Here we go again… Reader Q & A!
Usually I get anywhere from two to five emails or questions on Facebook a week with readers asking various questions. I always answer – sometimes quickly, sometimes not so quickly.
Every week or two, I will a couple of reader questions and share the answers publicly! Do you like this idea? If so, leave a comment! And if you have a question, please be in touch and it may show up in a post!
This week I have only featured two questions because well... I had a sort of bad couple of days and I just thought I'd keep it short & sweet! So here goes...
From Sarah S. via email:
Q: You have been extremely helpful to me in the past in my fledgling cake business and I appreciate you taking your time! Quick question for you! I saw your post today about your organizational spreadsheet and would LOVE to know what works for you!...
A: I use a simple Excel Spreadsheet. I have never really used Google Docs Drive before, but I copied and pasted a sample of my spreadsheet from Excel and put it on Google Drive.
To view it, you can click over and see how I keep track of my orders (names, numbers, etc. have been changed/deleted)! I always put the orders in order by date, first to last (top to bottom) and I start a new sheet each year. I also "lock" the top column titles so they always stay visible. Any other questions about my spreadsheet?
From Laura J on Facebook:
Q: What do you use to stick fondant letters on to the cake? Sugar water, water...? Also when you roll the balls for your cakes to go around the edges, do you make them from fondant or icing? Thanks!
A: I used to use either water or "sugar glue" (Tylose mixed with water to form a glue). The problem is, you have to be extremely careful with water alone because if you use too much and it drips or runs down your cake, it makes a mess in a hurry!
The Tylose glue really does work great - but it's not ready in an instant. It's best to mix up and let it sit (and sort of "congeal") overnight in the frig. This is not always practical for us decorators who are super scatter-brained don't always think that far ahead.
But recently, I've started doing a couple of new things that I like much better!
When I can get away with it (when the decorations are flat), I rub the entire surface of my cake with shortening and apply fondant on fondant. A good example of that is the Rainbow Chevron Cake up top! All of those stripes are adhered to the cake with shortening alone and it works great! I also use shortening almost all of the time now to put letters one. I can move them around without damaging anything if I discover that I've put a name on off-center or too high or low!
My newest and most favorite method... melted marshmallow fondant with a little water! I learned this trick from CorrieCakes on Facebook and it's a perfect, easy "glue" for all fondant decorations. It only takes seconds to make and if you decorate with mmf, you have everything you need on hand to make this "glue". It's thicker than water, doesn't "run" easily and well... it's just a great solution!
See the picture up there... you just take a small ball of fondant, put it in a microwavable glass dish with a little water (less than a teaspoon) and microwave for 15-20 seconds. You'll get a perfect, sticky sweet glue!!
As for the balls to go on the borders... I've used both fondant balls and I've piped frosting with a large (usually #12) round tip. I like the look of fondant balls better, but the piping sure is easier and faster!!
And that's that!!
Thanks to Sarah and Laura for your questions this past week! Anybody else have a question? Or can you help answer any of these questions?
I’d love to hear from you and have your input/questions!! Shoot me an email or leave a comment!
Oh, and do you have any questions about these cakes? Please leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer!
Angelia
Great tip for the "glue"! I'll try that this week! I hate when the "glue" drips! Also, great spreadsheet! Love the color code. You are too organized! I just write mine in a date planner!
Rose
Thanks so much Angelia!
Valerie Khey
Rose,
Is Wilton gum tex the same as Tylose powder?
Thank you
Valerie Khey
Rose
It's not exactly the same but it's very similar. If I had to guess, I think it would work just fine for making glue!
Eugenia
Would piping gel be a good substitute? I've used that before for smaller jobs.
Rose
I've never used piping gel for glue, but my first thought would be that it doesn't dry like these other glues do. However... I could be wrong!
Eugenia
It works really well when using smaller pieces of fondant. I've also used it to glue on edible pearls. But I will definitely try the melted MMF method. Thanks for the tip.
Kim
How long will the mmf glue stay good for?? Is this something I can make now and use next week??
Rose
It would probably dry out too much and be just a blob. It takes less than a minute to make so I make it fresh every week, then wash out the glass when I'm done.
Constance
Whenever I work with gum paste or fondant, my finishing product has white all over it due to the cornstarch or powdered sugar. How do I remove it all off?
Ornella Maraj
How do I no if my Marshmallow Fondant is to soft after adding red food gel coloring to the finish fondant dough. I want to cover the cake and also make some decorations on it for my mom birthday next week. I made the MMF but I'm not sure if it's to soft never did any kind of fondant before I usually do crusted buttercream.
Please Help me
Cindy
I've never worked with fondant before and want to make an Easter bunny cake using your fondant ears. Do you just roll out the fondant, cut out the ears and let them dry out so they'll stand up or what?
Rose
That's pretty much how it's done, except you would want to add some tylose to the fondant so they'll dry hard.
Dawn Yuzwa
HI Rose,
I was just wondering, I have arthritis in my hands and a lot of kneading of stuff causes them to be painful. I was wondering if using my Kitchen Aid Mixer to knead the fondant (like a dough) would work? WQould i have to grease all the parts too? Please help.
Thanks,
Dawn
Rose
Dawn - I would caution you to try it at your own risk. When I tried to knead the fondant with my Kitchenaid, it started to smell like the motor was burning up. My mixer simply couldn't handle it. But I know others have had great success kneading with a Kitchenaid. And yes - if you try - definitely grease the bowl and dough hook!
Pat
have only worked with fondant in tandem with my daughter in law,,,have to make a large bow for a Minnie Mouse cake,,,approximately how thick do I need to roll the fondant???
Rose
I usually keep it 2-3mm thick.
Marlene Altman
I LOVE the tractor cake and appreciate all the steps you have shown in how to make it. I have been commissioned to make a John Deere cake for a young man's birthday - to feed about 75 people. {Problem is I KNOW I always undersell myself. IOW it takes me oodles of hours longer than I charge for. I can't keep "donating " cakes! WHat would you charge for something like this? How do you charge anyway or do you? I was thinking like $2.50-$3 per person and figure out how many people this kind of cake would serve... But that's tricky too. HELP PLEASE! Thank you so much!
Rose Atwater
I would not charge less than $4.50 per serving for this cake - so probably $350 . It's a very involved design and 75 servings is going to be BIG! For 75 servings, I'd do the tractor the same size as I have it in my tutorial and put it on a 10" square bottom cake or an 11" or 12" round cake. That would give you a total of around 75 servings.
Marlene Altman
Thank you SO much Rose, you have been so very helpful in so many ways, I can't begin to tell you. You share your tutorials instead of keeping secrets and end up making all of us look good too in the process. THX for your tips and advice! With this guideline you advised ($4.50 per serving etc) I will be able to sell my cake without losing my shirt, as I usually do! LOL! Thank you!
You're just too wonderful! 😉
Aisha
Hi Rose, how can I attach fondant circles to textured buttercream icing?
Rose Atwater
I have a post here that talks about some of the ways I do it: 4 Ways to Stick Fondant Decorations to Cakes!! Thanks for stopping by!
Gayle Pulliam
I have a question and I hope you ca help. I live i Texas and humidity is an issue at times,I made a basketball cake with fondant and it was a mess. I put powder sugar on it for the condensation but I couldn't get the powder sugar off so I had to just take it off and cover it with buttercream little stars. How do you deal with humidity especially when you have to put in the in fridge?
Rose Atwater
I almost never refrigerate my fondant covered cakes. If I do, I let them air-dry with an oscillating fan blowing on it until it's completely dry!
Gayle Pulliam
Thank you for your response. I saw your post about freezing fondant cakes and wrapping them very well. So I am going to try that on the girls cowboy cake. I love your site. I love that you share your information and give instructions.
Thank you again!
Rose Atwater
You're very welcome!
Heshani
Hi Rose,
Thank you for your wonderful websites and tips and sharing with us your tricks.
I recently started cake making as a business and stillmstruggle with pricing. Your various articles have helped me immensely though.
My question today is about taking deposits... should I? If so, how much? Obviously this will be something that comes up making cakes for strangers who contact you on FB and place an order.
And the other would be about time frame to place an order and rush order charges.. how late is too late and how would you charge... like a % of the order or a glad fee?
I typically like 2 weeks becoz I spend way too much time on it (definitely more than I should and am paid more) but usually people give me on a week or less.
Thoughts?
Jo Dee Hortz
Love your website! My granddaughter will be 3 soon and I'm making her birthday cake, Ariel, the Little Mermaid, is the theme. She wants a strawberry cake, yellow cake with fresh strawberries in thick glaze, The frosting will be a whipped cream with white chocolate pudding mixture. This will be my first shot at using marshmellow fondant, or nay fondant for that matter. I'll be cutting out small circles of different colored fondant to be applied to the cake to resemble mermaid scales. Will the fondant readily stick well to this type of frosting? I've ordered the food coloring you suggested along with the Tylose. I must admit I'm a bit nervous about this, but your website has given me a little more confidence. I'm a perfectionist, so you can see why I'm nervous! (Frosting recipe is 1 pint heavy whipping cream(whipped to stiff peaks), 1 3.3oz white chocolate instant pudding mix, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar) Seems to me, since their is no extra moisture in this frosting, the fondant shells would not be harmed in any way, what is your take on this?
Chef Cat
Hey Rose, this is Chef Cat! I'm an out of work chef, looking to borrow money to open my business. Any idea how to write a business plan? Can you give me an example of one? Or maxbe ai wasn't looking in the right place that you already have one? Could you please send me in the right direction? Thanks ever so much! -- Cat