My First Hissy Fit Caking Experience - Near Disaster :/
Decorating By cutiepiecupcake Updated 25 Apr 2011 , 6:12am by Sorelle
So this week hasn't been a good one.. My first ordered wedding cake from my business site was due this weekend and my order of RTR fondant had not arrived by Thursday despite having ordered it a Monday fortnight ago -bare in mind I live in a location that would require me to drive about 2 hours to find a product similiar (apart from Orchard in the supermarket - thanks, but no thanks.. eeww). Talk about getting my stress on!
By Thursday afternoon the reality sank in that I was going to have to make my own fondant and it wasn't going to be MMF as the quantity I required for a 12" + 8" + 6" square meant I would be sorting out pink and white marshmallows for a week before I had enough white to cover all cakes 
Thank god for CC and ApplegumKitchen's fondant recipe. The first batch I made was perfect and worked well over the 6" cake. In between covering cakes I cleaned up my ganaching dishes including my metal trowel I use for smoothing square cakes - I managed to run my thumb over the edge of the metal and it cut my skin quite deep... GREAT, a bloody thumb to help knead my super white wedding fondant 
The second larger batch of fondant for the 12" and 8" not so great. Trying to mix and knead with a food safe glove makes for a sticky mess.. then I didn't put enough powdered sugar in the mix and it stuck to the mat and then to my chocolate ganache and I had to pull it off the cake with chocolate smears throughout my fondant 
I nearly waved my white flag and fell to the fall crying and sobbing, willing to concede defeat. The fear of ruining someones wedding day made me pull my head together and get back to it. It finally came together... and for my first attempt at a square tiered wedding cake I think I pulled it off ok - the bride was happy and even offered to get a professional photo of it at the wedding for my website.. nice 
I have to say that I DISLIKE immensely working with square cakes.. if I could charge extra to work on them I would.. Is it just me, or are round cakes so much easier to work with?
Thanks again to ApplegumKitchen for her fondant recipe - a lot more fiddly to crank out as opposed to rtr, but WOW super fantastic to work with.. my oh my that fondant polished and performed like a sweet dream!! 
I have to say that I DISLIKE immensely working with square cakes.. if I could charge extra to work on them I would.
Why can't you? If a particular cake flavor/frosting/filling/shape/design involves more labor and is more of a PITA, you'd better believe we charge more for it to cover the additional labor cost.
I've actually stopped offering square cakes. I will occasionally do one in fondant, but no more square in bc.
Square cakes, done well, look beautiful. But cake muggles have no idea how hard it is to get those corners right!!
@Jason_kraft - I so like your take on this.. I think I may seriously think of increasing my cost on square cakes.. just enough to cover the extra time it takes for me to be satisfied that the corners are sharp enough to be customer worthy!
You are right Sangriacupcake.. a square cake is beautiful when it is successful, however, when it fails it can resemble a squashed, soggy, lopsided rectangular shaped shoe box! lol
@Leah_s - so I'm guessing that covering with buttercream is even more fiddly as opposed to covering with fondant? I won't even bother with that one then lol. I even said to my husband that I would love to remove square cakes from being offered in my business, but I have to agree with him that they have their place and they do look pretty smart and effective when given the time and effort. So MUCH pressure to acheive greatness when doing a wedding cake though.. and that extra pressure to acheive those sharp square angles, well it can be enough to send a girl loopy 
I've actually stopped offering square cakes. I will occasionally do one in fondant, but no more square in bc.
Square cakes, done well, look beautiful. But cake muggles have no idea how hard it is to get those corners right!!
Cake muggles. That just might be the best term I've heard in months. You're a gem.
Wow! I think it turned out great!! My corners are never that sharp - how did you do that??
Hello,
sorry to hear of the problems. That is why I am wondering if you would share the applegum kitchens marshmallow fondant recipie. I am always ending up short somehow and think having something like this on hand for an emergency would be most helpful.
Thanks.
my first time doing square cake is when i had to do 60 baby blocks
plus 5 extra. I was terrified because i had just graduated fromculinary school
@ Labmom - here is the link to the fondant recipe. Make sure you have all four ingredients in your cupboard at all times for emergency moments
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%