Fondant Cake QUESTIONS

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Permalink Reply by Carol Baboolal on March 27, 2012 at 4:53pm

 Ideally you should use dowel rods to separate cake layers. There are fairly cheap alternatives to purchasing dowel rods. You may use cut drinking straws or bamboo skewers which are available at the dollar store. I sometimes shape and cover thick cardboard to support the cake on the upper tiers.

All the best.

Carol.

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary Galpin on March 28, 2012 at 1:00am

Shaira,

You definitely need some sort of support. I would agree with Carol and say that drinking straws or bubble straws would be your best bet on a budget. A cake plate separator is not necessary. As long as you have a cake board under the top tier to rest on the straws, you should be fine.

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Permalink Reply by shaira on March 28, 2012 at 2:57am

thank you so much carol :)

Carol Baboolal said:

 Ideally you should use dowel rods to separate cake layers. There are fairly cheap alternatives to purchasing dowel rods. You may use cut drinking straws or bamboo skewers which are available at the dollar store. I sometimes shape and cover thick cardboard to support the cake on the upper tiers.

All the best.

Carol.

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Permalink Reply by shaira on March 28, 2012 at 2:57am

thank you very much rosemary! :)

Rosemary Galpin said:

Shaira,

You definitely need some sort of support. I would agree with Carol and say that drinking straws or bubble straws would be your best bet on a budget. A cake plate separator is not necessary. As long as you have a cake board under the top tier to rest on the straws, you should be fine.

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Permalink Reply by Melinda Smith on April 4, 2012 at 7:38pm

In a pinch, I've used a piece of balled up fondant as a fondant smoother when I didn't have the real thing. 

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Permalink Reply by shaira on April 5, 2012 at 2:05am

that's a very helpful idea. thanks melinda :)

Melinda Smith said:

In a pinch, I've used a piece of balled up fondant as a fondant smoother when I didn't have the real thing. 

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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on April 5, 2012 at 9:00am

Well Shaira

Most of the time I just use my hands to smooth. I make sure I have a little icing/powdered sugar on my hands, & just rub, rub. You can ck out smoothing on Youtube. I also have a flat bottomed  measuring cup that I have used.

When I make 2-3 tiers.   1. I save my cardboard from cereal boxes etc. and make my own cake rounds. Glue a couple together for strength, cover in plastic wrap.  2. I use the straws as stated above for dowels and my straws are big enough I put a wooden stir sticks inside the straw for extra measure.

Hope this helps.  :o)

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Permalink Reply by shaira on April 5, 2012 at 9:26am

super duper thanks june! <3 :D just to clarify, when i put the board in between the layers, do the plastic straws/rods go right through the cakeboard? Also, is it ok to knead/make fondant on a wooden surface or should the surface be either made out of granite/marble or stainless steel? you've helped a lot! <3 :)

June Kowalczyk said:

Well Shaira

Most of the time I just use my hands to smooth. I make sure I have a little icing/powdered sugar on my hands, & just rub, rub. You can ck out smoothing on Youtube. I also have a flat bottomed  measuring cup that I have used.

When I make 2-3 tiers.   1. I save my cardboard from cereal boxes etc. and make my own cake rounds. Glue a couple together for strength, cover in plastic wrap.  2. I use the straws as stated above for dowels and my straws are big enough I put a wooden stir sticks inside the straw for extra measure.

Hope this helps.  :o)

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Permalink Reply by Eileen S on April 5, 2012 at 4:25pm

For dowels, on a small 2-tiered cake, I've used the thicker lollipop sticks.  They are easy to cut and are very sturdy.  You want to cover your bottom cake with fondant, then put in a dowel (or stick, straw, whatever you decide to use), mark it with a nipper, pull it out and cut it to size - then cut about 5 more to the same size. Space them evenly in a circle slightly smaller than your top layer (I have a template I made out of a cake round the same size as my bottom layer.  I used a compass and drew circles in various diameters and marked evenly around the circles, then I poked holes evenly around the inside circle - I lay this on top of the bottom cake,then use a toothpick to mark where I am going to put the sticks).  Put your top cake on a cake board and cover it with fondant.  Then put the top cake  on top of the bottom cake where you have put the dowels.  They will NOT poke through the top cake cake board.  If you want to be sure it's centered - I will sometimes mark the center of the bottom cake (using the same template), then I make sure the board I put the top cake on has a small hole in the center of it.  I put a dowel or a stick cut shorter than the two cakes put together into the center hole on the bottom cake, then position the top cake over that stick and slide it down to set it on the bottom cake. 

Wow - that sounds more complicated than it really is.  LOL - I hope you get the idea.

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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on April 5, 2012 at 5:06pm

Well Shaira

If I am stacking 2-3 tiers, I must say I buy wooden dowels, sharpen them with a pencil sharpener, & PUSH, them through all 3 levels. I have never made a cake taller than 3 tiers. Now the dowels have to be free of any type of chemicals.....food safe. If you have a hobby store, you can buy them their. It is nerve wracking, but with a little pressure, the dowels push right through.  Other option Shaira is what I did for years. Stack the cakes at the reception!!  I get good strong boxes, put rubber shelve liner on the bottom of box, place cake & board on that. Trust me, they DON'T move. Have transported many times, & everything was A-Ok.

Now as far as kneading, I use the top of my wooden island all the time, no problem there, as long as you clean it well before you start. Wipe with a lint free cloth. :o)

Oh & use icing sugar so it doesn't stick
 
shaira said:

super duper thanks june! <3 :D just to clarify, when i put the board in between the layers, do the plastic straws/rods go right through the cakeboard? Also, is it ok to knead/make fondant on a wooden surface or should the surface be either made out of granite/marble or stainless steel? you've helped a lot! <3 :)

June Kowalczyk said:

Well Shaira

Most of the time I just use my hands to smooth. I make sure I have a little icing/powdered sugar on my hands, & just rub, rub. You can ck out smoothing on Youtube. I also have a flat bottomed  measuring cup that I have used.

When I make 2-3 tiers.   1. I save my cardboard from cereal boxes etc. and make my own cake rounds. Glue a couple together for strength, cover in plastic wrap.  2. I use the straws as stated above for dowels and my straws are big enough I put a wooden stir sticks inside the straw for extra measure.

Hope this helps.  :o)

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Permalink Reply by Lynne Salmon on April 5, 2012 at 6:09pm

   You ask if a two tiered fondant cake needs doweling - my answer is:  It depends on the size of the top tier.  If it is 6" or smaller then no, not really.  Those small sizes are so light in weight they will do fine w/o support really.  But the best thing to use, as others have mentioned is to use ordinary, plastic drink straws.   Bamboo skewers, sucker sticks and the like are not good choices.  They both can become weakened from the moisture in cakes and bend :( 

I too have used just my hand to smooth fondant.  It works in a pinch but in the long run it is best to invest in a smoother.  I could hardly believe the difference when I finally started using one :)

A good recipe for royal icing:  one unbeaten (raw) egg white and enough powdered sugar to stiffen it (about 1/2 cup).  *One teaspoon* at a time, add sugar to the eggwhite while beating it with a fork.   just add a teaspoon of sugar, beat well with the fork to incorporate, then add another.  Continue until the icing is very thick.  This will take about 30 minutes to 1 hour :)   A real workout!

Another option is to use Wilton's Royal Icing recipe and instructions using a mixer.  It works fine.  Just be sure to beat it a full 7 to 10 minutes, until it looses it's shine.   I usually make a 1/2 recipe at a time.

Either one is good but here is what will help you *THE MOST*:  Once you have the icing the consistency you want it, take a (clean/new) knee high stocking and put it on your hand like a glove; fill your palm w/icing and peel the stocking off, turning it inside out so the icing is inclosed within.  Now push the icing through the stocking.  It is fastenating(sp?) to me to see how the icing comes through:)  Keep it covered w/plastic wrap at all times.  

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Permalink Reply by shaira on April 13, 2012 at 12:16pm

Eileen, i get the idea! your input is so helpful! I'm actually having a work table made, then i'll start making my first fondant cake. so excited! thanks for the tips :D

Eileen S said:

For dowels, on a small 2-tiered cake, I've used the thicker lollipop sticks.  They are easy to cut and are very sturdy.  You want to cover your bottom cake with fondant, then put in a dowel (or stick, straw, whatever you decide to use), mark it with a nipper, pull it out and cut it to size - then cut about 5 more to the same size. Space them evenly in a circle slightly smaller than your top layer (I have a template I made out of a cake round the same size as my bottom layer.  I used a compass and drew circles in various diameters and marked evenly around the circles, then I poked holes evenly around the inside circle - I lay this on top of the bottom cake,then use a toothpick to mark where I am going to put the sticks).  Put your top cake on a cake board and cover it with fondant.  Then put the top cake  on top of the bottom cake where you have put the dowels.  They will NOT poke through the top cake cake board.  If you want to be sure it's centered - I will sometimes mark the center of the bottom cake (using the same template), then I make sure the board I put the top cake on has a small hole in the center of it.  I put a dowel or a stick cut shorter than the two cakes put together into the center hole on the bottom cake, then position the top cake over that stick and slide it down to set it on the bottom cake. 

Wow - that sounds more complicated than it really is.  LOL - I hope you get the idea.

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