe for buttercream. It has cream cheese in it but it's not goopy nor does it taste like that heinous canned icing. I use it for everything...including people who want 'cream cheese' icing. It's wonderful with red velvet cake...or any cake for that matter.
1 box cream cheese (8 ounces)
2 sticks REAL butter 8 ounces (I use salted)
2 lbs of powdered sugar
Cream the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy and slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add a touch of water or milk if necessary, but you really shouldn't have to.
That's it. It's delicious and easy and sets up nicely. Like I said, it's my go-to BC and everyone loves it. It's the recipe the bakery I worked for used and they were 'known' for their frosting. If you're looking for a cream cheese filling that will hold up well under fondant, this is it. Good luck!
Here is my recipe for buttercream. It has cream cheese in it but it's not goopy nor does it taste like that heinous canned icing. I use it for everything...including people who want 'cream cheese' icing. It's wonderful with red velvet cake...or any cake for that matter.
1 box cream cheese (8 ounces)
2 sticks REAL butter 8 ounces (I use salted)
2 lbs of powdered sugar
Cream the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy and slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add a touch of water or milk if necessary, but you really shouldn't have to.
That's it. It's delicious and easy and sets up nicely. Like I said, it's my go-to BC and everyone loves it. It's the recipe the bakery I worked for used and they were 'known' for their frosting. If you're looking for a cream cheese filling that will hold up well under fondant, this is it. Good luck!
What's the official stance on refrigerating this kind of icing? I always hit this problem when I'm doing stacked cakes, and someone wants one of the tiers to be red velvet.
I would love a recipe with the cream cheese taste and buttercream workability. How do you smooth this? I'm used to getting cakes perfectly smooth with the Viva paper towels.
Here is my recipe for buttercream. It has cream cheese in it but it's not goopy nor does it taste like that heinous canned icing. I use it for everything...including people who want 'cream cheese' icing. It's wonderful with red velvet cake...or any cake for that matter.
1 box cream cheese (8 ounces)
2 sticks REAL butter 8 ounces (I use salted)
2 lbs of powdered sugar
Cream the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy and slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add a touch of water or milk if necessary, but you really shouldn't have to.
That's it. It's delicious and easy and sets up nicely. Like I said, it's my go-to BC and everyone loves it. It's the recipe the bakery I worked for used and they were 'known' for their frosting. If you're looking for a cream cheese filling that will hold up well under fondant, this is it. Good luck!
Thank you so much, Carmijok!! Does this need to be refigerated like a normal cream cheese frosting or is it stable like a normal buttercream?
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