Ok maybe I'm just a little slow in the head or something, but I am really having trouble with covering my cakes with rolled fondant. I thought I would start with a simple, basic square cake. But how do you cover it without having seams on the corners? If I don't cut lines in the corners to "fit" the fondant to the cake, then the fondant ruffles up all around the sides like a tablecloth hanging over a table. I hate the seams and I've seen pictures of cakes on CC where the fondant is seamless. What am I missing? 
I've got the rolling mat and I rolled it out to the size I would need, but it gathers up at the corners, (kind of like when you make a bed and the corners ruffle and stick out) so I have to cut some out. Then that creates a seam down the sides of the corners! I don't know how to avoid creating this seam. I may not be explaining it well enough.
With squares you need to do the corners first then do your sides. As you go down the sides, gently lift and then cup the fondant down (like you are fluffing a wedding dress). This works great and using this lift and cup down method I can even cover ball shaped cakes without any seams. THT!
I haven't done a square cake with fondant yet, but there was a lady in our Course 3 that did one.. the instructor helped her to get hers smooth.. she did do the corners first and as justcakes stated, you lift slightly, and trim as you go .. but I do remember them doing the corners on her cake first .. hope this helps!
When I use fondant on a square cake I always roll out the fondant 3 to 4 inches more than I need. I have my cake on the same size cake board placed on top of a pan so the fondant can hang, then I start at the corners first. It really seems to help me if the fondant can hang, I have less problems with ruffles at the bottom. Once I get the fondant the way I want it, I then move my cake to the board I am going to use.
I always do the same thing regardless of shape(except squares you do corners first). Place cake on a board same size or just slightly smaller than the cake itself. Cover cake with layer of SMBC and get it as smooth as possible. Chill cake. Roll fondant out. Place fondant on top of cake. Smooth very top section to secure fondant in place. Then start going around the top portion of your cake and smooth fondant down by gently lifting and then cupping the fondant down. Go around and work your way down. Do this all the way around the cake until you are done. Then place cake on your final board and decorate. 
Edited: Not sure if it's okay to post photo's in threads or if they have to go in galleries.
Justcakes, photos in threads are just fine as long as they follow the rules. post away!
Okay, let's see how to describe this...your hand is slightly cupped, you lift the fondant slightly away from the cake with one hand and with the cupped hand you smooth the fondant into place. After the entire cake is smoothed that's when I use the fondant smoothers (the white ones from Wilton) to correct any uneveniness. I am planning on doing a photo demo for this for TCB the next time I do a cake.
As for condensation. I used to have a problem with this when I used the Wilton fondant. I use Pettinice now and I love it! Condensation occurs when the temperature difference is too great. If your kitchen is hot, and your cake is really cold, try putting a fan out. And get an ice pack for your hands to cool it a bit before handeling the fondant. Also, work in stages....ice cake, chill, get fondant all ready to go--rolled etc, then take cake out, cover, refridge again, and do as much prep before you decorate. I had to do this with Wilton fondant here in the summers because we do get some very hot days here in Washington and we have no air conditioning. I don't have this problem anymore with the Pettinice fondant.
To avoid condenstion after you take you cake out of the fridge bring it to room temp slowly! If you can go from fridge to an air conditioned room that's the best. If not, go from fridge to a cooler with ice packs (you know those lunch box ice packs), and then bring to room temp. Condensation will completely disappear once internal and external temps have a chance to get closer. If you get condensation DO NOT TOUCH the surface as it might mar it.
Hope that helps.
The cupping, smoothing part, think of it as hemming a dress with a very full skirt, you hold it away from the person wearing it, smooth it down to pin. Well same thing, you hold it away from the cake and use your smoother. If youleave the fondant against the cake, you will get puckers and seams. You smooth sideways and also down vertically.
I don't refridgerate the buttercream covered cake, in fact I put the fondant on the covered cake right away so that it will stick to the buttercream.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
Good reason Justcakes, but I have noted that many folks refridgerate the cakes to set up the buttercream before covering. Now I am no fondant expert, by any means, but the whole idea of using buttercream under it is to act as a glue, so if you let it set, well it doesn't stick. I have seen folks even mist the buttercream with water to insure that it will adhere to the fondant. So this is why I commented.
I have heard that some folks set the buttercream by refridgerating it so that they get a smoother finish when they apply the fondant, I guess so the buttercream doesn't squish around underneath.
I was hoping Auzzi sees this discussion and comments.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
I've used fondant a fair bit and i find that using a sugar syrup on the cake, then a thin layer of fondant to get it even on top of the cake, then a bit more syrup and the main layer works well, the thin layer acts like almond paste, marzipan. Dont forget any holes in your cake need to be filled to get it smooth. This is just how i do it, it takes a bit longer but it works well.
Dont avoid fondant because of the corners, it took me quite a while to get them looking decent, the "cupping" is how i worked it out, stick with it and dont give up.
Ugggggh! Second attempt to cover a square cake with fondant. This time took advice in this post and smoothed top and then worked on corners first then tried to "cup" sides and smooth those down. Ended up with too much on sides that would not smooth out..wanted to "ripple". Are there any other tricks to this..maybe I need to really measure out what I need and not make it too big before putting it over cake? Maybe it's just practice practice pratice.
Anyone have any other ideas?
Thanks
Thalia
Just like newtocakes suggested, I do the same thing with square cakes that works best for me. I put them up on a pan the same size (or even put a bowl upside down under the pan so it makes kind of a pedestal). As I'm smoothing the sides with the pleats and wrinkles just stretch out. So, I hold a sharp knife against the cake board the cake is sitting on, sliding it all the way around, trimming right to the edge of the bottom of the cake. Hope that makes sense.
Stephanie
Well I haven't done plain square cakes but I have done many weird angles and I found that first if I drape the cake like a blanket then tuck/cup/fluff the odd angles first then I can smooth from the top down.
I actually use a lot of fondant. I have found that if it is thicker 1/4 inch and rolled out a lot bigger then the cake I have less issues with sharp points and weird cringle corners, tears or stretch marks........but I'm no expert.
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