How to Make Wedding Cake Fondant

If you’ve seen a wedding cake covered with fondant, you won’t forget it. The surface is satiny, draped smoothly over the layers and tucked elegantly around the base without a wrinkle. Professional cake decorators use fondant not only to cover the cake but also to fashion additional details, such as draping effects and floral items.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Marshmallow creme
• Powdered sugar
• Sifter
• Flavoring and coloring (optional)
• Vegetable shortening

1. Spoon the marshmallow creme into a large bowl and add powdered sugar while stirring until the mixture is thick and forms a ball on your spoon. The general rule of thumb is to use 1 lb. marshmallow creme for every 2 lb. powdered sugar, but don’t rely strictly upon those measurements since humidity plays a role.

2. Sift and add the sugar 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition. Add flavorings at this time, if desired. Although you can use regular flavoring extracts in fondant, for the best results, look for flavoring oils, such as Lorann, to provide the smoothest results. Use only a few drops of flavored oils since they are highly concentrated.

3. Stir the thick mixture until it is too difficult to do so and then turn it out onto a clean surface sprinkled liberally with more powdered sugar. The fondant should hold its shape like a clay ball.

4. Knead the fondant, adding more sugar to the surface and to your hands as necessary to keep the fondant from sticking. After a few minutes of kneading, the fondant will become very pliant and smooth. Lumps from the powdered sugar will dissolve, and the fondant will take on a satiny appearance.

5. Wrap the fondant completely in plastic wrap and place it in a large zip-type bag, squeezing the air out. Store the fondant at room temperature for at least 24 hours and for up to 1 week. By allowing it to rest, the powdered sugar is completely absorbed and the fondant becomes smooth and elastic.

6. Squeeze fondant in the bag to soften, then remove and knead it until you are ready to roll it. If you want pure white fondant, there is no need to add extra whitening because the marshmallow creme is very white. However, if you want colored fondant, add paste colors, one small dab at a time, and knead the color into the fondant evenly.

7. Use vegetable shortening on your hands and on the rolling surface and the rolling pin when you roll out the fondant. Roll to a thickness of 1/4 inch.

Tips & Warnings

• One batch of the above fondant will cover a 12-inch layer cake with a height of 5 inches. Make additional batches at the same time if you will be covering more layers.
• Add a couple drops of food-grade glycerin to add extra shine during the first kneading process.
• Ice the layers with a thin coating of regular buttercream and smooth it out before placing the fondant on the top.
• Consider buying a sample of commercial fondant to recognize the correct consistency when making your own fondant.

[kittybabe1029]

on 9/22/2009 hi,
i followed this tut in the morning but came out too grainy (even after i sifted the sugar), not only this but it is too sticky and not flexible at all.
is tere a way i can fix it?