I've started working on a fondant plaque for a wedding cake. (A friend and I are working on a wedding cake for another friend as a favor.) I'm starting to wonder if I want to deal with drying the plaque on a curve. Would it look okay to use a flat oval shape attached to the bottom tier of a round cake? I'm just worried about the plaque keeping the perfect curve and cracking.

Thoughts?

Personally I would dry it curved. Just lay the same sized tin on it's side and lay the plaque over it so the plaque will have the right curvature.

Thank you for responding so quickly! That is actually what I started to do, but the logistics of keeping the pan on it's side in the middle of my kitchen changed my mind. Also, I need to return the pan to my friend who needs to start baking the cake. I ended up taking a big hunk of fondant and pressing it into the pan to get the curve and layed the fondant plaque over that to dry. I guess I'm just worried about transferring the dry plaque to the cake and having it crack if the curve is not exact.

How long do you think it needs to dry?

Make two plaques - one curved, another flat or slightly less curved, just to be sure. I usually make plaques of gumpaste or fondant with gum tragacanth added only. They dry in 24 hours, max 48 hours. For thinner and smaller plaques that have to be attached immediately to the cake I use fondant only and attach immediately after cutting.

Thank you so much for responding. I think I will do that - plan on making a curved and a flat plaque (maybe two of each).

Thank you both so much for your help.

If you gently pipe a bit of let down fondant near to the edges of the plaque on the back there will be plenty for it to stick and cushion it without having to press too hard (and risk breaking it).

Also, don't make it too thin or it will be weaker. You don't need it completely dry as it isn't a free-standing piece.

I've found a spare set of styrofoam cake dummies comes in handy for just such projects too - I use mine when I have to dry pieces that will be attached to the sides of my cakes that need the same curve to them. I have a set of four round in the same sizes of my round cake pans

McKaren, thanks again for your advice. I will definitely refer back to this when I am attaching the piece.

ButRCream, thank you also for your help. The cake dummy idea is brilliant! I even have a set. Now why couldn't I think of that?