The background: Fondant originated in Europe where it was used to cover fruitcakes to keep them fresh for shipping to the New World.
The difference: Fruitcakes are not torted (cut horizontally) or filled with anything. Also, fruitcakes are traditionally covered with a 1/4″ layer of marzipan and then covered in fondant.
The result: Perfectly smooth and gorgeous fondant.
The problem: American cakes are torted, filled, iced, and then covered with fondant. Often, the filling softens, and the weight of the fondant causes it to smoosh out. (If you’ve ever had this happen, you know that “smoosh” is the only applicable description.) Maybe your crumb coat wasn’t thick enough, or the cake wasn’t leveled evenly, or you didn’t refrigerate it long enough. Your cake, which started off looking beautifully smooth, ends up looking unprofessional, like the cake below created by some anonymous cake designer. (Okay, it was me. But it was like a really long time ago.)
The solution: Cake spackle! Toba Garrett, a master cake decorator (you should see her string work!) and instructor at The Institute for Culinary Education developed this technique, which gives the cake “more stability and structure” so that layers are not visible through the fondant. I found it in her book, The Well Decorated Cake, and have been using it for years.
First, level your cake. Save the domed portion that you leveled off and usually throw away for the next step!
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Fill the cake–but don’t crumb coat–and refrigerate until firm.
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Take the domed portion and crumble it up. (I use my hands, but a food processor would work too.)
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Mix the cake crumbs with buttercream and some filling until it is thick and pasty. (I would recommend about a 3:1 ratio of cake crumbs to buttercream.) This is your cake spackle!
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Now ice your cake with the spackle and refrigerate until firm. If the spackle is too thick to spread, +–some more buttercream.
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Once firm, ice over the spackle with a thin layer of buttercream and refrigerate until firm. Now you’ve got a smooth, stable surface to cover with fondant. Perfect!
I love the cake spackle idea, you can also get a perfect surface with whipped gananch instead of buttercream! I recommend using white chocolate because you can see chocolate through the fondant. I got this idea from Sharon Zambito (she is awesome!!!) I have to charge more for the chocolate and boy, it makes the cake heavy, but it works like a charm! Especially with cakes with unusual shapes. I let it set till it is like a shell, and fondant over it…let me know if you try it!
I used all of your valuable info in my cake last week, and wow… I never knew about cake spackle and it made a HUGE difference! Thanks for being willing to share :]
What a cool tip. Maybe someday my cake skills will advance enough for me to try it.
That is such a great idea. I never knew what to do with the cake scraps and extra buttercream except to eat them..haha
Hi erica!! i just ran into your blog and it is genius!! it is the only blog i´ve ever felt like reading completely!! anyway i saw the spackle technique while reading and i want to try it but i made some reaserch on other blogs, and some people say that it didn´t work for them, and i am always scared when trying new recipes beacuse i fear they won´t work resulting in an awfull amount of wasted food….so i wanted to know if you use this technique in all your cakes?? or just some cakes?? and if its not too much trouble could you share some more info based on your exprience on the subject?? thank you so much!
Thank you, I’ve been looking for the recipe and directions on this. I just finished the first steps and my cake is in the refridgerator now. Thank you, I have had cakes bugle and this may be my answer. Will let you know how it turns out.
I’m curious, I have had a lot of trouble with my fondant bubbling lately. Will the cake spackle eliminate that? It’s very frustrating as I have tried various recommended techniques, and still…..bubbles!
Are you referring to air bubbles between the cake and fondant or in the fondant itself?
Sorry, should have been more detailed. Between the cake and the layer of fondant. Some appear after only a few hours some after the cakes have sat over night. I’ve tried using shortening, cornstarch and powdered sugar (not all at once, individually) and still have issues. Thank you!