Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

I am going to try & panel a square cake – however on one corner where 2 sides meet, I want to flip back corners of fondant to reveal Lego blocks …
I’ve seen on Craftsy how they mix half modelling paste into half fondant for their panels.
I’ve also seen tylo powder mixed into fondant to firm panels.
I’m confused, what is best method of fondant, I’ve splashed out & bought carma massa Ticino fondant. I was going to use foam to hold back flip edges till it sets?
Another question please, I am Ganaching sponge cakes and then panelling, how far in advance can I do this – as it is my son’s wedding cake so I’d rather be finished with a good job in plenty of time & not be too stressed! Many thanks

Hi madeitwitlove – many thanks for replying, that has eased my mind greatly on how to use the fondant for panelling. I did a search for timings of cake on this Q&A site and soon realised I should have done my research first before posting, apologies! Thank you again 🙂

Hi twinnietwo

First of all I find Carmass Massa to be firm enough not to require any additional strengthener. I think a reveal corner would set, supported either with sponge or rolled up tissue without adding anything to this fondant. However, if you feel more comfortable firming it up further, the general rule of thumb for slightly firming up fondant is1 teaspoon of tylose/CMC powder or gum trag to 500g of fondant. Add in accordance to the amount of fondant being used. Gum trag requires overnight rest to activate the gum, tylose/CMC can be used straight away although I find a rest of 20 minutes gives better results. If adding gum paste to the fondant, use enough until you feel it firming up and no more. Both methods can produce problems if too much is used, causing fondant to become dry, hard and unsuable. Weather conditions will also determine how much to use. Hot, humid or wet weather might require a little more to allow the paste to become firm. The best thing to do is add small amounts and let it rest. You’ll soon know if the consistency is right. I would suggest adding either strengthener to sufficient fondant for the reveal panel only and not to all of it.

How far in advance decorating can begin depends on the type of cake/sponge being used, the conditions it was produced in and how it is stored. Generally a sponge cake, stored in a cool enironment, will be good for approximately 5 days. Some chocolate mud cakes with a higher ratio of sugar to flour can be good for 7 – 10 days, madeira cake can be good for 2 weeks from production to eating as long as it is wrapped well and kept cool. Fruit cakes can last for years. The shelf life of sponge and chocolate cakes can be further extended by adding a small amount of glycerine to the batter. Please have a look at David Brice’s suggestion here: http://www.cakeflix.com/questions/lengthening-the-shelf-life-of-cakes

Hope the above information helps but please post again if you need more.