I've seen it done, the beautiful cakes covered in flawless fondant with pristine sharp edges, so I know it's possible.  How do you drape extra-tall tiers in fondant without the fondant tearing?  I don't really want to do paneling.  Is it better to have stiffer or softer fondant?  Is it better to roll it a little thick or pretty thin?  Any advice would be wonderful!  Thanks!

APaneling is easier than you think. Cut a circle of fondant to match the top of your cake and place it on. Then cut strip of waxed paper or parchment paper the same height (with the fondant circle included) and circumference plus one inch of your cake, spread a thin layer of crisco on it and roll the fondant out right on top of the strip. Flip it over onto a powdered sugar dusted surface and use an exacto knife to trim the fondant to match the panel. Then lift the whole thing up, wrap it around the cake, and press to adhere it well. Peel off the paper and use an exacto knife down the overlapping section to create a clean seam. Take a small ball of extra fondant and add water to it until it has a paste like comsistency. Use your finger to spread the paste into the seams around the top of the cake and down the back, hiding the seams. Use fondant smoothers to smooth.

 You should do this with a picture tutorial...

Party Cakes in Canberra have done a tutorial for the wrap around method of covering double barrel cakes in fondant -

http://partycakescanberra.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/tutorial-how-to-make-a-double-barrel-cake/

HTH

Any suggestions for draping, though?  Paneling isn't quite the look I'm going for.  (But thank you, Sarah! :) )

AI think if you rolled it thin, so it wasn't too heavy, and maybe had someone else help you do it, so you could keep the weight lifted up as you adhered it, you could get it on without tearing.

AI've done a couple extended tiers by draping the fondant (8" extended tiers ). The tips I can offer from those experiences are: Roll it thin, roll it extra long and I rolled it up on my huge rolling pin to transfer it onto the cake. The biggest problem I had with draping it was ripping at the top. I use ganache under my fondant, so I rounded the edges more than I normally would. It can be tricky, good luck! You always have paneling to fall back on if it doesn't work out! ;)

Hi Sweets, I agree that an extra pair of hands makes this job much easier - but they kind of need to be experienced handsS so I hope your not working on your own.....if you are, don't worry, just don't roll out the fondant too thick (you'll have to test this to see yourself) because the weight of it will cause the top edges to tear.

But if you can rope someone in to help, get them to pick the fondant up and lay it on the top the cake, just letting it fall a few inches over the edges of the cake, while you smooth around the top of the cake, and then they can let the rest drape to the bottom once you've the top smoothed.

I've done it on my own lots of times, but it makes it so much quicker if there's somebody to help.  Good luck!

I have never done a square fondant cake. I tried 800 times yesterday. I gave up and did a round. I want to try the panel method now since it worked so well with my 4"x4" round. I sure hope the school I am getting ready to start spends a lot of time on decorating because I can't afford a lot of classes on top of school...just had to spend $100 on stupid shoes yesterday...I'm about to just give up and become an aged stripper..dancing on the mini pole in my Cakesafe

I roll mine a little thicker for extended tiers and sometimes even add a little tylose. As soon as you get it over the cake, secure the edges first to prevet too much pull down from the weight of it, and make sure the rest isn't pulling out from the sides.

Do you like working at 3 and 4 am? :D

for the last 20 years I have had to get up at 3 or 4 for work. Sometimes get up at midnight, stand watch 4 hours. Go to bed for an hour and a half and get up for another 12-14 hours. I think I can take it!!

On weekends now I "sleep in" until 6...lol

This sounds great, can't wait to try it.  Thanks!

So after trying several times with my one pair of semi-experienced hands, I gave up and wrapped it.  It's not exactly what I wanted, but will be okay.  I'm eager to try again next time with some tylose or gumpaste mixed it.  That might just be the trick!  Thanks everyone for your advice!

Well I couldn't let the dummy tier I wrapped go to waste so I ended up doing a whole faux cake...as if I had time for that! LOL. Oh well it's almost done and I needed a Halloween themed cake for photos anyhoo

AA 50-50 fondant - modeling chocolate blend might be easier to drape with.