I give up!!!  I give up!!!   I give up!!!  

There is no hope and i can't hang in much longer. I love cake decorating and have spent a ton of money on classes, online memberships and dvds. I have researched and watched hours and hours of videos about why cakes bulge and the solutions. I have also used SPS hoping that would help. At this point I may have to cut my losses and stop throwing away good money after bad.

I have used the doctored cake mixes, dams, less buttercream, I have allowed cakes to settle overnight with weight on the top after torting, little buttercream crumb coat........ You name it and I have tried it.

I literally just threw away a 3 tier wedding cake for my son's reception in the garbage because the bulging was so bad it couldn't be used. I had to bake new cakes this time with buttercream and not fondant. I don't think anyone but me realized it was bulging - but still.

My son's grooms cake with fondant of course had BULGES. It looked good at first after sitting overnight (with a book and been torted).  The cake was nice and straight and I was very proud of how it looked. By the time it got to the reception -  BULGING. Thank goodness it was for my son's reception.

Just don't know where to go from here. I see pictures on First Time Cakes and think You Have Got to Be Kidding. The cakes were perfect. I have been doing this 1 1/2 years and still BULGING.

Each time I think "Ok I can do this." Each time - BULGING. It has gotten to where I dread doing a cake because of ......

AHave you tried using ganache and not buttercream?

AI'm sorry you're having all this trouble and frustration. Do you think maybe your buttercream is too soft/fluffy? The last cake I did had a small bulge. I had tried a new frosting which, while delicious, was very fluffy. I think it was not firm enough to hold up well enough.

We're our own worst critics, don't let a bulge take away from the excitement of your son getting married!!

I changed my dam recipe to Edna De La Cruz' stiff bc...seriously, it's almost like fondant it's so thick. I haven't had a problem with bulging since. Sorry if you already do this, but also make sure your dam is set in a few cm from the edge of the cake, so that when it gets compressed, it doesn't squish out. I also am a recent ganache as a crumb coat convert, so that helps with bulges and crisp edges too.

Hang in there, don't quit, big hugs to you!!

Probably like others just said... too soft bc... and maybe to much...it should be semi stiff between your layers so when the cake settles you dont have much bulge.. ice your layers or 3d cake and then chill ...not freeze.. after the chill you can go back and smoothe if necessary. then you have a nice firm base for the fondant...not soft mushy gooey base...it will bulge and your fondant will be bumpy underneath....

ive found the best for me is the traditional half butter (real butter, not margarine) and half all veg shortening with powdered sugar and milk for thinning. i like it stiff..adding a lil milk at a time if its too thick.

Dont give up! try a small practice cake ..6", with a thicker bc to see what happens?