Ladies & Gentlemen's... My First Cake Disaster Has Happened. Help
Decorating By kandyslife Updated 24 Sep 2018 , 2:40am by bubs1stbirthday
It is very hot and humid currently where i live but it isn't something i haven't dealt with before.
I made a two tier fondant cake. The minute after I put the fondant on my cake, it started sweating like crazy (cake was chilled before apply fondant). And it's been sitting out for hours and it still hasn't dried much. I decorated as much as I could but now one edge of the cake, the fondant is literally sliding down and creating bulges on the bottom of the cake, That's the part that has a little door on it, which is drooping down now. Thankfully it's the only place but it is also the front.
Is there anything i can do to save it from sliding down on that edge even more? do i refrigerate it?
I used american buttercream, for the inside and outside of the cake.
I'm so embarrassed the birthday is tomorrow. There's no way i'd be able to take it apart (fondant too sticky). And remaking the cake, that's unrealistic at this point of time.
Please someone any suggestions. I'm mortified
Do you have a photo? It might not be as bad as you think and if you pop a photo up people might have a simple suggestion on how to fix it :-)
Turn your refrigerator to the warmest setting. Turn your air conditioner up to the point where you are cold and have to wear a sweatshirt. Make sure all windows are closed. Less drastic of a temperature change when removing cake from fridge. Put the cake in fridge to dry out and firm up again. Try to scrape the door off with a thin sharp knife. Put a new door on. There's not much you can do about the bulges. If any are air pockets, you can poke with a toothpick and gently press the air out, but obviously after the fondant has dried in the fridge. Not sure if you still have time for this, but I hope so! Good luck! :-)
Quote by @bubs1stbirthday on 20 hours ago
Do you have a photo? It might not be as bad as you think and if you pop a photo up people might have a simple suggestion on how to fix it :-)
It was terrible! but somehow i managed to fix it! It's a miracle what being under pressure can allow you to achieve! Phew I'm just glad i avoided the disaster. it wasn't perfect but it was so much better! Maybe i'll even upload the before and after look if i'm not feeling too mortified about the before picture haha !
Quote by @Jenny BakesAlot on 7 hours ago
Turn your refrigerator to the warmest setting. Turn your air conditioner up to the point where you are cold and have to wear a sweatshirt. Make sure all windows are closed. Less drastic of a temperature change when removing cake from fridge. Put the cake in fridge to dry out and firm up again. Try to scrape the door off with a thin sharp knife. Put a new door on. There's not much you can do about the bulges. If any are air pockets, you can poke with a toothpick and gently press the air out, but obviously after the fondant has dried in the fridge. Not sure if you still have time for this, but I hope so! Good luck! :-)
Thank you so much for your suggestion. I ended up cutting an entire chunk of the cake off because the fondant completely collapsed and weighed the cake down! So i had to rethink a complete new design to cover up the huge hole where the chunk i removed was lol! I swear being a cake decorator is stressful, but i wouldn't have it any other way. I kept it refrigerated like you suggested! and i delivered it with the air conditioner in the car cranked the highest! barely sweated anything. Thank you !!! xoxo
I'm just glad the cake disaster was avoided, my client loved the design. Hopefully she likes the taste just as much x)
Again thank you loads
Happy it worked out for you! I've only been decorating cakes for a few years, but I have already discovered what many more experienced decorators have said - it is just cake, take charge of it! Most disasters are recoverable, so don't panic. You have just proven their point! Another piece of sage advise, turn flaws into features - like, add a flower or other ornament over an ugly place in the fondant. I make a lot more chocolate sculptures than I do large, decorated cakes (I make oodles of regular "eating" cakes for Mike and me and neighbors and friends) and it no longer phases me to rip off the head, if I think it needs to be redone. It is just cake (or chocolate)!
I didn't like his head, so he got a new one, lol!
Quote by @SandraSmiley on 21 hours ago
Happy it worked out for you! I've only been decorating cakes for a few years, but I have already discovered what many more experienced decorators have said - it is just cake, take charge of it! Most disasters are recoverable, so don't panic. You have just proven their point! Another piece of sage advise, turn flaws into features - like, add a flower or other ornament over an ugly place in the fondant. I make a lot more chocolate sculptures than I do large, decorated cakes (I make oodles of regular "eating" cakes for Mike and me and neighbors and friends) and it no longer phases me to rip off the head, if I think it needs to be redone. It is just cake (or chocolate)!
Woah! When you said rip off the head, I didn’t Think you actually meant rip off the head!
Sandra, I don't know why that made me laugh but it sure gave me a giggle. Was this your arabian horse? He was so beautiful!
Yes it is, bubs1stbirthday! On my first attempt, his skull and face was just too long, so I cut the whole thing off, shortened the armature wires and redid the head. I guess it was the ultimate face lift, lol! Honestly, it sort of made me laugh too. To point being, it is just cake (or in this case, chocolate). We are in charge, make it do what you want!
Oh yes, Kandyslife, it no longer phases me to literally cut away whatever displeases me and start over. It also helps that I've learned to repair almost anything. I believe I've broken every gum paste flower I've ever made, so I had to learn how to repair. It is very reassuring!
I don't know what his head looked like first time round but it was very beautiful in the end :-)
Thank you kindly, bubs1stbirthday! I don't have a good picture, but you can see how strange it looks in this pic.
It does look just a tad off but still pretty darn good!
Thanks, but you must admit that head # 2 was better, lol!
For sure, the second one was pretty perfect :-)
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