Stir the gelatin into the cream in a microwaveable bowl and set aside to bloom while you combine the second mixture. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine corn syrup, butter, glycerin, vanilla, and salt. Microwave the gelatin 1 minute or until melted. Pour into the bowl with the corn syrup. Microwave for two minutes. Stir until butter is melted. Allow to cool to lukewarm. Put 2 pounds of the confectioners’ sugar in the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer. Add any coloring you desire to the corn syrup mixture. Pour over the confectioners’ sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine as much as possible. Then, use the dough hook attachment to combine completely. Add the remaining cup of sugar and use the dough hook to combine as much as possible. You will need to hold the bowl on a bit, but not too tightly because you don’t want to overwork the mixer. I stop when it finally dislodges the bowl. Turn the fondant out onto a greased work surface and knead with greased hands until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap that has been lightly oiled with vegetable oil. Store in a large zip lock bag for up to one month.
2. Spread the first layer of the lemon cake with a very thin coat of lemon buttercream. (You will probably want to do this oneThis is to prevent the raspberry filling from sinking into the cake and making the cake too soft. With the chocolate cake, spread the desired amount of chocolate butter cream on the first layer.
3. Pipe a dam about 3/4 inch from the edge of your lemon layer. This will prevent the raspberry filling from oozing out the sides. You will not need to do this with the chocolate cake.
4. Spread the raspberry filling inside the dam. Working from the center, spread it toward the dam.
5. Add the second layer and repeat the previous instructions. With the chocolate cake, you can repeat twice adding the second and third layer.
6. Insert dowel rods, cut just slightly higher than the second layer. This does not need to be done with the chocolate cake, and you may prefer not to do it with the lemon, but since we had a long way to travel on curvy roads, I didn’t want to chance the cake slipping. I only doweled the first two layers, leaving just a little above them that I knew would stick a little ways into the third. I did this because there would be nothing stacked on top of this cake and the dowel rods have a tendency to work there way up a bit and cause bumps on the top of the cake.
7. Add the third layer and crumb coat the entire cake. You will use lemon buttercream for the lemon cake and vanilla buttercream for the chocolate. This picture was taken before I smoothed the crumb coat, but smooth it as much as possible because it can show through the fondant if it isn’t smooth. I use a spray bottle to spray it VERY lightly with water and then smooth it with a very large icing spatula. After the cake is smooth, refrigerate it for 30 to 45 minutes, so that the icing will be fairly hard when you apply the fondant.
8. Spread shortening on your fondant mat and on your hands. Add a little glycerin to you fondant and kneed it until it is smooth and pliable. You may have to reapply shortening to you hands several times so that the fondant doesn’t stick to them.
9. Sprinkle your mat with a little cornstarch and roll the fondant into a large round about 1/3 inch thick and about 20 inches in diameter. You will only about 15 inches when you do the chocolate. To be sure, measure your cakes height and multiply that by 2. Then add the diameter. Then add and inch or two because you need a little extra to work with. Roll the fondant over your fondant roller and unroll it over the cake.
10. Smooth the fondant over the cake so that there are no creases. This is the most difficult part! Start from the top and smooth around the cake gradually working your way down and lifting the hanging fondant as you go. You don’t want the weight of the the edges to tear the fondant so cut some off around as you go also using kitchen shears or a pizza cutter. Just be careful and don’t cut too much too soon or you could end up with gaps between the cake and the board. This cake has a ribbon around the bottom, so there is a little room for error, but not much.
11. Use a fondant smoother to help you smooth the cake. This may give you a little more at the bottom to cut off with the pizza cutter.
12. At this point, we quit taking pictures, but I mixed 50% white fondant with 50% gum paste and cut a 3/4 inch fondant/gum paste ribbon and a 1/4 inch fondant/ gum paste ribbon and attached them with water to the cake. Your ribbon needs to be a little more than 3 times the length of the diameter of of you cake plus an inch or two to work with. (Diameter * Pi (approx. 3.14) – gotta get in the math)
I also covered and 8 inch board and a 12 inch board with the blue fondant to set the cakes on.
Additionally, there is A LOT of other things I learned doing this and will make another post about that someday, but this is already really long, so I’m going to stop here. I am leaving you with a few more pictures.
These recipes were shared on Foodie Friends Friday.
Supper explain for wedding cake preparation and the design also supper. You gave wonderful wedding cakes tips and i like your post. Thanks for your sharing.
For the cream for the fondant , would you recommend 18% or 35%?
Hmm, you know I really don’t have any idea what the percent is, so that is a good question. I have used both heavy and whipping cream, but don’t know the percents of either and really couldn’t tell the difference.