I Am Getting 'folds' When I Put My Mmf Over My Cake. How Do

Decorating By sunflowerfreak Updated 7 Jun 2006 , 11:55pm by AmyBeth

sunflowerfreak Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sunflowerfreak Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 7:47pm
post #1 of 16

How do I put the MMF over the cake and not get 'folds'? I have 3 folds. Do I stick my finger in water and kind of mold the seam together? HELP!!!! This is my first time working with any kind of fondant but I can tell you right now I LOVE MFF!!!! What a miracle icing. Very easy to work with except the folds. sunflowerfreak

15 replies
Misdawn Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Misdawn Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 7:54pm
post #2 of 16

If you figure out the magic trick, please let me know!!! I have been trying to get the folds out for more than a year now! I just can't figure it out. I quit using fondant altogether because of those pesky folds!

chocolateflair Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
chocolateflair Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 8:15pm
post #3 of 16

Roll your icing out larger than your cake and when you lift it over your cake, adhere it to the top and then smooth your hands from the top down the sides, lifting the icing away from the cake when it starts to form folds and then smooth down with the hands allowing any air underneath to escape at the same time, you will end up with a skirt at the bottom, cut away with a sharp knife.

Crimsicle Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Crimsicle Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 8:28pm
post #4 of 16

This is the hardest thing to describe in words. You have to kind of pull the excess up and away from the side of the cake...and sort of down at the same time. You put your hands on either side of the fold and adjust each fold individually. The more you do this, the longer it gets around the bottom...but eventually everything that's covering the cake will be smooth. I wish someone would do a video sometime. Once you see it, it makes all sorts of sense.

Chef_Stef Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Chef_Stef Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 8:36pm
post #5 of 16

Also, and I don't know why this is never pointed out in a big way in the books!....

Set your cake up high on something--I set it on top of a Crisco container because it's just the right height, but anything smaller diameter than the cake would work. This way the fondant will be able to hang down straight on past the bottom of the cake. Then you can smooth it down from the top and allow those ruffly fold things to happen way down below at the end of the fondant BELOW the cake plate rather than on the side of the cake. It's hard to describe, like they said, but roll out bigger than the cake and elevate the cake next time, and see what happens. I can't believe the pics in books show the cake sitting flat on the counter sometimes, with the hands smoothing the fondant like "no problem". I NEVER get that to work.

elevate it--you'll see.

Misdawn Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Misdawn Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 8:46pm
post #6 of 16

I have lifted and smoothed soooooo many times. It never works! Still get folds. OR fondant tears.

AmyBeth Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
AmyBeth Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 8:55pm
post #7 of 16

The lifting method never worked for me. I looked at the tutorial on this website for covering a cake with MMF. Since then I have not had one problem. The MMF goes on faster and looks so much nicer.

I was having problems with tearing and bunching. I stopped rolling my fondant so thin and I read the tutorial.

Chef_Stef Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Chef_Stef Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 8:56pm
post #8 of 16

Also I always use my fondant smoother (that white plastic thing from Wilton), and I love it.

AmyBeth Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
AmyBeth Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 9:01pm
post #9 of 16

I think that everyone has there way that works for them. I tried both ways. That is what you need to do. Make a few practice cakes.

I was at a training seminar for Wilton and one trainer elevated adn the other one left her cake on the table. You just have to find your nitch.

I like being able to use my large pizza cutter along the bottom when I lay my cake on the table. I get a nice finish.

Crimsicle Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Crimsicle Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 9:04pm
post #10 of 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by homecook

Also I always use my fondant smoother (that white plastic thing from Wilton), and I love it.




That's got to be the best tool Wilton ever designed. By far. icon_smile.gif

honeyscakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
honeyscakes Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 9:10pm
post #11 of 16

i have a MMF problem too...I knead the fondant and roll it into a ball and then whenever i am ready to roll it out and cover a cake all those folds that were in the ball don't go away and usually are on both sides of the fondant,when I cover my cake...yopu can see that fold line/crease,very clearly and that pretty soon turns into a crack.
HELP!!!
honeyscakes.

sunflowerfreak Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sunflowerfreak Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 9:46pm
post #12 of 16

Honeycakes you need to knead the MMF more so that there is no chance of folds through your MMF.

itsacake Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
itsacake Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 11:30pm
post #13 of 16

Earlene told me that when kneading fondant (and I therefore assume MMF) you need to leave one side down and just keep folding all the edges in so that the side that is down then stays smooth and doesn't get a lot of air bubbles either. Think of gathering the edges in to the center over and over. Not sure I'm describing this properly.......

Also, raising the cake above the table or turntable on something helps with the folds hanging below the cake, but you have to be careful not to have it too high, or the weight of the fondant itself can cause tears.

It is so true that you have to figure out what works for you and your brand or recipe of fondant and the size and shape of your cake. Probably everyone does it a little differently.....

Shalom,
itsacake!

mamacc Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mamacc Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 11:48pm
post #14 of 16

For me whats worked the best is to roll out the fondant quite a bit bigger than the cake. I do the lifting and smoothing thing too, but I always had folds until I started rolling it out bigger. Also, if you are slow at smoothing MMF is good because it doesn't harden and you have more time to smooth.

Courtney

loriemoms Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
loriemoms Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 11:55pm
post #15 of 16

You are rolling your fondant/MMF too thin. Really! I used to get folds in my cakes too, till an instructor told me to just roll it to 1/4 inch thick (which is really quite thick!) The folds are from the fondant/MMF stretching too much, it will "wave" on you. I have two 1/4 thick molding pieces that I lay next to my fondant mat on each side and put my rolling pin on top of...so that I always have that 1/4 inch thick. Not a single fold, ever now. (if you look at my photos, you will see the transition! haha!)

And like everyone else said, make it larger then the cake and elevate the cake on a pedistal and use a pizza cutter (don't let it hang too long or it will stretch on you) and use a smoother. Don't press too hard either.

AmyBeth Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
AmyBeth Posted 7 Jun 2006 , 11:55pm
post #16 of 16

Honeycakes,

What are you rolling it on and what are you rolling it out with? Is your fondant too dry?

I don't usually have that problem, but I guess if I see folds then I knead my fondant out some more and re-roll it out.

You might have that problem more often if your fondant is too dry. It won't come together as easily.

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%