How to Paint With Gel Coloring on Fondant

Fondant can be used at home to make your cakes look professionally made.

Fondant icing is most commonly used for wedding cakes. The super sugary and thick icing allows cake decorators to mold any shape or design. Fondant can be pretty tricky to make at home, especially if you're not a baker, cake maker or cake decorator by trade. But you can purchase premade fondant from local bakeries, cake shops or specialty grocery stores. The thickness of fondant makes dying it at home a little difficult, so instead of kneading in food coloring, simply "paint" the fondant with gel coloring.

Things You'll Need

• Rolling pin
• Paper plate
• Paintbrushes

Instructions

1. Place the fondant on a clean, dry surface.

2. Roll out the fondant with a rolling pin. You will want the sheet of fondant to fit over and around the entire cake, so roll out the fondant to be as thin as possible without tearing it.

3. Squeeze tubes of gel coloring onto a paper plate. You can find gel coloring tubes at bake shops and grocery stores.

4. Dip a paintbrush into one of the gel colors, and paint the color onto the fondant. Use a thin brush for writing, a medium-size brush for doing designs and a large, flat brush for such shapes as flowers and leaves or for coating the entire fondant.

5. Allow the gel to dry for an hour before serving.

Tips & Warnings

• If the gel is too thick, add a tablespoon of vodka to it to thin it out. The alcohol will make the gel easier to paint with yet not ruin the fondant. Never add water to thin out the gel. Water will ruin the fondant making it sticky and hard to use.

References

• Cake Decorating Corner: Fondant Recipe and Decorating Tips
• iFood.tv: How to Paint Brush a Fondant Fish Cake