sagging fondant bows

by Linda Veatch
(Illinois)

How can I keep my fondant bows from going limp. The past 4 Fridays when I decorated it's been humid and rainy. When I get ready to deliver on Sat. morning my bows just want to collapse. I have a very finicky mother of the bride this weekend and I fear this will happen again if we keep having this weather. Also sometime my buttercream frosting will wrinkle overnight. I leave my cakes in a cool air conditioned room but when I come out on Sat morning to deliver they sometime look wrinkled and and the frosting looks terrible. It was fine when I quit that night? Any suggestions? Thanks, Linda

From the editor:

Hi Linda,

To prevent the saggy bows, I would recommend using gum paste instead of fondant and making the bows at least three days in advance. Once gum paste dries, you won't have any issues with sagging at all.

Wrinkling buttercream can be caused by heat and humidity. Here are a few tricks to avoid the problem:

1. Let your cakes dry out on the surface,maybe 1-2 hours. You don't want the whole cake to dry out, just the surface to prevent any moisture forming on the buttercream.

2. After you crumb coat, refrigerate the cake at least an hour, but preferable overnight.

3. Store the decorated cake in a box, to absorb any moisture.

4. Make your buttercream stiffer than usual.

5. You can run a de-humidifier in the kitchen to help with moisture control.

Good luck.

Regards,
Michelle (editor)