Help My Cake Looks Like A Cheeseburger!

Decorating By steph owens Updated 16 Oct 2013 , 7:32pm by DeliciousDesserts

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steph owens Posted 27 Sep 2013 , 12:10am
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AI am decorating a 12" round cake with fondant and the icing keeps bulging and now looks like a giant cheeseburger. This is for a wedding on Saturday, for a friend. It kept getting worse and some places are really thin and you can see the cake. It was getting worse so I just stuck it in the freezer. Later on on tried pulling the fondant off to start over... Nope it just took the cake with it :,( I'm in tears of frustration!!! Can I cover my fondant with more fondant to help? I still have to make cupcakes for the wedding as well. Plus I work full-time so I still do this as a hobby :( please help

56 replies
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therealmrsriley Posted 27 Sep 2013 , 12:23am
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AAny chance you have a picture of the cake? I don't think covering the fondant with fondant will help.

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scrumdiddlycakes Posted 27 Sep 2013 , 12:27am
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Let it come to room temp, then gently try to peel the fondant off, if it won't, use a sharp knife and run it just under the fondant.
If the cake is bulging underneath, another layer of fondant won't do anything. Can you show us a picture? I might have a totally different idea in my head of what is going on, that what actually is.

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steph owens Posted 27 Sep 2013 , 12:29am
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A:/ it in the freezer inside the cardboard cake box wrapped in Saran Wrap then in foil. No pic :(. It is definitely the icing that I put between the layers all the way around. I tried smoothing it out forever but it just wouldn't work. I've only done only a handful of fondant covered cakes and this has never happened. (I tried talking my friend into a dummy cake but no go, she was very aware of my fear) Maybe I was pushing hard when smoothing the top. Any ideas on how to fix?

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therealmrsriley Posted 27 Sep 2013 , 12:35am
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AI'm wondering if you used a crusting buttercream to ice it before covering in fondant? Or if you used too thin of a layer of icing? So many possibilities. Like scrum diddly suggested, use a sharp knife to remove the fondant so you can start over. Try to remove it in sections. Cut the top of the cake open and try to peel it back piece by piece. This has worked for me.

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therealmrsriley Posted 27 Sep 2013 , 12:35am
post #6 of 57

AI'm sorry this is happening to you.

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steph owens Posted 27 Sep 2013 , 12:36am
post #7 of 57

AOk I can try again tomorrow and let it come to room temp. while I'm at work. Thank you. Yes I did use a crusted butter cream, a thin layer. My fondant was thin in some spots due to my work station not being big enough for that large of a cake so it just kept getting thinner and thinner in order for me to stretch it as I rolled.

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steph owens Posted 27 Sep 2013 , 12:51am
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AMaybe the weight of the fondant made it bulge? Maybe I push when I am smoothing it out? I'm doing something wrong cuz now that I think of it this did happen before! I can't let it happened again after I re-due it :( making cakes is a love/hate relationship for me. Ugh!

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Pearl123 Posted 27 Sep 2013 , 2:33pm
post #9 of 57

Maybe you shouldn't have taken on such a job, icing, filling and smoothing a cake and covering it is such a problem. Whether its a friend or not, I can't imagine that anyone wants a disaster on such a special day.

 

The only help I can say is probably redo if the cake has come apart with the fondant. Fill and ice your cake and let it settle before covering in fondant. Also ensure a good covering of the buttercream, really you should not be able to see the cake itself through the fondant!

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scwright Posted 27 Sep 2013 , 3:19pm
post #10 of 57

AOkay, breathe and calm down. You will be alright. First take all the fondant that you have on it off and if it has crumbs in it get rid of it, otherwise you can knead the fondant wtih the buttercream in it and it will be fine. I don't know what kind of buttercream you are using but it seems like it may be too soft if it's causing your cake to bulge. If at all possible I would suggest you make a new batch of buttercream that is stable if not then try adding some meringue powder to your batch already and do another coating around your cake smooth it out and let it set for a few hours if you can otherwise at least an hour in the fridge before trying to cover with the fondant. When you take out of the fridge just let it come room temperature and work on rolling out your fondant. What brand of fondant are you using? Some fondant brands do not cover well rolled out thin. Also, how are you placing your fondant on the cake and how are you smoothing it?

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steph owens Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 3:10am
post #11 of 57

AOk I took all fondant off as well as the icing between. Have a new batch of frosting, said "F" the buttercream. Seems like every time I use the buttercream (maybe it is the recepe I have) I have an issue. I made a batch of my regular "crust" icing but used good shortening from a kitchen store that has wonderful reviews and I always have good icing with it. Maybe it was the buttercream. I would like to thank everyone for the help and help calming me down. I did ice it while frozen (first time I've done that). Been doing frosting cakes for a couple years and fondant is still pretty new to me, they always turn out looking great in the end. This will be my 3rd wedding, all friends, my friends just want me to succeed and try to push my to try bigger and better things. The friend i am doing this for is so very laid back about it. If all else fails the bottom teir will have to be a dummy cake. The cake represents me and her so I do NOT want to fail.

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therealmrsriley Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 3:21am
post #12 of 57

ASteph, I'm pulling for you. ( I'm a native Hoosier!! :) Please post pics when it's all done!

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steph owens Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 4:45am
post #13 of 57

ADang it!!! It happened again! My cake was smooth on the sides before I put the fondant on.... [IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3109401/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

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steph owens Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 4:53am
post #14 of 57

AI can squish it in with my palms around the cake but as soon as I go to smooth the sides, it starts pushing out. This did NOT happen to the top tier and I didn't do anything different :/ My hubs suggested covering it with ribbon, that may be what I have to do.

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steph owens Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 5:05am
post #15 of 57

AActivate Hoosier Power ✨

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steph owens Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 5:14am
post #16 of 57

AI line the middle all over so no cake shows with frosting using a bag that's what Mr. Cake Boss does, where I got the idea from.... I use MMF rolled out about 1/8" thick @scwright the way I out the fondant on is I pick it up under my forearms and gently set it on, I couldn't use the roller pin way as my roller is too short for this BUT I usually use my arms I feel more in control

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CrystalSLee Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 7:51am
post #17 of 57

The same thing happened with me also but then my mother told me to that it should be on room temp, and then gently try to peel the fondant off and I did and it was great.

 

 

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AZCouture Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 7:56am
post #18 of 57

AOh my word. Ok, how many layers is that tier? Ok, can you go watch some YouTube videos on icing a cake before you start again? Look for videos from Edna De La Cruz, or ones with high ratings. You've got lots of problems going on here.

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AZCouture Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 8:01am
post #19 of 57

AFirst thing is you need to either level the tops of the cakes off, or ice along the edge of the cake board, so your icing is straight up and down, and also level.it off across the top, NOT to the shape of the cake itself. But before that, use a stiffer consistency of butter cream for a dam so that very prominent bulging doesn't occur. Maybe forget the fondant on this one all together until you can put a cake together better. Not trying to discourage you, but this is not even remotely close to what a tier of cake should look like. A beginner on their first or second cake maybe, but not someone making wedding cakes.

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cupcakemaker Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 8:15am
post #20 of 57

AYes can't you just buttercream it? It doesn't look tall enough to me for a wedding cake and the bulge is too much filling.

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steph owens Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 1:38pm
post #21 of 57

AThe tier cake I have to do is a two teir. This is the second attempt. I do level of the cakes. This did NOT happen to the first tier that I already finished. I used a stiffer icing this time not a buttercream. I will try less icing between the cakes next time to try and NOT get this nasty bulge...I know it doesn't look tall enough for a wedding cake the cakes didn't rise enough TOO LATE NOW FOLKS I told my friend I wasn't confidant but she insisted and its too late to go back and saying I shouldn't have done the job. Thank you all for you help I will see if I can totally re-due it a 3rd. time :( wedding is today and still have to make cupcakes.

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steph owens Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 1:43pm
post #22 of 57

AI will also look up some videos as suggested and see if there is something I'm doing wrong there.

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cupcakemaker Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 1:43pm
post #23 of 57

AI would bake 2 2 inch cakes per tier then cut them in half so you have 4 layers. Then you get a 4 inch cake + when you add buttercream and fondant.

Good luck for today.

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steph owens Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 1:44pm
post #24 of 57

AI'm pretty worried about putting the top tier on, it's going to squish it MORE!!!

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cupcakemaker Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 1:46pm
post #25 of 57

AWhat is it squishing though?

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cupcakemaker Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 1:51pm
post #26 of 57

AYou've got dowels and the top tier is on a board right?

Just a thought but if the top tier looks great why not just decorate that and take the other to be served?

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steph owens Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 1:52pm
post #27 of 57

AThank you @cupcakemaker that's a good idea. I guess I have always been worried about more cake layers being unsteady BUT apparently I have too much icing to try and make up for the heights. This hasn't happens to my frosting cakes but maybe it has but I was too busy smoothing the crap out of it to notice because I've always don't my cakes this way. Will try the more cake/less icing way next time (for practice not a wedding, lol)

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cupcakemaker Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 2:00pm
post #28 of 57

AOh yes that's definitely the problem. My crumb coats before covering in fondant are pretty thin.

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steph owens Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 2:01pm
post #29 of 57

AYes I have support for the top tier, I use the plastic rods and plastic board. When I put ribbon around the sides as my husband suggested it looks good and you don't notice the bulge, I may stick with that for now as I don't think time will let me re-due another cake :/. I have fondant flower to shower off the sides of the cake so I'm going to stick with keeping them together. So ribbon and flowers will help hide the flaws. It doesn't look bad from standing and looking at it but when you get down low it definitely does!!! Good thing reception halls are dark ;) sorry just trying to make fun and relax so I don't get all stressed out cuz that always makes things worse

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cupcakemaker Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 2:09pm
post #30 of 57

AThat sounds like a fab idea.

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