Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

1
asked May 12th 2014

Covering Red Velvet with Fondant

Hi, I hope someone can help me with this question.

I am making a lactose free red velvet cake with lactose free cream cheese filling and it is to be covered in fondant. I have made a trial run of this and it turned out lovely, with a brilliant colour – just very soft! I think this may be due to the fact that it is made with an oil based spread and not butter.

So, I am left wondering if the cake, being quite soft, will be able to support the weight of the fondant. I’m also thinking that maybe a few dowels in the cake might help support the fondant. Has anyone any experience of this?

1

Hi, I hope someone can help me with this question.

I am making a lactose free red velvet cake with lactose free cream cheese filling and it is to be covered in fondant. I have made a trial run of this and it turned out lovely, with a brilliant colour – just very soft! I think this may be due to the fact that it is made with an oil based spread and not butter.

So, I am left wondering if the cake, being quite soft, will be able to support the weight of the fondant. I’m also thinking that maybe a few dowels in the cake might help support the fondant. Has anyone any experience of this?

0

I make sponge cakes with margarine all the time and cover wth fondant even though they are quite airy fairy, i think especially if you roll the icing a bit thinner, 3-4mm it should be fine, but im not an expert see what others say. I cant imagine a cake not being able to be covered with fondat unless it is like a mouse.

0

Yeah, I use Stork most of the time too, but a red velvet is a very light airy cake. Yes, most cakes can be covered with fondant but sometimes the weight of the fondant can cause bulging in the filling and cream cheese filling is a lot softer than buttercream. It’s the bulging that I’m trying to avoid.

0

Oh yeah of course, i think you just need to put thin layers of the icing in, so instead of just two layers of cake with one filling try cutting the cake into three layers and just put a mm or 2 of cream cheese icing in between each and put it in the fridge for 20 mins if your worried.

0

Hi there, I had the same worries when I did a carrot cake for a 21st. I rolled the icing a little thinner than usual and used a cream cheese butter cream for the filling and covering. I got the recipe for that from the internet. If you use that then just keep the cake somewhere really cool but not the fridge due to using cream cheese.
Hope that helps.
Donna

0

Thanks 1979lizzy and donnas cake. I have covered carrot cake in fondant with no problems as well. However, the red velvet is a very different cake and I was hoping that maybe someone had already had experience in working this this cake.

0

Hello Susan

Thought this article might help http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/need-special-cake-mix-fondant-22222.html
Try crumb coating with a chocolate butter cream or white chocolate ganache (best) to give the cake a firmer structure. If I were doing this cake I would actually make another run and cover with the sugarpaste, total peace of mind then. Good luck Susan. x

EDIT

Just noticed lactose free so white chocolate would be out! sorry.

0

Hi MIWL, had a quick read, thanks for that. However, the cake in question has to be a red velvet and totally lactose free including the filling and covered in fondant. Unfortunately lactose free butter substitutes are mostly made from oils, like vitalite, so the cake is very light and soft. The filling is made from lactose free cream cheese, lactose free butter (which is soft) and icing sugar. I have scoured the internet, but most recipes are the same. I think I will probably use dowels and hope that they support the weight of the fondant.

0

I can’t see how dowels would make a difference if the original concern is whether the texture of the cake can support the fondant. Dowels support the upper tiers from collapsing into the tier below and not the weight of a covering. I think the article in the link has it correct. My instinct is still to produce a small re run and cover it with a normal thickness of fondant. If the cake supports the weight you know it’s good to go. On the real run I would roll out thinner if you’re stacking on it. I’ll keep searching, although like you I’ve scoured the interenet since you posted.

14 Day Free Trial