What Is Cooking Fondant?

Bakeries cover their cakes with rolled fondant to make the surface look elegant and perfect.

Fondant is a sugary substance used to decorate pastries and cover cakes for a smooth finish. Poured fondant is typically found on pastries, while rolled fondant covers the messy finish that simply icing a cake leaves. Sculpting fondant is used to make miniature decorations for cakes. Fondant can be bought pre-made at cake supply stores, but it can also easily be made at home with a little bit of time and patience. Does this Spark an idea?

Print this article

Rolled Fondant
- When most people speak of fondant, they are referring to rolled fondant. Rolled fondant can be made from sugar, water and marshmallows or with glycerin and glucose, which can be found at cake supply and craft stores. This type of fondant is play dough-like in consistency, and when rolled out to approximately 1/4 inch thickness can be draped over cakes that have been iced with buttercream. From there, the fondant is pressed into the crevices of the cake and smoothed, either by hand or with a small flat device. Rolled fondant starts to crack shortly after rolling it out, so you have to work quickly when covering cakes in fondant.
Poured Fondant
- Poured fondant is basically a glaze that bakers put on pastries and petit fours, as well as some cakes, cookies, brownies and doughnuts. It is smooth, white and has a shine when it dries. Poured fondant is not like rolled fondant in consistency; it is a thick liquid that slowly spreads out when poured. To keep the poured fondant at this viscosity, it must constantly be above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. To glaze baked goods with poured fondant, most people place the item on a pronged fork, dip it into the fondant and then allow it to set on a sheet of wax paper.
Sculpting Fondant
- Sculpting fondant has a very stiff consistency so that it can be molded into various decorations for cakes and other pastries. Bakers use sculpting fondant to make ruffles, braids, borders and flowers. They also use sculpting fondant to create small candies. Sculpting fondant is dyed with food coloring or gel during the early stages of making it, when it is still a thin liquid, because attempting to knead dye into the fondant once it is in its stiffer state is extremely difficult.
Storage
- Storing fondant properly is important if you don't want to use it right away. Rolled fondant dries out quickly, so it must be kept in tight plastic wrap and stored in a plastic bag. When you are ready to use it again, knead it thoroughly before you try to roll it out. Poured fondant may be refrigerated, reheated and then poured once again. Once on a cake or pastry, rolled and poured fondant do not need to be refrigerated, and actually will most likely crack if they are. Rather, keep them in a temperate, dry place, such as in a box, for up to five days.