Wedding Cake (Due @3Pm!)...need Help Now!
Decorating By gmcakes Updated 2 Jul 2006 , 2:16am by leily
Finished everything last night...looked great! Got up this morning to double check everything; 1 of the tiers has formed a huge bubble under the icing on the top of the cake. Not fondant...BUTTERCREAM! I took a pin and released the air, icing is now laying down.
The problem: This cake is a Jello poke cake. Is it unstable/should I rebake? Going to put a new cake in the oven right now!
Anxiously awaiting opinions from one and all...What would YOU do?!?!?!
glenda 
I don't know, but I'll help keep you up there.
i wouldn't jump to conclusion it is unstable, until I knew what caused the bubble.
first thought: was the cake or jello still warm when you iced it?? then could be steam bubble and that's not unstable, just annoying.
does it look firm and holding together otherwise? (no other bulges on sides, no slipping of tiers, no leaning to one side?) then probably stable
of course, if it makes you feel better, than do another cake. However, I'm betting the one you have is fine... just stack it all at the reception on delivery.
The question is: Is the cake stable?
The icing obviously is not sticking to the top of the cake. I hate for them to be in the middle of their reception, and something be wrong with the cakes.
If I have problems late...there will be no time to re-do anything!
This cake is just stressing me out!!!!! I have been working on it for 2 weeks, even have custom made stands just for this cake. I just want everything to be perfect!
I agree with Doug; why rebake? Just assemble and fix it at the reception site. Baking a new one would be like throwing the "baby out with the bathwater"...the cake being unstable would not make the icing bubble, IMO.
Doug:
I'm so glad you're here!!!!!
The cake was chilled when I iced it, so steam is not a problem.
It does look firm and is otherwise holding together well, no Jello bleeding thru the icing or anything.
I am simply baking the cakes now as a back-up plan...just in case things head down hill from here during the day!
Luckily this will not be stacked at all, this cake will not support any weight at all, so that's a good thing. The cake is 4 tiers...each on an individual column.
I am just going to watch and see, for a few hours!
hmmm....cold air trapped under icing that expanded when brought back to room temp (that or the cake was eating the leftover baked beans!)
i'm betting it will all be fine, especially if it doesn't have to support anything.
more than once, I've had a cake stay rock solid and the icing get in a snit and decide to not stick!
The cake just settled a bit. This often happens overnight with a soft multi layer cake. The weight of the icing compresses the cake some and you didn't give the air a place to escape. I always put a small hole in the top and then I fix it in the morning. After I started doing this, I never had the battle of the buldge again. No need to panic!!!
Thanks everyone...I feel so much better! I'm such a wreck over this, I just needed some reassurance from the CC pros! I think the cake will most likely be fine.
As for the cakes in the oven, I have a good friend with a birthday this week...I'm sure she would love a birthday cake!
I'll post pics this evening after I get it set up on site!
(I can't wait to see what it looks like all together!)
The cake just settled a bit. This often happens overnight with a soft multi layer cake. The weight of the icing compresses the cake some and you didn't give the air a place to escape. I always put a small hole in the top and then I fix it in the morning. After I started doing this, I never had the battle of the buldge again. No need to panic!!!
This soo answers my question. I had this samething happen with my final course 3 cake. It was a new recipe and it was MUCH more moist and soft than any other cake I had done. I just doctored a cake mix but it made a big difference. I had never had this happen either and was so frustrated, and my instructor had never seen it either... we just figured it was the weather b/c everyone in class was having odd things happen that couldn't be explained. Our icings were a mess. I will definitely have to keep that in mind next time =)
gmcakes
Did it look something like the cake in the pictures? I am just curious if this is the same thing that happened to me.
Wow, I am glad I ran into this post. I have never seen or heard anything like this before. Thanks for sharing.
leily:
It was not quite what like I had...but similar! The cake was comepletely level last night, then when I woke up this morning to check on the cakes...I noticed that the entire top was lopsided. {I know I'm tired from working on these cakes but I wasn't THAT tired to not notice this!!!}
Since I used a crusting buttercream I lightly pressed on the top of the cake, and it was too soft. I stepped back and thought for a moment and realized it was the same feeling as air under fondant! Since the center of the cakes has a drawing of hearts..I very carefully took a straight pin and poked several holes right on the edge of the design (COMPLETELY UN-NOTICEABLE!!!!), and released the air.
Update: The cake is still doing fine, extra cakes are out of oven and cooling, but I don't think I'm going to be needing them!
Glad it worked out for you. I was thankfull it wasn't for a customer or order. In class we came to the conclusion that the cake itself was just TOO moist (i know can you imagine? i couldn't... but boy did it taste good!) The buttercream I used was the class with 1/2 butter and it was the same one I always used, it didnt' even crust this time. Still no idea what happened. Did another cake a couple weeks later and no problems even though it was the same batch of buttercream.... actually come to think of it I did 2 other cakes out of the same batch, i just made up a whole bunch...
Who knows
Glad it is working out for you. Enjoy that extra cake and have some fun decorating it!
Leily
leily: This was a very moist cake also (Jello Poke Cake), so the moisture may have played into it. Also, being this type of cake the holes may have indeed created air pockets as it settled.
The cake has now been delivered, and is set up at the reception site! I did not have the Bride's reaction and I am hoping she and her guests enjoyed it! It has been raining here all day and I am very relieved to have it out of here!
Here are the cake pics:
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