Hello I am going to attempt my first pillow cake in a couple weeks. I bought wiltons pillow pans. My plan is to use smbc under the fondant. From reading I have learned that smbc is not a good "glue"? is this true? If i cover this cake with fondant am I gonna have a problem with fondant sagging off?? I was gonna do it in two parts--the bottom first then flip it over and cover the top so its not gonna be covered all in one step if this makes sense. Can someone give me insight?? thanks in advance

Hi!  I've never made a pillow cake... but I use SMBC exclusively and almost all of my cakes are covered with fondant.  Just make sure that the icing is set up hard in the refrigerator before you cover the cake and it works beautifully.  The warmth of your hands as you are smoothing (or at least for me because I have "hot hands") is enough to soften the surface of the SMBC enough to stick the fondant.

well I'm happy to hear from someone who uses it all the time thank you so much Happy cake!

The only time I have ever had a problem getting fondant to attach was when I took a class and we had to use ABC on the cake.  That was a PAIN.  The ABC dried out while I was rolling the fondant and I had zero idea what I was supposed to do because that's a problem I never have using SMBC.  Here I was, the only "pro" in the class and I did the WORST fondant job I think I've ever done - because I ONLY use SMBC (and ganache).

Where people do have problems with SMBC is when they roll their fondant in a ton of powdered sugar or corn starch.  On an ABC cake, both those things absorb into the icing.  On a SMBC it stays on the surface between the buttercream and the fondant, and causes pesky air bubbles that won't seem to go away no matter how many times you try and deflate them.  So, here are a few methods:

- Make sure you either roll with shortening on a mat

- Brush your fondant really well to get any powder off of it before putting it on the cake.

- Brush a very chilled SMBC cake with water before applying your fondant (although this method can make a strange gummy layer between the fondant and buttercream)

- Brush your very chilled cake with a thin layer of piping gel (although this is more tricky because the fondant sticks like glue and prevents it from really stretching on the cake so it takes some practice).

Good luck!

Thanks so much From Scratch! you dont know this but I was secretly hoping you would reply lol I follow your website and use your smbc recipe and have tried your white cake recipe you posted as well and love both recipes :) I am a stay at home mom and started decorating cakes since this past Easter so I'm very new at all of this stuff I appreciate anyones' input because I dont know what i'm doing lol

I also must say I have never had a problem attatching ABC to fondant, its the stuff I love I'm a big fan of coma inducing sweets but the smbc has been my goto for anyone who doesn't mind buttercream and doesn't want sweet bc. At first I didn't like it but after a few more tastes I dont mind it now lol. I infact recently made ABC for my sons halloween cupcakes and after tasting that compared to the last tasting I had with SMBC it seemed REALLY sweet lol.