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Comment

Comment by Katy Nott on December 4, 2013 at 12:15pm

Hi Frances - good to hear you have the dowels sussed out!

I suspect humidity is your problem then.  You're right, refrigerating and bringing back to room temp will defeat the object.  Do let your crumb coat crust over before you fondant, so it's a bit more stable.

As you say, most of the time, it's trial and error and learning by our mistakes.  Frustrating though when one day something works and the next day it doesn't.  Don't ask me to explain that one lol!

Comment by frances on December 4, 2013 at 2:25am

HI Katy

I learnt the hard way with dowels, so yes, I make them slightly longer than the cake, just so that the top tier doesn't rest on the bottom one, but on the dowels themselves.

I am in Durban and the humidity is just unbelievable, so yes, its WARM, VERY WARM here! :)

I don't usually put my cakes in the fridge after buttercreaming it, as I find that when I take it out and cover it, the fondant 'sweats' and its quite a job to try and get it dry in time.  I don't like the 'steamed' look.. Maybe I should refrigerate them and then leave them out after to get back to room temp? will this make a difference?  And if I did this, wouldn't it just be the same in that the buttercream will just be soft again?  I have to really try and experiment, but sometimes there is no time..

Isnt it strange how one day ALL the cakes are perfect and the next day they are ALL a 'redo'?!  Same recipe, same weather, same buttercream, same hands, etc - he he!

I have started leaving the cakes to one side after buttercream and before fondant, just so the cakes can settle and also using a stiffer buttercream [bulging was also a problem], I even put weights on top of the one wedding cake, and that seemed to make a bit of a difference..

Anyway, thank you everyone for your comments on my cakes, it really is inspiring to read: 'great job' etc, especially since I've not had any classes and had to learn by trial and error, must say the internet is a wonderful thing, and all those tutorials, well, what can I say - thanks to all those who share!

Here's to many, many more years of caking!

Wishing everyone out there a wonderful - PEACEFUL Christmas and a very prosperous New Year!

Comment by Katy Nott on December 3, 2013 at 7:41am

First off Frances, you did exactly right in the way you replied!

About your fondant sagging.  Could be a number of things.

This is a tiered cake, so are you sure your dowels were long enough to support the weight of the cake on top?  If they were a little short, then the top cake would push down on the lower tier and cause your fondant to sag (Assuming you did use dowels?)

Is it warm where you are?  Your crumb coat could have melted a little and thus was not dry enough to support your fondant.

Fondant may have been too thick and sagged under it's own weight.

Did you refrigerate your cake after you had filled and crumb coated it?  If your filling had not settled firmly, then as you put the fondant on, the cake will start to settle, which means the fondant is too long for it and will push down.

Hope some of these ideas will help?

Comment by frances on December 3, 2013 at 7:21am

Hi all, don't really know how to reply to any of the comments, but hopefully this will work.  Katy, the client sent me the words, I also really like it, but I don't know if its taken from anything particular.

Having some problems with fondant sagging, as you can see at the bottom of the cake, and I don't know how to overcome this.  I am self taught, only been in the business a year and a half, so lots to learn still!

Comment by Denise Rico on November 30, 2013 at 7:11pm

Very nice

Comment by art deco cakes by galidink on November 30, 2013 at 11:00am

pretty cake

Comment by June Kowalczyk on November 30, 2013 at 10:17am

Lovely cake..like the words....

Comment by Katy Nott on November 30, 2013 at 5:20am

This is lovely Frances.  Like the words too - I don't know them, are they from something in particular?

Comment by Goreti on November 29, 2013 at 7:36pm

very pretty