Hi All,
I'm hoping you all can help. I've covered your basic 8" round with MMF and I have a bubble on the side of the cake that won't go away. I've pricked it 7 times with a pin in different sections of the bubble, and I've even sliced a slit a 1/2 inch or so and believe it or not.. it keeps coming back!!! Obviously there is going to be some side decorations to cover this but I don't want the bubble there.... HELP!!!! (&^%$$#@!!!)

What else can I do? I covered the cake immediately after I put on the BC. Everything else is fine on it except this one spot. Now I can count on one hand the number of cakes I've covered in fondant so I'm looking for some expert help here.

Thanks all!!

- Paula

I just want to see if I understand this correctly, You poked it with a pin and took your fingers and smoothed it out and still it comes back??

That happens to me each time too! Glad it isn't just me. Anyone have a suggestion?

YEP! I've poked it and smoothed it toward the pin prick to 'squeeze' out the air and it goes down... and then it comes back.... and I've lifted my edge and smoothed it from the top down with the little fondant 'iron' smoother and,... yep, you got it.. it still comes back!

My cakes were cold from the fridge, baked yesterday. But they were about at room temp when they were iced in BC and then immediately covered in the MMF. Does it matter that I made the MMF this afternoon and didn't let it sit overnight??? Everything else on the cake is fine except for this one spot.

UGH! this is maddening. I just even lifted it again at the bottom edge, smoothed it and trimmed of a bit of excess that I've stretched and it's back again! Help!

- Paula

In Wilton course 3, I learned to smooth a bit of piping gel around the edge of the fondant to "seal" the cake in. Maybe if you seal it in, you can squeeze the air out.

Give that a try. Incidentally, I forgot to do that on my final cake and I also had the bubble. I figured it was due to that.

Hmmm, I'm trying to think of what could be causing that -- I've never had that problem. (I know, I'm no help at all!) Whenever I've made fondant I let it rest for at least a day. I've heard of others having problems if they didn't (but not this particular problem.) If I hear anything I'll let you know. When is the cake due?

Sorry, I should have said smooth piping gel around the CAKE, at the bottom, as you would a thin layer of BC, but use piping gel instead. -- Not to the fondant.

To further clarify, we iced the cake in BC, then sealed around the edges with the piping gel (1/2 inch), then laid the fondant over smoothed from the top and sides down, the gel helped seal it in and then we trimmed.

Hope that helps!

I know the piping gel trick and it is used when you have BC that has already crusted. If you have just iced your cake and the BC is fresh and still sticky you should not have to do this. And this is in the middle side of the cake not along the edge or anything and that's where you normally put the piping gel.... If I'm misunderstanding this technique please someone correct me.

Secondly, (Sorry, - I just reread this... - that's not meant to sound bad, I'm just soooo aggravated and I apologize. ) I've lifted the edge and the icing is still quite sticky so it is sealing, but for whatever reason not in that area. The more I work with it too the larger the area becomes.

I'm working on trying to cover it with decoration. I'm just not happy with anything yet... keep posting your comments PLEASE as I'm still troubled with the bubble. I have to have this for 2 PM tomorrow and it's now 8:30 PM here. I'm checking regularly for responses.

I've also got my Fondant Gumpast Class final for Monday and I hope this doesn't repeat itself for that so any helpful info you all have is greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks all!!!

- Paula

Ok, alright,... I give... (I posted the pic in my gallery.)

I've messed with this monster for another 2 hours and I'm still all bubble! I gave up and tried to cover it. My marbling of the MMF was lots better on the other side where I was going to do my decoration... but that changed when 'the bubble monster' appeared and wouldn't leave. Not at all what I had in mind but I guess it came out OK. They aren't my favorite roses (my first Wilton ones) but I had them at the ready, and so were the ivy leaves. It's at least a cake I offered to bring for a party and not one somebody asked for.

Let me know what you all think. I've not attached the lighter green leaves yet either as I can't decide if they add or take a way from it. I'll look at it again in the morning.

Thanks!

- Paula

Your cake looks fine! I wish I could have been more help troubleshooting. If you go to my photos, you will see the peach roses basket cake -- notice the fancy roses on the front bottom? In trying to move the cake I inadvertantly stuck my thumb through the basketweave! Needless to say now I have a spiffy new front of the cake! Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do!!

I just saw your cake and you did a great job by covering the bubble!! I would not use the pale green leaves but that a mather of taste

I think your cake looks great!

It looks like the MMF had problems. It shouldn't look "pocked" the way it does. Had I had this problem, I would have made a small 1/2" incision in the center of the bubble and used a tip 4 or 5 to pipe about half a teaspoon of piping gel in there, then used the fondant smoother to smooth the area and set a can against it for half an hour or so to allow the fondant to set. Since your cake wasn't generating huge air bubbles, for some reason that particular part of the cake was either sucking air or most likely that part of the fondant wall was just weak and not adhering to the buttercream underneath.

You did a great job of decoraing over it, though!

I have had this happen before..... painful!!
Many moons ago I did pottery and ceramics classes and I recall being told you should always roll clay one direction, rather than rolling backwards and forwards as this could cause air bubbles.
I find working with Pottery and fondant/sugarpaste have very similar principles (the cake stuff just tastes a whole lot better Laughing ) Anyway.....
I tried rolling my fondant out one direction only and I have never had a problem with it since. I also do the same when I roll out sugar paste.

Maybe this will help next time.

To remove/deflate bubble ...On an angle, insert a needle towards one edge of the bubble and whilst slowly pulling needle out smooth down fondant from other side towards needle. I had to do this to blue cake in my pics and you can't tell!!

Never prick a whole straight down into fondant you will have a big trouble trying to cover it.

I'm wondering if you kneaded the fondant long enough. Fondant does need to rest for at least 24 hours to allow all the glucose and sugars to congeal. It gets really tight. Then take shortening on your fingers and on your table and knead, knead, knead. This breaks up all the fiberous-like strands from the congealing without disrupting the integrity of the fondant. Think of it like chewing gum, the more work you put into it the softer it gets. I use fresh everything, but fresh meaning at least 1 day old so flavors meld, etc. and I've not had a problem.

You know I had this problem before, I found the problem was with my hands I was trying to smooth the fondant with my hands and also I was trying to smooth the top and sides without smoothing the top good. I have found if I use a fondant smoother and work from the center of the cake out to the edges it removes the air bubbles for me