re: How to stop the fondant "bulge"

Using a stiff buttercream damn between your layers, should help you with bulging (Sharon Zambito method) the consistency should be stiff enough that you can roll the bc into a ball. To make the stiff bc, simply add extra powdered sugar. Also letting your cake settle overnight or placing something with substantial weight on top of the cake (heavy enough to push the bulge out, but not too heavy to destroy the cake) after you’ve damed and filled it helps to get rid of thebulge. Then before you cover the cake with fondant… if there’s a bulge .. cut it off then cover. HTH