Havent posted on here for a quite a while. I need some help regarding a cake i am baking for a friend who just had a baby.
So, all of you guppies who have had lessons in decorating and who bake amazing cakes with the use of fondant…please help moi…
1 - I want to bake and take it to my friend on the weekend ie Sat…can i bake the tomorrow and freeze? Will it lose flavour? I have read on the internet that its ok to freeze it but thaw it out for couple of hours and its also easier to ice. If freezing is not a good idea..should i bake it, let it cool and then ice it? If yes, how soon should i bake b4 sat and when should i ice it?
2 - Can i use buttercream before i put the fondant on? I dont like marzipan..
3 - I will be making my own fondant - I am hoping to have the cake ready by friday night with all the icing and decorations done…will the fondant dry out? How should i store it so the fondant doesnt crack. Will the fondant/sugarpaste figures dry out..?
It would be great if someone could help. How soon should i start the process?
^ see this website for which types of cake can be frozen and how to correctly pack your cake before freezing it.
I tend not to freeze cakes as my family usually eat the lot lol, and we often send such goods round to extended family. If you decide not to freeze the cake for whatever reason make sure that you do not ice it until the cake has thoroughly cooled down.
With regards to using butter cream before rolled fondant - have you considered using rolled butter cream? It tastes like butter cream but looks just like rolled fondant. This depends on the taste you want really.
You’re right - fondant does crack and it can dry out. You can just pop it in the microwave for a short time just to soften it up. Once you knead it, it should be OK. However be careful so as not to overheat it. Cracks can also appear when you haven’t kneaded your fondant enough - the above method should help with this along with a little more kneading.
I find that the best way of preventing fondant from drying it out is to wrap it in cling film and then put it in to a ziplock bag - this stops the air from getting to it and should keep it moist. If you’re making decorations out of the fondant store them in an airtight container and they should be fine.
I hope that answers your questions and helps you in some way. I myself am also just beginning to get in to decorating cakes so I only know the basics really. A lot of the time it’s just about trial and error, you make a mistake this time and you’ll not to do the same next time. Also there are some great tutorials on youtube and google is a good tool for recipes and methods.
Re: HELP! To all those budding cake baking/decorating professional guppies - can you
absolutely bake your cakes today, and when at room temperature, wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge. no need to freeze. this will make the cake easier to ice.
put a layer of buttercream over your cake, as smoothly as you can, before you put fondant on. this will seal in the crumbs and make the cake more yummy.
what recipe are you using for making fondant? i've used marshmallow fondant before and the key is to have a nice smooth rolling surface thoroughly covered in crisco. you must also apply crisco generously all over your rolling pin, and on your hands- put it on as if you're putting on lots of moisturizer. it rolls pretty quickly and smoothly then, but i find kneading the colours in is what makes it hard. if your fondant is cracking, it might mean you don't have enough crisco happening. make the fondant and roll it out on the same day, so save all your decorating for saturday morning.
also once the fondant is on the cake, leave it in a cool room. if you put it in the fridge, it will start to condense and you'll get little water droplets that will ruin the look.
i use wilton's buttercream recipe- its yummy and you can control how much sugar to put in.
Re: HELP! To all those budding cake baking/decorating professional guppies - can you
You can freeze cakes, before decorating them. I've frozen them before, and they actually turn out more moist.
What I do is bake the cake and let it cool at room temperature for a minimum of 3 hours. After that, I wrap it tightly in saran wrap, at least 4 times, so the entire cake is covered. After that, I wrap it tightly in tin foil. I like to put it back in the pan (just a habit), cover it with a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer.
To defrost it, I put it directly in the fridge one night before decorating it.
If you are making the cake from scratch, the cake will remain fresh for at least 3 days, if you leave it in the fridge.
You can cover it with buttercream before covering it with fondant. Just put a crumbcoat of buttercream all over the cake.
Why don't you prep the buttercream a few days in advance? Buttercream can stay in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, and it can remain frozen for up to 2 months, and remain 'fresh'.
Re: HELP! To all those budding cake baking/decorating professional guppies - can you
you have to be careful with freezing and using thawed cake. depending on your recipe, some cakes are only good the day you bake them, others need to sit out for a while to get the full flavor, etc. One caution: if there is any condensation on your cake from defrosting, it will be really hard for the frosting to stick to it, and alot of professional bakers have issues with the frosting sliding off hours later.
yes you can use buttercream before you put on rolled fondant. its called a crumbcoat, and you must make sure the buttercream is as smooth as possible so when you later on your fondant, it will also appear smooth.
like others have said, you have to cover the fondant very well, and i suggest placing it in a box away from sunlight when you store it. if its a little stiff, coat your hands in crisco, and knead it for a min or two..should soften up. if your trying to make figures, i suggest you do those prior to the party, maybe the day before. i suggest gumpaste as fondant is too pliable and might not hold your shape, and can take quite a while to dry in the desired shape. if you have an issue with time, color the amounts of gumpaste this week, and do the cover method others have shown you. when your ready to make the figures, knead the gumpaste, as it might be a little stiff. it should get softer after a minute. then resume making your figures.