Ok cake central peeps I know there's a lot of conversations on here about bulges and letting cake settle and all of that but I've been doing exactly everything that other people do i follow krazy kool cakes method of doing thing stiff dam crumb coat let sit overnight in the fridge the n coat again put fondant and everything will be fine until the next morning my cake has love handles. So I have a question I read about a lot of people using ganache before fondant. Does ganache make it more sturdy?? Can I keep doing my buttercream dam my regular feeling crumb coat then do a last coat of ganache? Does anyone do this? Will it affect the flavors???
Hello,
May I ask what are you using to do your buttercream?
Thanks
Hi
If I'm using buttercream (always smbc) I just use that normally as a filling, let it sit for however long, then coat in ganache (changing the flavour to suit the cake).
I don't bother with a dam anymore as I still ended up with bulges, plus when I trimmed the cake the bloody dam would fall out.
When I fill I don't go all the way to the edges, I leave about a 1cm gap. As the cake settles the filling is pushed into this area, and if it isn't the ganache coat fills this gap (sort of working like the dam, but from the outside in).
Do you live in a very humid area? Or are you using a very moist filling like fresh fruit? The only time I had bulging issues was when a client wanted fresh strawberries and I was running out of time so I didn't let them dry on paper towels before adding them to my filling. That was a hot mess!!! I use either SMBC or ganache for my crumb coating and I've never had issues... I crumbcoat, let it rest in the fridge for an hour or so (until firm enough I can smooth it out it as much as possible) and then put the fondant on. I don't usually refrigerate my cakes once the fondant is in place. Maybe you are using too much filling?
Hello Kamill,
I will suggest next time you do your buttercream try using only shortening and avoid the butter.
Hope this helps
Hiya, I find if I want a neutral flavour I just use white choc and add some vanilla. I've used it with all sorts of flavours and not had a complaint yet! If it pairs well, I'll switch up the white for milk or dark, but white is my preference.
No one said the dam and coating had to be the same. Why not use a stiff buttercream (crisco) dam? Even use a double dam--- two swirls of buttercream, one right inside the other. Fill, crumb coat, settle, then ice and decorate to finish.
Also, the cakes aren't too tall are they? I was cursing when I "skipped" the bubble tea straws in a cake I *thought* would be OK.... the weight of the top gave me horrible "love handles" TOO.
Please remember that cakes WILL NOT settle in the refrigerator. Think about it. The fridge firms up the filling so it won't move. During settling is when you want things to move if they're going to - not after the cake is delivered. Settling happens at room temp.
Leah is right. I used to have the same problem. I fill my cakes, wrap them in plastic, put a tile or a light book on them and let them settle overnight on the counter, not fridge. The next day I ice them either in buttercream or ganache and never had the bulging problem again.
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