Need help with baking a cake

[shobbs]

Ok I love to watch challange on Food Network. I decided for my daughters birthday that i would bake her a cake and cover it in rolled fondant and make it a spongebob cake. It turned out great but i found there was a problem. I couldnt smooth the fondant really good because the cake was "flimsy" i felt if i had pushed too hard it would crumble under the pressure. I need to know how to fix that problem. The cakes on Challange can be picked up and moved all around but my cake couldnt be. How do i make a cake that can be messed with without falling apart? Is the difference cake flour, or technique?

[Elfin]

If you did, boxed mixes don't have the structure to hold the weight of the fondant. If you made your cake from scratch, you probably need to either adapt your recipe or try a new one. Fondant can be very heavy and pull a cake apart. Try cakecentral .com for good info and recipes, there are a lot of helpful and experienced folks there. Your cake should come out of the pan very easy to handle and cut with no weakness or crumbling. Also, you should freeze it well (preferably overnight) before you ice it for best workability/less crumbs, also makes it easier to carve if needed.

[shobbs]

Thank you very much for your help. I did use a box cake. I thought it would be the same as a cake made from scratch but I guess I was wrong. I bought some cake flour and have been researching so I think my next cake will do a lot better.

[Risque Cakes]

to be able to handle your cake, you should cool it and then wrap it and throw in the freezer overnight. let sit out for about 30 mins wraped before you unwrap it and start to carve!!!

[Rene]

Hi, you need a good firm dense cake for rolling fondant onto ... I found this out myself with a few mishaps....

[shobbs]

Originally Posted by Rene

Hi, you need a good firm dense cake for rolling fondant onto ... I found this out myself with a few mishaps....

Yes I noticed the cake I made was not dense like the ones I would get from the bakery. I just dont know how. Do you have a recipe you would like to share? My email is shobbs@woh.rr.com if you would like to send it there.