AHi ladies, the hot weather has been bad, and there is worse still to come! I discovered the hard way what temperature ganache starts to droop and smoosh on a cake. Such a pretty design I had in mind, but the bulges on the sides were not ideal!

It's amazing how much I learn with every cake I do. And I'm still very much a rookie. Does it ever stop? Actually, I hope it doesn't, I quite enjoy the lessons my ganache, fondant and buttercream teach me!

Don't think I'll be doing much fondant this week. However I just made my first bat h of MFF and I am very much looking forward to trying it. I might just give it a bit of a knead, to get a feel for the texture, as I'm excited to see how it turned out.

Keep cool! :)

Cheryl my hubby just got home from his bowls trip and when I went through my icing woes he just shook his head and reminded me that I knew how much trouble icing was in this sort of weather.  I told him that I  NEEDED to play with cake and then he understood that I hadn't forgotten and that it was stress relief so we tested out the scraps of the cake together.

AHappy New Year to you all! Cazza, the dehumidifier was no match against the extreme heat we are having. I fought with chocolate fondant on Friday, same as you, le mat was great until I tipped it onto the handbag cake, so tacky. I did as much as I could then sat it with a fan, dehumidifier and the air con on, kept sneeking in to look at it quietly, like a sleeping baby! I then had a brainwave, tested a soggy piece of fondant on the patio table, yes....36 degree heat, but it dried, so.....out went the cake under a food net, and it dried because there was no humidity outside. Then, I finished the decorating about midnight and put it in one of those big polystyrene boxes with two plastic frozen blocks and thats how I transported it. It survived but it was on display for so long that I could see it was starting to melt! Everyone was saying....gosh it looks like a real leather bag, even bulging...little did they know that it didnt start out like that! I also had to change the design as the handle fell off and broke! So, its a challenging time, the question is.....fondant or buttercream in this heat, which fares the best. I think buttercream as that can be kept in the fridge, but not fondant.....what is your opinion??

I think in future when the weather is really hot and I am stressed and need to play I will just make a cake and get my agbay out and cut it in to a million pieces.  I love  my agbay and would really enjoy doing that.  Imagine, I could have layers of runny ganache that were thicker than my cake layers.

AHey ladies just need a little bit of advise I'm making some cupcakes in feb eek middle of summer in a park!! So noair con fans etc any ideas buttercream or ganache?? What will hold up best! ?? I don't want to end up with a sloppy old mess

Make a type of cupcake that does not need a topping or only needs something like icing sugar, or even something like streusal.

Hello cakenewbelp - as cazza suggested or  perhaps an apple cupcake - or even a moist chocolate cupcake.

Even if you do a vanilla sponge cupcake - you could filling a little bit of ganache into the center - then cover with a fondant lid and a fondant accent on top - depending what occasion the cupcakes are for -

Cazza - how are you going up there with the weather - did you have to resort to using a fan? We have had a lovely reprieve down here - with 26C yesterday and 28C today.  As i sit and type now it is a very suitable 20C - Makes for a lovely change.

Thankfully the bush fires are out now - 51 homes burnt to the ground  - sadly, this is life for those who live amongst the treetops in Australia's scorching summers.

Bluehue

AThat was the question I asked, buttercream I think might fare a bit better especially if you can get them to the venue in a cooler box.

AI know this is a pretty old thread but I thought I'd pop in & say hi! I've been lurking for a little while & everyone seems so nice. I'm in Perth, WA & have recently re-started my cake decorating business from home (I had my own business for 5 years in Scotland). Can anyone advise me on any associations I can join in the sugar craft/decorating field? I'd love to be able to chat to like-minded people but am a bit awkward & shy ☺️ And also, best suppliers of things like boards & boxes? Thanks so much. TJ

AHi Dreamcakes! **waves**. I'm in Melbourne.

There is an association called the Australian Cake Decorating network. They have a website and an active Facebook page. They may be the type of thing you are looking for?

I'm very new to Cake Central, and have been amazed by the depth of knowledge on these boards, and the willingness to share. It's addictive!

I'm not sure about cake boards and boxes, perhaps someone else might know.

Weather finally settled Bluehue.  I let the cake sit overnight as it was too sticky to even touch.  Next day it had dried but was really flat and pitted looking from all the moisture. I got some onlays before Christmas so I covered the whole cake in a first attempt at a full onlay in white to contrast and draw the eye away from the cr---y blue icing. Stuck a flower on it and took it to work.  Everyone loved it.  Just goes to show most of the general population has no idea because I thought it was very ordinary.  It was a good learning tool for me all round though.  I found when I tried to roll the fondant on the onlay with the short sharp strokes that it shifted and made impressions so I ended up using a cake smoother and just pressing down firmly.  So the front half of the cake was a lot better than the back.

AHi everyone. I'm getting married in 11 weeks I'm from taree on the mid north coast of Australia. I want to make a 3 tier square cake for my big day but I'm trying to keep cost to a minimum. I found a recipe for pouring fondant. Sound super easy does anyone know if it will dry hard so the cakes can sit on top of each other

AIf you've never baked, stacked, decorated & transported a cake before I would not recommend doing it for your wedding! Maybe if you had time to practice but believe me you will be very busy already!

Pouring fondant is not what allows you to stack cakes-it's your internal support structure (boards under each tier, which should consist of two or more layers per with filling between & dowel rods or something comparable). You still have to ice your cake before adding fondant, poured fondant is very unforgiving you will see any frosting mistakes/dents underneath. Poured fondant is more for PF really.

If you can't afford someone it would be easier to make cupcakes, better yet have a family member/friend make them-perhaps you can simply provide the ingredients. Or maybe buy a small cutting cake & make sheet cakes for your caterer to serve (keep in mind many decorators won't sell just a cutting cake if your serving something else-it's their reputation on the line.) Also, some venues won't allow food brought in from an unliscenced kitchen.

Also, square cakes are harder to ice smoothly then round cakes, those sharp edged take time and practice. Not to mention perfecting a recipe.

It's not like Royal Icing, more like glacé icing. It is usually used to cover petit fours. It sets hard but is only a thin-shell type consistency. That's not to say that it has not been used on larger cakes. On a larger cake, if you move it, it has a tendency to crack .. The coverage provided by Poured Fondant is usually translucent, not solid.

Regardless, stacked cakes do not sit on each other. They are supported by a system of dowels and plates, on which the cakes rest .. 

AHi Dream Cakes, I'm in Perth, just a hobby baker but learn lots from Australian Cake Decorating on Facebook and get to look at all the members creations and interract with them. My fb page is Gail's Cakes, fb name Gail Knapton, I shall look for you!

Hello

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.  It must be a very exciting time for you!  It is a lovely idea to want to make your own wedding cake. Weddings can be SO EXPENSIVE!!!!!

I agree with the others, don't use pouring fondant.  It looks simple but trust me it is not. Your cake would need to be 100% smooth with no crumbs or lumps/bumps/dips or cracks and your fondant would need to have perfect consistency and poured smoothly.  Otherwise it can show ebbs and pour lines just like the seashore.  Also you would need to pour each layer separately, let it dry then stack using boards and dowels (or other supports).  It may crack when you try to move them to stack.

I had a disaster just coating petite fours which were previously rolled in marzipan, maybe just me though lol

Ganache can look nice and it is not that hard to get a nice coating-if you do the crumb crust first then pop it in the fridge for a few mins to set before your next layer.

You could put some lovely fresh flowers on it or make sugarpaste or chocolate moulding decorations.  You would still need to make each layer separately and stack as above and would need to use a good quality chocolate.  You can also make your coating with a mixture of icing and chocolate and whip it.

You can make your cake/s ahead of time and freeze them, this makes it easier to trim and prepare your cakes for icing and decorating once defrosted.  Likewise your decorations can me made ahead and kept in a cool dry place.

Have you thought about a croquembouche?  I have never had a failure with one yet.  I have only recently bought a tin to mould them on, previously I just built them up myself.  U-Tube has a clip to make temporary moulding pyramids out of cardboard.  Using a mould would help to assemble and keep it more sturdy for transport.  You can make the puffs ahead of time and pop them into the oven to crisp them the day that you want to assemble the cake.  I have used both whipped cream (with and without alcohol) and also custards as fillers in mine.  You can also buy little packets of cream stabilizer, or there are recipes out there that use anything from vanilla pudding, egg white or gelatine to stabilize. 

What ever you end up doing, have fun.

Is anybody going to the Australian Cake Bake and Sweet Show at Sydney Showground in March?

I got a flyer for the Cake Bake Sweet show and was appalled.  They are advertising it as 'The Worlds Richest Cake Competition' and yet have a picture of an extremely amatuerish cake on the front that is more suited to a supermarket than a serious cake competition.  Even I could have supplied them with a better picture and I am an amateur.

AHi Guys, How are we all? Just wondering hearing all this talk about the cake and sweet show, it sounds amazing, is if any good? Cause I've never been and I'm very interested in going, I heard it's in march I think around the 21st something like that, just asking to find out what exactly is at the show, sorry for the hassle. Thanks Cbeg :)

I don't know anything other than what I googled, we have been sent invites from a couple of our wholesale suppliers.

ADo you know where I can buy Carmas Massa Ticino Tropic fondant here in Australia? Thanks :)

ANo but I'm intrigued. What is it and what's special about it?

AIt's supposed to be a super high quality and yummy fondant that will withstand hot and humid climates. I'm taking a craftsy class at the moment and the teacher is using it.