How to Mold Fondant Ballerina Shoes

Top a birthday cake with ballerina shoes made of fondant.

A combination of sugar, water and cream of tartar, fondant is a soft, pliable form of icing that can be molded into just about anything, including ballerina shoes. While you can make your own fondant, you can save time by buying pre-made fondant. Then use either a silicone fondant mold to shape the ballet slippers or form them by hand. Whichever method you use, the trick is to mold your ballerina shoes in a cooler temperature room so the fondant doesn’t soften too much -- while working quickly so it doesn’t dry out. Does this Spark an idea?

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Fondant
Wax paper
Shortening
Rolling pin
Silicone fondant mold shaped like ballerina shoes
Small paring knife

Instructions

Mold Method
- 1
  
  Grease a piece of wax paper with shortening, and knead the fondant on it just until it becomes workable.
- 2
  
  Roll the fondant out on the wax paper using a rolling pin until it is about 1/4-inch thick. The amount of fondant you’ll need will depend on the size of the ballerina shoes you want to make.
- 3
  
  Press the fondant in a silicone fondant mold shaped like ballerina shoes, and place it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- 4
  
  Remove it from the freezer, and invert the mold to remove the fondant shoes.
Free-Form Method
- 5
  
  Grease a piece of wax paper with shortening, and knead the fondant on it just until it becomes workable.
- 6
  
  Roll the fondant into two balls with your hands.
- 7
  
  Shape one of the balls into a ballerina slipper by forming a log, and then use your fingers to carefully shape the toe and heel of the shoe.
- 8
  
  Hollow out the middle of the shoe with a small paring knife or your finger. Repeat with the other fondant ball.
- 9
  
  Add detailing to your ballet slippers by rolling out another portion of fondant, and cutting out ribbons and bows with the paring knife. Carefully press the ribbons and bows to the fondant ballerina shoes.

Tips & Warnings

If the fondant becomes too sticky, add confectioners’ sugar to it.
Work with small batches of fondant, and cover the extra fondant in plastic wrap.
If using a metal or plastic candy mold in place of a silicone fondant mold, coat it with confectioners’ sugar or a nonstick cooking spray before inserting the fondant. Otherwise, you will have a tough time getting the final product out of the mold.