Cake people - fondant newbie question

[raynes]

Ok, so H's 30th is this Friday and I figured I'd do a cake as a test drive for Owens party.

I want to make a Minecraft inspired cake (monkeybabe I feel like I new your particular brand of expertise here).

I've attached 2 different ways if doing what I'm thinking, pieces of fondant or a full sheet.

Bearing in mind the following:
I've never worked with fondant before (but like to think I'm a quick learner, I did buy a cake dummy)
I made the fondant myself (I'm also cheap)
The contract for the place we're doing H's birthday says we can bring a "store bought" cake

Can I pull off the sheet cake? Just go for the pieces? If I get a foil covered cake plate thingy and a cake box will the pieces one look store bought enough?

Halp.

[monkeybabe]

Smoothing fondant onto a square cake is significantly more difficult than a round cake, so, as a first time fondant user, I'd recommend, at the very least, being prepared to layer squares over the initial sheet of fondant. I like the look of the single piece better, but it's very tricky. If you just go the route of the squares, I'd roll the fondant thinner than the picture has them. I would go to a grocery store and just ask them if you can buy a pink bakery box from them and no one will know the difference, really. Even if the cake doesn't really turn out, there are some butt ugly store bought custom cakes.

[jaime183]

good luck! Joann Fabrics here sells cake boxes, the cardboard for under the cake and stuff to make it look official

[raynes]

That's what I was afraid of, that a square would be tough. We have a store here called Bulk Barn that is packed with cake making supplies. They have all sorts of cake boxes, so I'll grab one if those. And some red fondant.

[dojo]

What if you used a fondant/ gum paste mix to make some mine craft weapons and put it on a round cake ?might be easier

[laurack]

Having tried a cube for my first fondant practice cake I'm going to say... It will probably be tough to do that! How many practice cakes will you have time for?

[raynes]

Apr 7, 2013 16:35:45 GMT -5 laurack said:

Having tried a cube for my first fondant practice cake I'm going to say... It will probably be tough to do that! How many practice cakes will you have time for?

I bought a foam block in cake shape, so theoretically I could practice over and over and over until Friday. 

Which is probably what I should be doing now. 

dojo, that is certainly a possibility. 

[raynes]

How did I do?? I need a proper rolling pin thingy, an a fondant smoother, but I don't think it's completely crappy!

[raynes]

Right, the picture.

[monkeybabe]

Wow, that actually looks really great!

[raynes]

Apr 8, 2013 11:52:58 GMT -5 monkeybabe said:

Wow, that actually looks really great!

Thanks!

I was totally ready for it to look like shit.

[laurack]

AMAZING work! so much better than my cube effort lol

So what did you use to smooth it?

[raynes]

Apr 8, 2013 12:33:39 GMT -5 laurack said:

AMAZING work! so much better than my cube effort lol

So what did you use to smooth it?

My hands? It's fairly thick, and the foam was nice and sturdy, so maybe I had that going for me. I must remember to bake a hearty cake.

Now, to figure out how to make this happen for Saturday when we're going out Friday night...

[monkeybabe]

Apr 8, 2013 14:05:26 GMT -5 raynes said:

Apr 8, 2013 12:33:39 GMT -5 laurack said:

AMAZING work! so much better than my cube effort lol

So what did you use to smooth it?

My hands? It's fairly thick, and the foam was nice and sturdy, so maybe I had that going for me. I must remember to bake a hearty cake.

Now, to figure out how to make this happen for Saturday when we're going out Friday night...

Refrigerate your cake before covering it with fondant, so that the frosting doesn't squish out. Cold buttercream is your friend, from my experience.