How to Make Things Out of Fondant on a Cake

Fondant decorations can turn a cake into a work of art.

Making things out of fondant is a true art. Common fondant decorations include flowers, sculptured bows, diplomas on graduation cakes and figure centerpieces used to celebrate weddings or other special occasions. Start with rolled fondant as the base onto which you attach the fondant pieces that you make.

Things You'll Need

• Food coloring
• Corn starch
• Cookie cutter or knife
• Piping gel
• Spatula
• Cake sparkles
• Strainer
• Decorator brush set
• Gum paste
• Edible color markers
• Piped royal icing
• Dowel rods

Instructions

1. Tint the fondant in the color you want it in, adding two to three drops of food coloring to the fondant before spreading it out fully, by hand kneading and a rolling pin. When the color is evenly distributed, go on to the next step.

2. Roll the fondant out onto a surface sprinkled with corn starch and then cut the correct shape with a cutter or cut the shape you want with a knife.

3. Paint the fondant if you need to by adding 1 tbsp. of piping gel with two to three drops of coloring. Spread it over the fondant with a spatula to completely cover it with paint.

4. Make your fondant sparkle by crushing cake sparkles with a spoon and then dust them onto the fondant using a strainer.

5. Tint any other parts of the fondant to add to your original piece unless you are using the same color. Add any superfluous objects onto your fondant with a damp brush, making a thin adhesive by adding a little water to some fondant. If you need a stronger glue, use gum glue adhesive, made from ready-to-use gum paste, available in shops.

6. Make any small indents in the fondant using a knife, such as eyes and mouth when crafting a face. Draw in any decorations with edible color markers.

7. Dust the fondant with confectioner's sugar or cornstarch to prevent sticking. Let it dry for 48 hours. Add it to the cake, pressing lightly with your fingers if you need to smooth it. To create more decorations, pipe royal icing onto the fondant.

Tips & Warnings

• To make fondant curlicues (curling ribbons), loosely wrap strips of fondant around dowel rods to make curls, leaving it to set for five to 10 minutes before adding it onto the cake.

• Do not use too much water when affixing fondant to fondant, as it can cause it to slide, creating a color residue if the fondant is colored.

References

• Wilton: Add Color or Flavor to Fondant