Covering A Tall Cake With Fondant Method?

Decorating By Elise87 Updated 14 Nov 2009 , 4:39pm by CBMom

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Elise87 Posted 24 Oct 2009 , 1:47am
post #1 of 26

I am looking at making a tallish round cake that would maybe be 8 inches tall (maybe 7 inches) and about 4 inch in diameter.

Now would this we too tall for the normal fondant over the top and smooth down the sides method? Or should i go for the wrapping the fondant around method i have heard about? If so could someone tell me some tips on how to do this?

Thanks

25 replies
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Elise87 Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 12:29am
post #2 of 26

nebody? icon_biggrin.gif

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milkmaid42 Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 4:19am
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I know you are awaiting a reply and wish I could help you. I am anxious to see what others have to say, also. I do know that the smaller the cake, the more difficult it is to smoothly apply fondant. I would imagine the wrap method would be the method of choice. I have only seen it on the various cake shows and haven't worked up the courage to try it myself. Hope you find the info you are looking for.

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madgeowens Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 4:34am
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All I can offer is what I have seen on cake competition shows....they put the fondant thru a machine(so they don't have to roll such a large slab) and they start slappin it on the sides and smoothing, more times than not though I see it coming back off...so thats not gonna help....maybe tonedna can answer....look her up in member list...or sugarshack

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friendly Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 4:40am
post #5 of 26

When I tried to cover a tall cake for a show cake I ended up with to many folds in the fondant to smooth out, so I cancelled that design. If I was to make it again I would do the wrap around method.

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Kitagrl Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 4:51am
post #6 of 26

I'd wrap it around...I had to do that for several cakes, esp my large Nestea and Nescafe cakes in my photos...I used royal icing as "caulk" for the seam, as I can't seem to blend the seams well like they do on tv. haha.

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SharonK1973 Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 5:18am
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I just did this last weekend. The top layer is and 8" round, 7" tall. I used the regular fondant on top method, and used ganache underneath. It took a lot less patience than I'd expected. It wasn't as easy as a short cake, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be either. Just kept going at it, gently smoothing it out until it was done!
LL

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Elise87 Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 6:24am
post #8 of 26

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Hmm...i think i am gonna have probs with this lol I don't know if i will be able to do the wrap method well and will prob make a mess of it.

How do you do it Kitagrl? do you just pick up the fondant and wrap it around or is there a specific way to do it?

My prob i was thinking with the fondant over the top method is that the fondant around the top rim of the cake might tear with the weight but I am going to cover that up anyway so it wouldn't really matter too much, but am concerned i will have a hard time smoothing it down the sides like someone said cose it will be a thinner cake but maybe if like previously said i just have patience with it icon_smile.gif

nice cake SharonK1973!

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zdebssweetsj Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 8:28am
post #9 of 26

If you use ganache under the fondant it will give you a firmer surface to work with. I'll never use butter cream under fondant again.

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Cathy26 Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 6:12pm
post #10 of 26

Elise this is totally off topic but can i just say your sugar cookies are seriously unbelievable - i could cry with jealously looking at them - you really are an artist - this is the one thing to do with caking and baking that i literally CANNOT do AT ALL, your an absolute genius.

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rainbow_kisses Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 7:08pm
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I will try and walk you through the wrap around method i use and hope you understand.

this was for a 6" high cake.

place the cakes on individual cake boards.securing in place with buttercream/ganache. dowel the base cake and middle cake if using three.spead a thin layer of buttercream or ganache as the fondand glue.
Roll fondant to approx 5mm thick and cut into a rectangle slightly longer than the cake is high. turn fondant over so that the upper side is the side to attach to the cake.Place the cake on its side and position it with the base edge against the edge of the fondant and roll up, trim the fondant as nesessary to creat a neat edge. straight join and rub closed using the heat of your hand. ( if a join still shows you can always try and make it part of the design)
Stand the cake upright on waxed paper and fold fondant over the top of the cake. cut away excess and use your hands or a smoother close the edges until neat and smooth.

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msulli10 Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 8:48pm
post #12 of 26

I just did a 6in round cake that was 10 inches high (R2-D2 in my pics). I covered the cake with ganache so it gave it a nice firmness. I didn't think I could cover it with fondant the usual way because I didn't want it to tear with all the weight. So I decided to cover the cake in 2 pieces. I rolled out the fondant so it was high and wide enough to cover half the cake and smoothed down the sides as I went along. Then I did the same to the other side of the cake. You wind up with a seam running up one side and down the other. I didn't have to worry about that because my seams were being covered up by the decorations. Good luck.

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SharonK1973 Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 9:19pm
post #13 of 26

For the tall cakes, ganache is especially helpful because its firmness gives you a semi-hard surface under the fondant so you can glide the fondant into place.

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cylstrial Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 10:24pm
post #14 of 26

You're definitely going to want to use ganache - because gravity already wants to get the cake from where it's so tall.

I just made one and DIDN't use ganache. I had a lot of sagging on the bottom. The cake was perfect, except for the bottom two inches.

So that's my recomendation. Don't use buttercream - unless you're going to stick in the fridge immediately.

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Kitagrl Posted 26 Oct 2009 , 1:16am
post #15 of 26

I did my Nestea cake like msulli said. Its awkward but I would just slap on as much fondant as I could and then just smooth it and then you can take a sharp knife to evenly slice it in a place easily seamed.

I don't have a scientific way to do it...LOL...I just try to make it happen I guess.

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Elise87 Posted 26 Oct 2009 , 2:08am
post #16 of 26

cool, thanks for the tips everyone!

scrummymummy: that was what i was thinking of doing but wasn't sure if that's what people did lol So that's good

Cathy24: That is WAY too nice but thank-you so much!!! icon_biggrin.gif

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fearlessbaker Posted 26 Oct 2009 , 11:38pm
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I understand about placing the cake on the fondant edge and then trimming. What I am not getting is after you have trimmed the fondant and place it on the wax paper you then fold over the top of what is left after it's trimmed? What I have done is just put the fondant through the pasta machine, trimmed it to fit the sides of the cake, roll it up, and then unroll that around the cake. After that I cut out a circle for the top, placed that on and then trimmed as needed and fixed the join or covered it with a band of fondant using the extruder or used a crimper.

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Mike_Elder Posted 27 Oct 2009 , 3:07am
post #18 of 26

8 inches tall and 4 inches round?? Sounds like you'll have trouble with it standing straight more than anything>>> I have bad luck wrapping one on the side only. I go up to about 2 foot before i worry but thats covered in a single sheet over the side... The problem with 8 inches of fondant is weight!!! with nothing to support it over the top, I forsee it sliding down and bunching up on you!!. If you work very very carefully and cover it in a fairly thin layer you should be able to do it from the top. I just don't know how to keep it stable being so skinny and so tall... is there anyway you can do a stack of 2 4 x4 " cakes? I personally wouldn't even try it as nobody wants to be delivering a leaning, squashing cake. let me know how it works out for you!
MIKE

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Elise87 Posted 27 Oct 2009 , 3:31am
post #19 of 26

Oh no it's for my cousins birthday so not an order, like an additional cake. It was just for an idea i had, not 100% set in stone so i can change the idea but i just wanted to give it a go.

I was thinking about stacking 4- 2inch high cakes stacked and maybe a dowel down the middle, i could always make it wider if i wanted anyway,

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Elise87 Posted 9 Nov 2009 , 5:43am
post #20 of 26

I did it!

I ended up doing it 7" high and 4 1/2" wide. I ended up doing the wrapping method and what i did was roll it out into a long rectangle and then put a napkin on the top (to stop it sticking or squishing cose wasn't sure) then rolled in up onto my rolling pin and then stood it up and wrapped it around the cake smoothing as i went along.

It didn't slide down or anything even though i used buttercream, it did got a teeny bit wavy at some sides cose of the buttercream but really not too bad.

I ended up carving circles from a high sheet cake and then stacking them up, frosting between and then 1 dowel down the middle.

Here it is if you are interested, thanks for your help guys!

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1511605&done=1

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tonedna Posted 9 Nov 2009 , 5:53am
post #21 of 26

It looks great!
Edna icon_smile.gif

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rainbow_kisses Posted 9 Nov 2009 , 10:24am
post #22 of 26

You did a wonderful job. I love the little mouse sitting on the top, she is adorable.

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Elise87 Posted 9 Nov 2009 , 11:38pm
post #23 of 26

thanks!!

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TamathaV Posted 13 Nov 2009 , 1:57pm
post #24 of 26

It turned out beautifully! May I ask if it's fabric on top (the "jar topper") or fondant? Great job!

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Elise87 Posted 13 Nov 2009 , 10:39pm
post #25 of 26

it's fabric ontop cose i thought it made it more relistic icon_smile.gif

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CBMom Posted 14 Nov 2009 , 4:39pm
post #26 of 26

Adorable!!

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