Wedding cakes
- Thread starter Cate
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Fondant is a bit complicated. It doesn’t sound like you have any professional training.
De-gas
After the cake tier is torted, filled, and crumb coated and before they are covered with fondant you must de-gas the tier overnight. As the cake settles gas from the leavening moves out of the cake. If you cover the cake with fondant without de-gassing, the air will get trapped under the fondant and form big bubbles under it. See link below on how to de-gas.
Brand of Fondant Matters
Storage
Food safety is based on the water activity level. This is an international standard that measures the water vapor pressure in the food and the pressure in the air and distilled water. Every food has a different water activity level. The higher the water activity level, the better the environment for harmful bacteria to reproduce. Anything with a water activity level of 0.85 OR ABOVE requires refrigeration to slow the growth of harmful bacteria.
BUT
The reason I am mentioning these things is you do not know the fundamentals of cake decorating, so I assume you have no professional training. Professional training always includes basic food hygiene, safety and handling training.
The Danger Zone is 40°F-140°F. This is the temperature in which bacteria thrives.
When there is water present, bacteria can double every 20 minutes at these temperatures. That is why the water activity level of 0.85 and above requires refrigeration, and why states prohibit the production and sale of food made in home kitchens with a water activity of 0.85 and above
That said, fondant is pure sugar it breaks down in refrigeration because the humidity. Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it pulls water molecules from the environment. Fondant contains an invert sugar called glucose, a liquid form of sugar. It is more hygroscopic that crystalized sugar. So fondant will pull in more water than just regular sugar.
Also fondant that has been colored with food dye will bleed color if any condensation builds up on the cake. So if you make decorations that you dyed with food color, and the cake sweats as they say, you can end up with streaks of color dripping down the cake. Dark colors are more likely to run.
You can inhibit the condensation by storing the cake in an air tight corrugated cardboard box. You need to use a brand new clean good heavy corrugated cardboard box to store the fondant cake. It must be corrugated cardboard. not a single ply paper box. You should line the inside with a food safe parchment paper. Cardboard boxes from the office supply store are not made for food production or to store food, so that is the reason for lining the inside with parchment paper. Since this is for a client and not your personal use, you need to take that extra step for food sanitization. The box needs to be secure so no air gets inside once it’s in the refrigerator. And after removing from the fridge, you need to let it come to room temperature for 1 - 2 hrs depending on the size of the cake.
There is a tutorial online that will show you to make a cardboard delivery box for a wedding cake. I just don’t want to post the link because the idiot places dry ice in the box with the cake. Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide gas, which is toxic. It should never be place with unwrapped food. You can google how to make a cake box if you want.
How to de-gas cake that will be covered in fondant
De-gas
After the cake tier is torted, filled, and crumb coated and before they are covered with fondant you must de-gas the tier overnight. As the cake settles gas from the leavening moves out of the cake. If you cover the cake with fondant without de-gassing, the air will get trapped under the fondant and form big bubbles under it. See link below on how to de-gas.
Brand of Fondant Matters
- Fat Daddio is the preferred brand by most event cake bakers because it rolls out without developing air bubbles; doesn’t develop elephant skin; takes color beautifully; doesn’t need a lot of cornstarch/powdered sugar because it rolls out so easily. Holds up well, if you get some condensation, it will usually survive it. Right now it’s difficult find bright white because the cake supply stores are closed, so many online sources are sold out.
- Satin Ice is okay, but will still give you elephant skin if slightly overworked. Satin Ice is more difficult to roll out, so you can easily end up using too much cornstarch or powdered sugar. If you get some condensation, it will leave some marks, but it will hold up pretty well. I personally never use Satin Ice anymore because I find Fat Daddio to be far superior.
- Wilton is never used by any professionals because it is the worst crap on the market. Difficult to roll; full of air bubbles; elephant skin should be its brand name; taste like crap; gets sticky with added color; breaks down fast. Any condensation will leave marks and this is the fondant that wins the award for most likely to fall apart. They can’t even teach classes with this crap because the performance is so bad.
Storage
Food safety is based on the water activity level. This is an international standard that measures the water vapor pressure in the food and the pressure in the air and distilled water. Every food has a different water activity level. The higher the water activity level, the better the environment for harmful bacteria to reproduce. Anything with a water activity level of 0.85 OR ABOVE requires refrigeration to slow the growth of harmful bacteria.
BUT
- YOU CANNOT LEGALLY PRODUCE AND SELL ANY FOOD PRODUCT FROM A HOME KITCHEN WITH A WATER ACTIVITY LEVEL OF 0.85 OR ABOVE. IT MUST BE FROM A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN AND YOU MUST HAVE THE APPROPRIATE BUSINESS LICENSE IN THE UNITED STATES
- ANYTHING WITH A WATER ACTIVITY LEVEL OF 0.85 OR ABOVE REQUIRES REFRIGERATION
- REFRIGERATION BREAKS DOWN FONDANT
The reason I am mentioning these things is you do not know the fundamentals of cake decorating, so I assume you have no professional training. Professional training always includes basic food hygiene, safety and handling training.
Of paramount concern is you can potentially make a lot of people sick by the illegal production of a cake that you are not trained and licensed to produce. The secondary concern is your blotching a wedding cake for a couple because you have no training for what you have agreed to make, and possibly accepted payment for. So be aware, if you are in the US, and you make any kind of filling and/or icing that contains cream, butter, eggs, and/or milk it must be prepared under local, state, and federal regulations, which means in a commercial kitchen with appropriate business license.
The Danger Zone is 40°F-140°F. This is the temperature in which bacteria thrives.
When there is water present, bacteria can double every 20 minutes at these temperatures. That is why the water activity level of 0.85 and above requires refrigeration, and why states prohibit the production and sale of food made in home kitchens with a water activity of 0.85 and above
That said, fondant is pure sugar it breaks down in refrigeration because the humidity. Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it pulls water molecules from the environment. Fondant contains an invert sugar called glucose, a liquid form of sugar. It is more hygroscopic that crystalized sugar. So fondant will pull in more water than just regular sugar.
Also fondant that has been colored with food dye will bleed color if any condensation builds up on the cake. So if you make decorations that you dyed with food color, and the cake sweats as they say, you can end up with streaks of color dripping down the cake. Dark colors are more likely to run.
You can inhibit the condensation by storing the cake in an air tight corrugated cardboard box. You need to use a brand new clean good heavy corrugated cardboard box to store the fondant cake. It must be corrugated cardboard. not a single ply paper box. You should line the inside with a food safe parchment paper. Cardboard boxes from the office supply store are not made for food production or to store food, so that is the reason for lining the inside with parchment paper. Since this is for a client and not your personal use, you need to take that extra step for food sanitization. The box needs to be secure so no air gets inside once it’s in the refrigerator. And after removing from the fridge, you need to let it come to room temperature for 1 - 2 hrs depending on the size of the cake.
There is a tutorial online that will show you to make a cardboard delivery box for a wedding cake. I just don’t want to post the link because the idiot places dry ice in the box with the cake. Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide gas, which is toxic. It should never be place with unwrapped food. You can google how to make a cake box if you want.
How to de-gas cake that will be covered in fondant