Can anyone tell me why my fondant looks paunchy, if you will, on my cakes? Am I not stretching it enough? Instead of the straight-down look, it poofs out on the sides of the cake. Any help?

thanks,
Julie

Anyone?

Do you have a picture of it?

Also do you use a filling? Are you giving your cake and filling time to settle before icing the cake? Sometimes if you don't give it time you will get a bump around the the sides of the cake.

I've also read that not using your hands but a fondant smoother helps to prevent those bumpy looking sides. Using the palms of your hands might accentuate the bumps.

HTH

Mirjana

Sounds like either trapped air or you're not using piping gel or apricot preserves (or whatever you like to use) to adhere the fondant to the icing on your cake.

It gets the paunchy/love-handles look because as the filling settles/warms...it starts to come out between the layers. You can stop this by giving your cakes a good thicker crumb coating of the buttercream before you put the fondant on top.

I ice mine about 1/3" thick all over. The thick crumbcoat keeps the filling inside much better!

Also you can cover them with the fondant on a frozen or well chilled cake. then use the smoother and as it comes to room temp keep going back with the smoother..

I usually chill my cake before covering it with fondant. Do you use anything, water spritz, for example before you cover the cake? Here's the picture, by the way

are you using a crusting buttercream under the fondant?

Yes, I'm using a crusting buttercream. I chill the cake, smooth it with a viva, and then put the fondant on it.

if it's crusting, what does the buttercream adhere to?

I am surprised to read how many people put buttercream under the fondant and curious to know why so many people use it?

Best advise I have regarding the fondant is to stretch and smooth lots and lots with either hands or a smoother. Generally works well.

dky...we Americans love our sweet frostings and find most fondants unpleasant eating.

BC is used as a "glue" and when people peel the fondant off their piece of cake there is some buttercream to eat under it.

Thank you, after some thought, I assumed it must have been a sweet and flavour thing. I am surprised to hear you comment on the flavour of fondant, it is sooooo very sweet and you can even get chocolate flavoured fondant etc.
I must say I like the taste of some brands better than others. For example here in australia the ORCHARD brand has a sweet vanillery flavour while CAKE ART brand not as sweet and can leave a slight after taste.
The other problem we have with buttercream is that we don't have access to chrisco shortening here in australia and there is no real equivelant, I have found something reasonably close now after much research.
Thank you for sharing the info.

No crisco???? Because of the heat???

heat... we are not in the sahara you know... ha ha ha.

We don't have the crisco brand I assume because the demand has not been there for it, but they must not be asking us cake people....
we here you guys talking about crisco shortening all the time and we want it.

We have a product called copha which is a solid white shortening based on coconut oil, but it does leave a little oily taste in your mouth. I have found a product called CREAMCUP through a company called CAROLINES SUGAR ART and they advertise it as a shortening for buttercream.

When you get it, it looks creamy yellow sort of like margarine and all you add to it is water and icing sugar. If you want it to be more like a vienna cream you replace the water with milk. Its very easy to work with and never flops.
Maybe you could let the crisco people know "we want crisco in australia" ha ha ha

antonia74 ~ should I then spritz with water so that the fondant has something to adhere to?
Julie

I was alwasy told that water and fondant are not a good combination, the water can make the fondant break down and go gluey.

adven68, Thanks so much for your help!!!! I will try that next time!!
Have a great evening.
Julie