Aussie Decorators

Comment by Cakes at Hezzies House on January 22, 2011 at 12:42am

Hello Ladies

I was just wondering if you all had some secrets to preparing your fondant cakes in this shocking humidity we have had through January?  I've had a shocker!  I made the cutest Strawberry Shortcake but the cake let me down!  I knew it was humid so tried my hand at ganache but that wouldnt set out of the fridge, so much so I couldnt even put a figurine on top as it was wet-tacky!  So I tried fondant but the buttercream underneath melted and all the fondant sagged and the whole thing was another wet tacky mess (not sure why the fondant wouldnt set either...unless the buttercream was too wet?)! So I tried making my own type of 'ganache' with just chocolate (no cream) and a bit of copha  and that was a little better - but by the time I sorted all that out - my 2 year old smashed the little dolly Shortcake!  I didnt realise she could drag a chair over to the bench.... needless to say to demo my figures I think I stick to styrofoam but what secrets do you all have!  All was just as well since, the camera broke too... Its taken about two weeks to get my mojo again... but I have perked up and am ready to go - just thought I would throw this out there before I start ;)

Hezzie

Comment by Bettina Dwyer on January 22, 2011 at 7:18pm

Hi Hezzie,

ah humidity the bane of a cake decorator's life.

A couple of questions.

What ratio of chocolate to cream are you using?

White or dark choc? The ratio for dark choc:cream is different to white choc:cream. Dark choc is 2:1 whereas white is 3:1. You should use a dark couverture chocolate with a cocoa content of about 53%.

Did you let it set overnight before covering with fondant?

I use ganache all the time with no probs. Buttercream is just hopeless in hot weather.

You must let it set overnight for it to be of use; having said that when the weather gets really bad up here, I put it in the fridge overnight, bring it out and let it come to room temperature before I cover it with fondant. If you put fondant straight on it it will develop condensation on the surface and the sugar will start to melt and become shiny.

Sugar is a humectant and absorbs water from the air so the higher the humidity the tackier the cake. You can overcome this by covering the cake with fondant and then putting the cake in a cupboard or large plastic container with a camel closet or something similar. After a few hours the fondant will look better.

A lot of ready to roll fondant's don't perform well in humidity. I went back and looked at my old Aussie cake decorating books and found that gelatine is the key to a humidity resistant fondant. There are many recipes out there for fondant, but you need to have one that includes gelatine. Just Google for a recipe.

It's the same with flower paste and gumpaste. In Australia it really needs to contain gelatine for it to cope with the humidity, or it just droops or dissolves into a mess.

 

Good luck

Comment by Bettina Dwyer on January 22, 2011 at 7:47pm

During summer I get to the stage where I am willing to pay for an airconditioner with my first born child....but she's 15 and unwilling to be traded so  willy nilly. Selfish thing, she should think of her mother and how stressful it is for her to cope with humidity assaulting her fondant. LOL

One day I have promised myself, either an air con OR a humidifier.

Comment by Maureen L Martin on January 23, 2011 at 2:55am

go the air conditioner. The hunidifier does not cool the temperature.

LOL Maureen

Drying of heat today in Sydney. Just finished a dozen roses plus leaves.

So now looking for a cool glass of wine and the aircon helps.

Comment by Bettina Dwyer on January 23, 2011 at 3:57am

I live up here on the mid north coast of NSW, near Coffs Harbour. As I don't have air con (or a dehumidifier for that matter) I usually have a nanna nap in the afternoon, get the family fed and about midnight start decorating when the temperature and the humidity drop. I've found that once the humidity has dropped to about 70%, the fondant seems to behave itself.

Comment by Cakes at Hezzies House on February 1, 2011 at 1:39am

Thanks all! We can sympathise now I think its the hottest day ever!  Bettina - I did use the 3:1 and the 2:1 ratios but I think I just used regular cooking chocolate as I wasn't looking for a specific cocoa ratio - maybe thats why the ganache let me down?  Don't you find it is a nightmare to get the ganache straight up the sides of the cake?  I used the hot knife but it was fiddly and a bit more a mess than buttercream.

 

I wanted to ask you about the recipe you use for fondant.  Do you use a marshmallow recipe as I have seen lots of people rave about that but I didn't see any that used gelatin?  And what is glycerine used for?  Finally, if you use marshmallows - where do you get white ones from?  All the supermarket brands have mixed bags?  and they cost as much as a packet of orchard r2r without even adding any other ingredients?

 

Sorry to be such a pain - but just wondering what you guys do as I am sure that gelatin tip is the key!

 

... and what is a camel closet - Ive got a packet of damp rid in the cupboard but have never heard of camel closet (only camel toe and I am sure your thing is much different!)

 

Cheers

Hezzie 

Comment by Bettina Dwyer on February 1, 2011 at 4:50am

Yup, it was the lower cocoa ratio that was the problem. Having said that white ganache is a PITA to work with in hot humid weather.

I went to Bunnings and bought a tile adhesive applicator. It has two flat side and two sides that have crenellations. It cost about $3. When I put my ganache on the sides I place one flat edge on the cake board and one on the side of the cake and that way you get nice uniform (and above all) flat application of your ganache.

No I haven't tried the marshmallow fondant recipe I see the Yanks raving about yet. It sounds good though and would certainly taste nice.

Glycerine helps keep moisture in foods. It's also used in soap making to help your skin retain moisture. (a bit of useless information for you there LOL).

Comment by Cakes at Hezzies House on February 1, 2011 at 6:31am

Ahhh - there is truely no project that Bunnings can't offer something for! I do know the tile thingy as my husband has just retiled the bathroom (might get a clean one tho lol)

That's what I thought glycerine was for so was wondering why you would want something that retains moisture when the main thing about fondant is to keep moisture away from it? I should stop overthinking it and just follow the recipe ;)

 

Comment by Bettina Dwyer on February 1, 2011 at 6:55am

Glycerine in this case is just to keep the icing pliable and not harden completely like royal icing does.

I know Gotta love Bunnings. I have been wandering around there and grabbing tools for uses I really don't think they were intended for when they were invented. LOL. When I saw the price of the Wilton buttercream scrapers I almost choked! That's what made me look twice at the adhesive application tools in Bunnings.

Comment by Cakes at Hezzies House on February 1, 2011 at 7:09am

LOL Like minds - I used a plastic ruler to get the flat on the bottom flat along the side look - but NOW im looking at the tiling thing and thinking how much better that would be!  Some of the Wilton prices are unreal!  I saw a bag of milk chocolate buttons in Spotlight for $8 - same thing in coles for $2 - not that either one would be particularly 'edible'...

Comment

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• Next ›
• Page