Birthday cake, fondant Icing - help!

Hoping for some tips to help make this whole cake making process easier.

I am making a cake for DS' second birthday. A number 2 cake (original I know!) 2 of them actually - one for day care, one for home.

The plan is a number 2 cake, covered in fondant, with some fondant stars on top.
I have been told to get some rolled fondant, and a butter-cream icing to go between the cake and the fondant - is this correct? I hope so, as this is what I have done! I have also bought a fondant smoother, and star shape cutter...

I have some already the coloured fondant, and the butter-cream icing - and I am ok with the actually cake making part, but have no idea where to begin.

Can I bake the cake the day before I plan on doing the fondant? If I do, should I do the layer of butter-cream then or when I do the fondant.
If I do it when I bake the cake, how should I store it until I put the fondant on?

Any tips for getting the fondant on, or for making this whole process a little clearer or simpler?

Once its totally iced - I have been told not to put it in the fridge - is this correct?

HELP!

Fondant can't go in the fridge so once its done keep it in a cool place it hates humidity too. You can bake the cake the day before, the buttercream will need time to set so make it then put on the buttercream then fondant once its set a bit. If you do it straight away it will slide off. Can't give you any tips about getting the fondant on to the cake as I have only done round cakes, maybe watch some you tube videos? Also colour the fondant ahead of time otherwise it will be too soft and sticky to roll.

I usually bake the cake a day or even two ahead of the party day. Do the cake crumb (a light layer of butter cream), then put it in the fridge/freezer. Then do a thicker layer of buttercream and when that is set but not too hard is when I put the fondant over. If you can roll the fondant fairly thin its pretty easy to manipulate it around curves and cuts. Its also fairly easy to add little pieces of fondant here and there if you need to get in a weird shape and then gently smooth over the join. And yes. Definitely keep it out of the fridge and in a cool, dry place. Humidity is a killer for fondant

I have got away with not waiting my crumb coat to 'set'. I put the buttercream on extremely thinly, rolled out my fondant, and put it on. Good if you realise you are a little pressed for time. Other than that, yes, everything said above!

Also, if you are nervous about placing your rolled fondant onto an odd shaped cake, cover the cake (its easier before doing the crumb coat) with glad wrap, and practice laying the rolled fondant over the top. You can press the fondant a little into corners and the like, and then peel it off the glad wrap without it being 'contaminated' by cake or buttercream. Re-roll your fondant ready for the real thing. And don't forget to take the glad wrap off the cake! Have fun!

I have no idea, but what Netix said makes sense! good luck

OK, so what I normally do is bake the cake beforehand (3 days for mud cake, 1-2 days for other cake) then once cooled smother it in glad wrap until it is air tight and freeze. It is easier to work with fondant on a frozen or part frozen cake. Then when it is decorating time I unwrap the cake and first use bits of fondant to fix any issues with the surface I.e. fill a hole with a blob, even up an uneven cake bottom bottom with a 'snake' of fondant along the low side etc. Then cover with butter cream smoothing it out with a palette knife, maybe even dampening the palette knife a couple times for extra smoothness. Then roll out the fondant and carefully place it over the cake. I haven't done an odd shape like that but I think I would try and roll the fondant as big as possible to give yourself lots to wrap around all the corners. First thing to do in gently smooth and rub the fondant over the cake with you very clean hands. The warmth of your hands warms the fondant a touch and gives it a bit extra 'give' when trying to shape it the cake. Keep very slowly working working it into shape until it looks like a sheet with a cake under it, then whip out the fondant smoother and smooth it even more. Then cut off the extra fondant and do the bottom edge however you want. You can cut it off and kind of poke the edge under but this can look a bit unfinished and lots of people put some other decoration over the top.

HTH

Oh my gosh! You guys are amazing. Thanks.
Exactly the tips I needed.

Will be baking one of the cakes when I get home - the daycare cake will be the practice cake.

Thanks again for the help :)

Good luck, have fun with it, and don't forget to show us how it turns out in the parties/cake section! :)

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Good luck, have fun with it, and don't forget to show us how it turns out in the parties/cake section! :)

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Not sure I'm that game - have seen how awesome the cakes are in there!

I am sure it will look great, and you know what the best will be is that your ds can say mummy made it!

Thanks girls for your help once again! Here's a pic of how the cake turned out.
DH did most of it in the end - I was scared of ruining it!

that is awesome! great job.

It looks fantastic!

That is ace! Well done!