fondant icing

[brenda]

Hello when I put fondent icing, ready made from supermarket, onto my birthday cakes the icing becomes very stciky after the first day. is there anything you can do to stop this from happening.? I am making my granddaughters cake tomorrow. many thanks

[rach]

Hiya Brenda..

you say its sticky..can i ask how you roll and apply your paste what do you use..are you rolling out on icing sugar...is your cake covered with buttervream before you apply you icing...
Do you use a smoother on your icing too get a smooth finish..your hands must be dry if they are slightly wet then the paste can get abit sticky..or if its splashed with water...

Let me know on the above..not quite sure what else it could be..unless it is being stored in a humid enviroment...
HMmm still thinking..

let me know ....

[brenda]

Hi Rach,
I put some apricot jam onto the sponge and put icing onto it. roll it out on icing sugar. No do not use a smoother. some times I put buttercream icing on the top to decorate. I am making the barbie cake this time and will be making it this way. Do you think it would be better to just use buttericing instead.?When the icing gets sticky is after a day or two after it has been cut. I think my daughter covers it in foil or puts it in a tupperware cake box. any ideas would be great many thanks

[dizzy]

from my experince my iding alway goes sticky after being kept in a tupperware box, possibly due to damp ness being kept inside or not, i now store my cakes in the white cardboard cake boxes, where the icing doenst become sdticky

[rach]

hmm you have got me on this one.....going to throw a couple of ideas .....maybe someone else might have a better idea but here it goes..I think it might be trial and error..I will keep looking see if I can find a cause but this is my own thinking......

You say you pipe buttercream onto the cake once it has ben iced maybe after a day or two the moisture from the buttercream is being soaked into the buttercream and spreading so making it sticky...
Have you done a cake with out piping buttercream on the top..how was that cake...I have never had this problem but then I dont pipe buttcream onto the top of foundant I only use fondant icing or royal icing..so that might be the problem....

With storage I tend to store it in the box once it has been cut...or just loosely wrapped in foil...I dont use tupperware..again maybe moisture from the cake in the box is making it sticky..

I alsways use buttercreamto stick my sugarpaste down as it is already made and helps fill any little holes in the sponge so getting a smoother finish..

These are only suggestions...racking my little brain here to think what else it could or migh be..sorry not to be more conclusive..but maybe one of those or abit of a couple might help..

Maybe someone else can shed some light on this one..

but please let us know how it all goes..and whether it goes sticky again..I really think it might have to do with the quantity of piped icing on the top....

Does anyone else know....please

[dkcrooby]

The only thing i can add is that when i put my dummy cakes covered in sugarpaste/fondant icing in our freezing cold conservatory (has no heaters), it gets very sticky and if i leave it long enough, actually falls off the dummy! As soon as i bring it indoors where it's warm (20 - 23 degs), it's perfect.

Hope you get it right.
Shianne

[brenda]

thankyou both for your answers. I have just put the icing on and not any buttercream on top but have still had the problem. It has even fallen off of the cake at times. Think it must be the storing of it. will have to get a cardboard box and try that.