Oh, I'm so disappointed! I just finished a Baptism cake that took about 6 hours to do. I thought I did everything right, but now there's a large ripple across the side of the cake in the fondant. I'll try to attach a picture, but if I can't, it's the blue one with the teddy bear and a cross on top. I made sure to let them cake settle for 12 hours. I trimmed the sides of the cake after it settled. I didn't flash freeze it (I've never done this because I'm afraid of the cold to room temp thing causing a problems with bubbles under fondant). Maybe that's my problem and I should try the freezer for 10 minutes before covering in fondant. Should it be room temp, then freezer for 10 minutes? I made sure to press down the fondant really well too! This slouching happened even before I stacked the cake (yes I used dowels). I made this cake for a co-worker, I hope she doesn't notice the ripple too much. If anyone has any insight into what I'm doing wrong, pleaase let me know.

Your cake is adorable! I think the slouching is from the cake settling and pushing out the filling between your layers. I was having trouble with that and got some awesome hints from CCers. I now put a large ceramic tile on top of my cakes and leave it for several hours to help speed up the gravity effect. I haven't had a problem since. Hope that helps.

Thanks Vanessa! Do you do the flash freeze thing or just leave the cake at room temperature when you cover it with fondant? My dam was pretty stiff and I left the cake for 12 hours to settle, so I'm surprised that it still happened. I think I will try the tile method next time.

I use refrigeration constantly...I think even if the cake settles at room temp, smoothing the fondant can cause extra pressure that can further bulge the filling....

I like to cover my cakes chilled so it is firm and holds up to the pressure of the fondant and smoothing...of course I always store mine in the fridge, too.

All of your cakes are beautiful! She won't notice the ripple at all! Trust me, only we notice things like that lol.

I don't usually cool my cakes before covering with fondant. Not sure why I don't. Maybe I should start??? I'm fare from being an expert on this topic. Wonder what the benefit would be? Any input out there?

Oh Jenny311, thank you so much for your comment. It made me feel so much better! I so hope you're right and she doesn't notice. I'll let you all know what she says.. she picking it up tonight after 5 p.m.

First, your cake is lovely. The ripple is certainly from the filling buldging . I refirgerate all along the way. I also always apply a firm icing dam and not too much filling. If you pile the filling on really thick, like 1/2 inch or more it will definately push toward the edges, especially at room temp.
Hope this helps.

I have a question. Several of you have mentioned that you chill the cake along the way. Is this to prevent the bulge? If that is the case, won't the cake begin to bulge at the event once it starts warming up?

I too keep mine in the fridge throughout the process, and haven't notice bulging when they warm up. I do use a denser cake, most of the time and usually a stiffer filling or a really stiff dam. Your cake was very nice!!

Use setting ganache as your undercoat and this will never happen

What was your filling?

I can see where the filling is in both layers. What I do is put the dam about 3/8 to 1/2 inch in from the edge so that when it settles it fills out to the edge and not past. Also on the top layer I can see a dark ring. Is it a dark frosting underneath? But letting it settle for 12 hours should have done the trick.

And it could be that if the filling was smooshy, for lack of a better word, and you pressed down on the fondant, you squished more out after it settled. There is no need to smoosh the fondant down. It's own weight will take care of that.

Usually 2 to 1 ratio (3 to 1 for White Chocolate)


http://allrecipes.com//HowTo/chocolate-ganache/Detail.aspx

http://www.artandappetite.com/2009/11/ganache-instead-of-buttercream/

I was just watching the video from Sugared productions called Flawless Fondant (I got it at my local library!). The first thing she is showing is how the cake bulged out even though she did a dam and everything right. So she shows how to trim it away.

I thought of you. It seems that sometimes no matter how "right" we do it, it can still bulge. So if this happens to you, trim it away.

And I can highly recommend this video. I'm adding it to my Christmas list.

It's funny that someone mentioned ganache because I'm trying that now for the first time with another cake.
The good news.. you guys were right, the customer didn't even notice the ripple. I was so tempted to say something about it, but I didn't.
Anyway, I do have all of Sharon Zambito's DVDs and they are excellent. I did EVERYTHING she told me to do EXCEPT the putting the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes before covering it with fondant, so think that must be it. I did use a very thick dam and my filling is just buttercream. I did let the cake settle for 12 hours and I did trim the sides of the cake as well. The were so straight before I put the fondant on! I have a picture of the cake before crumb coating and covering in fondant that I'll try to attach. Thanks for all the help everyone and Happy Caking!

Could not get the picture to attach here in the forum (I never can, not sure what I'm doing wrong), so I added the picture of the naked cake (lol) with the Baptism cake in my photos. It looked so good before covering with bc and fondant. Oh well, I'm trying ganache now.

Whenever I put something on top of my cakes to help gravity along, I end up with only a sliver of filling. It all comes out. I haven't tried the frosting dam thing yet, but I plan to for my husband's cake next week. I hope it will work.

I had the same problem I followed all of Sharon's rules from her video except the freezing one and I got a little ripple too. You can't tell in my pic (my hello kitty cake) because I had an extra layer of fondnt over it on the decoration. But I couldn't figure out why you could still see the layers thru the fondant. I did the super stiff dam 1/2 inch in with a thin layer of raspberry filling. I let it settle for atleast 12 hours. I will have to freeze or refridgerate from now on and see how it goes.

I've never used ganache but I've read where several of you have used it. I've looked at the recipes and it sounds simple enough (and yummy too) but I have a question that may sound dumb, but here goes. When you use the ganache, do you have to pour it over the cake or is it put on like buttercream? Would you ever use it under buttercream? I have a customer who wants a chocolate buttercream but that really limits my ability to decorate (she really doesn't want too much fondant) and I was thinking I could cover the cake in ganache first and then colored buttercream. Would that work?

Ganache is really-really easy to use! You can do both, pour it on or make it the consistency of peanut butter and spread it on.


http://daisylanecakes.blogspot.com/search/label/ganache


http://www.artandappetite.com/2009/11/ganache-instead-of-buttercream/

Mamawrobin has used ganache over buttercream, I have not tried it but if you are interested I can tell you how she said to do it.

Karen421, I am definately interested in knowing how Mamawrobin did it. I just want extra chocolate flavoring for this client. Thanks for your help.

I wish she would get her internet at her new house - I miss her on here! This is what she posted in another thread, I don't remember the thread, but I copied it - so I could have it handy:

From Mamawrobin:

Ganache Over Buttercream


24 ounces (2 12oz. pks) Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons real butter
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pour chocolate chips into glass or stainless steel bowl......
In saucepan bring heavy whipping cream, sugar and butter to full boil....immediately pour over chocolate...........allow to sit for 5 minutes
Stir until chocolate is completely melted and shiny and the cream is completely incorporated.
Allow to cool before covering with plastic wrap so the condensation doesn't form on the wrap and water doesn't get into your chocolate.
Let sit overnight to thicken....spread on cake...and smooth using the hot knife method.
You may have to warm the ganache just a bit to get a better spreading consistency. That's why I use either a glass or stainless steel bowl so that I can boil a pot of water and sit my bowl down in it just to soften the chocolate enough to be able to soften it a bit for easier spreading. I just let it melt slightly and stir...you don't want it to be too soft.....spreadable but not too melty....LOL

To use milk chocolate or white chocolate you use a 3:1 ratio. But I do strongly suggest that you use semi sweet for the cake that you're making.

Thanks Karen 421! I'm going to give it a try.