I only level my cakes before ganache or fondant – I squish it like you do, but then scrape any bulge down so that the sides of the cake are flat again. However the ganache does the greatest job in holding everything in – you couldn’t squish a cake with ganache on it without the ganache cracking and making a mess.
I would say that a quarter inch is just too shallow and would also promote bulging. I cut mines just shorter than the fondant.
I am learning all the time too – just when I think I have something mastered, it shows me who is boss lol However I LOVE cake decorating, in fact there is nothing more satisfying to me than a perfectly covered cake – simple but amazing!
https://www.facebook.com/tortacouture | Perth, Scotland
