Hi all!

This question is for all those who are familar with Sharon Zambito's DVD Successful Stacking.

She uses 1/2" foamcore board when stacking cakes. She cuts them slightly pass the cake. This helps when picking the cake up and lowering them to the top of the cake below.

When I have done this, after the cake has settled for awhile, the section where cake and foamcore meet formed a thin lip all around the cake. The icing was not falling off. It was ok. However, I could not use a small border or go borderless when this was there.

Has anyone had this happen to them before? Any suggestions on what I can do to avoid this thin lip?

=)

I haven't watched the DVD, so I can't help with it. I do use foamcore though, and I cut the foamcore to the exact size of the finished cake before frosting. When I put the fondant on the cake, I set it on something smaller than the board, so my fingers can go underneath the board to pick it up. If I need to put it somewhere for a while before I stack it, then I pick it up using a spatula to get my fingers under the edge, or a cake lifter.

I have watched Sharon's DVDs several times and it seems to me that she uses that "lip" as the edge of where her icing should end up when icing her cake so that when she is completely done there is no lip left. Does that make sense? In other words when using her benchscraper she places the edge of the scraper against the board at the bottom and uses that as her guide for scraping around the cake. So when she is finished there is no lip left, it's all even. That is how I interpreted it anyway.

Bonnell...

Yes, you are correct. That is one way she shows how to ice a cake with foamcore board.

However, she also shows how to ice pass the foamcore board and use the scraper to smooth it without using the foamcore board as a guide. She refers it as having the icing hide the foamcore board so you can go borderless or have a very small border.

Texas_Rose...

Maybe that is what I need to do. Cut the board so it is the EXACT same size and not slightly larger....

How do you acheive the exact same size board???
Thanks!!!

I just put the cake, wrapped in plastic wrap, on the foamcore and trace around it. I never frost the same day I bake, so there's always a point where the naked cakes are wrapped up and easy to trace.

I also just use the 1/4" foamcore most of the time. I use two thicknesses for the decorated board the cake sits on, but only one for any tier that's 10" or smaller. I have learned the hard way though that a 9x13 with two layers is too heavy for a single 1/4" thickness of foamcore

Okay, are we talking about fondant or buttercream? Because the techniques are different for each.

I haven't watched the DVD, but for buttercream, I cut my board slightly larger than the cake. I use the board as a guide and actually ice the board as well as the cake. Is this the technique you're talking about?

I suspect the 'lip' is caused by the weight of the icing pulling down your cake. Before, icing, do you allow the filled cake to settle for several hours, preferably with a weight on top of it? Doing so should help prevent the lip.

Before you cut the board the exact size of your cake, think about how much icing will extend past the edge of the board, not supported by anything. I think that would be too harrowing.

DianLM...


Yes, I am talking about buttercream cakes. I ice my cakes about 1/2" thick with icing. This is also recommended by Sharon Z. in her video. I fill my cakes and wrap them in food safe plastic and let settle for about 24 hours. Sometimes I use a weight on top, other times I do not. I get same results both times.


Thanks!

This thread is the perfect place to ask this question - how do you cut the foamcore so that it's even, especially for round cakes?

I've tried to cut a square shape and still couldn't get it straight, even with a metal ruler as a guide (although I think that was 1/2" board, so maybe that's the difference?).

What do you put between the foamcore and the cake to make it food safe?

Melissa

Mikel, I'm stumped. Do you happen to have a picture of a cake with the lip?

I've tried all sorts of cutting tools for foamboard and my preference is a #2 craft knife. It's the same shape as an ordinary Xacto craft blade, but it's longer.

On 1/2 inch board, I always make two passes. On 3/16, I can usually cut all the way through on one pass. I do not use a sawing motion.

For straight lines, I draw the line on the board, then cut. I've had no success trying to cut along a straight edge, such as a ruler.

It does take some practice. My boards are much cleaner nowadays than they were when I first started cutting them.

Melissa - I generally cover my foamboard with Contact paper. You can wrap them in cake foil, just as you would a cardboard cake board.

I just found a thread about what is considered food safe. There are a lot of opinions on this one. I have watched Sharon's DVD on the Topsy Turvy cakes and that's why I'm asking. She just mentions to use something food safe so I wasn't sure.

Thanks.

Melissa

DianLM...

Sorry, I wish I took a picture of it. I am making a cake this weekend. If this happens again, I will post it.

I did purchase a HOT KNIFE. It cuts the board like butter. I am going to try that this time along with cutting the board the same size as the cake.


Thank you everyone.

Well, I HOPE it doesn't happen to you again! But, if it does, a picture will be helpful.

I didn't like the hot knife. It didn't cut as fast as I wanted it to and smelled awful.

Thanks for your reply. I'll use that.

Wish me luck.

Melissa

When using a cake pan, your board will be bigger than the cake. This is because your cake shrinks slightly when done baking.

This is fine if you want to have the board slightly bigger. However, if you want to have your board the same size as your cake, you will have to use the actual cake to trace out your circle.

I also use Glad Press and Seal. It works amazingly!

In addition, keep your blade straight. Do not cut at an angle. It will put a angle in your board....

=)

Hi Sharon!!

I wish I took a pic of this cake??!!! =(

You know what, the more I think about this, the more I think it was when I used my scraper and used the foamcore board as a guide. So, I was pushing against the board to take excess off. I was able to see the foamcore board after iced, as shown in your DVD.

Imagine the lip on the top of your cake pans, but much thinner. The lip where the cake meets the foamboard was very thin in size, but went completly around the bottom of the cake. This prevented me from using a small border because the lip was at the top of the foamcore board but at the bottom of the cake, which the board is 1/2" thick.

I hope this helped a little.

The cake was not sinking in. Maybe it was the icing setteling??

Thank you all for helping me with this!

ok, I see it, but my question is:

1) was it just at the top of the fomecore edge or was it 1/2 inch tall, as tall as the fomecore

2) how thich was the BC in front of the fomecore in that spott?

i have had this "lip" happen and it was from my icing being too soft so it kinda slid down and puddled ever so slightly on the edge of the fcb. i just kept scraping until it stopped. i've also had ripples in the sides of my icing if i did not cut my board smoothly so i started using a piece of fine sandpaper to get my edges nice and smooth. hth!

Sharon...

It was just at the top of the foamcore board. It was not 1/2" tall. It was very small but even all away around the cake.

The icing was about 1/2" thick around the cake. However, I did you the board as a guide. So, I was able to see the foamcore board thru the icing.

Thanks again...

ok, got it.... i know what u mean..... cut your board a little smaller and ice farther out in front of it. For the borderless method, you should not be able to see the fomecore board thru the icing at all......you need more icing in front of the board....

Thank you Sharon!!

=)