Need Help Please!! Bulging Sides!!

Decorating By Earlval33 Updated 11 Jan 2013 , 7:07pm by Janani65

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Earlval33 Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 4:43am
post #1 of 10

AI have a cake due tomorrow that I baked and froze last night. I used the ultimate chocolate cake recipe from all recipes and thawed for several hours today. I have 3 layers of 9 inch am 3 layers of 6 inch and I stacked and filled the 9's with ganache just now and the middle layer is bulging a bit. Can I fix this with the icing? It's supposed to be fondant but would I do better with just buttercream?

9 replies
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BakingIrene Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 4:55am
post #2 of 10

Calm down.  Chill both yourself and the cake.

 

Ganache needs to be chilled to firm up.  When I make a 3 layer cake with ganache filling, I chill the first two layers for 20 minutes, and then add the third layer.  If there are ragged edges, the whole thing has to chill for a half hour again. Then the cake can be trimmed with a sharp knife without any mess and crumb coated, and chilled again to set that coat.

 

Once you finish chilling and adding ganache, you will be able to add your fondant as you had planned.

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Earlval33 Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 5:36am
post #3 of 10

AMy 7 yr old got up from a nightmare and wanted me to read to her...and oddly enough a few chapters of charlottes web did wonders for my nerves!! Lol

So after chilling for a bit(thanks for the 2 layer tip...this is my first time useing ganache) I noticed it was still bulging but had not gotten any worse and was only on one side...so I'm thinking I may have gotten that middle layer just a bit "off"? I covered in buttercream because that's what she wanted and it seems fine...but I drive my self INSANE getting a level cake...I'm the worse eyeballer EVER! Amy tips?

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wangna Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 5:58am
post #4 of 10

Ganache needs to be chilled to firm up.

 

 

 

 

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Evoir Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 9:49am
post #5 of 10

ABuy a small plastic spirit level from the hardware store. Check each layer and tier as you build your cake.

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cazza1 Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 11:36am
post #6 of 10

I agree with Evoir.  I have a little 5 inch spirit level for when I want a really level cake.
 

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BakingIrene Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 2:21pm
post #7 of 10

When I bake three-layer cakes, I bake in 3 layers, I like using the parchment paper to hold the layer as I add it to the stack.

 

I ALWAYS use the Magic cake strips to make each layer flat.  In larger pans the layers end up a little shy of 1.5" so the stack ends up at 4" high. A little deeper would also work.  The strips eliminate the need to level off the humps from the tops.

 

Other thing about baking, use the spirit level to check  your oven racks, if you have no already done so.  Normal people don't fuss about an oven slightly out of true but cakes sure make you think otherwise.

 

So once you have flat level layers, icing them is a lot easier on the nerves.

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cakeyouverymuch Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 4:49pm
post #8 of 10
Quote:

Originally Posted by BakingIrene 

 

Other thing about baking, use the spirit level to check  your oven racks, if you have no already done so.  Normal people don't fuss about an oven slightly out of true but cakes sure make you think otherwise.

 

So once you have flat level layers, icing them is a lot easier on the nerves.

 

So true.  The previous owner of my current oven (We kept the appliances when we moved in and stored our own) ran the self clean cycle with the racks in place.  The extreme heat warped them, and the result is that all the racks are slightly out of true.  For the first couple of months I couldn't get a level cake out of that oven.  With round or square cakes you can turn the layers till you have them level.  It wasn't till I made a heart shaped cake that I realized how bad it was.  I had put both layers in with the rounded part to the back and when I stacked them there was a one inch slope from the rounded part to the point.  Since it was my own birthday cake I decorated it as it was and pretended it was deliberate.  I spent the next month trying to level the stove before I realized that it was the racks themselves.  I've put a bit of folded foil on the back section of the racks to make up the difference and voila! level cake layers again.

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Doritta Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 5:25pm
post #9 of 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by BakingIrene 

When I bake three-layer cakes, I bake in 3 layers, I like using the parchment paper to hold the layer as I add it to the stack.

 

I ALWAYS use the Magic cake strips to make each layer flat.  In larger pans the layers end up a little shy of 1.5" so the stack ends up at 4" high. A little deeper would also work.  The strips eliminate the need to level off the humps from the tops.

 

Other thing about baking, use the spirit level to check  your oven racks, if you have no already done so.  Normal people don't fuss about an oven slightly out of true but cakes sure make you think otherwise.

 

So once you have flat level layers, icing them is a lot easier on the nerves.

great tip!!!!

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Janani65 Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 7:07pm
post #10 of 10

I also have a problem with the oven rack. Top rack is slightly slanted, so all my cakes are a little slanted. The worst thing is I notice the slant when I'm finally done smoothing the butter cream. I need to fix this ASAP. 

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