I'm working on my first fondant cake. Two questions:

1. Do I cut my shapes and let them dry before applying them to the cake?

2. How do I get a beautiful finish on my fondant without leaving signs of cornstarch?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I took a class from Carrie Biggers of Salt Lake City and this is what I learned. If the fondant pieces are going to be large flowers she uses a mix of fondant and white chocolate clay. She makes them ahead so they can set up and then glues them on. For little flowers and diamonds and circles etc., we just used the same mixture and cut and placed right onto the cake. It worked just fine. Hope this helps.

Either way is fine. You can let it dry if for instance you are making a topper and you want it to retain its shape or if you want it to curve with the cake you can apply it fresh. This is your choice.

As for the cornstarch.....I never use it. I roll out my fondant on either powdered sugar or shortening depending on what I am doing. Then I never apply to the top onless I am using an intricate cutter and need a bit of powdered suger on the cutter to keep it from sticking. Then, I use a oval wash artist brush to dust it off. (The brush looks like a blush brush.)
HTH

I only use shortening to roll it out, and use very little on the top. I've used a little on my finger to do little touch ups.

You can get the cornstarch off of your fondant by using a little shortening... It will soak into the fondant in a couple of hours and leave a smooth lovely finish.

Good luck,
Pat

I saw on ace of cakes where they used pure alcohol and airbrushed it on those spots on the cake. It evaporated and soaked up the CS. I have used that technique, but with a brush and dipped it then brushed of the majority ( to where your brush is mostly dry) then brushed the cake. Worked great

Thanks so much for your help!

Thanks so much for your help!

I lay a clean damp cloth over the areas that are marked for a minute or two and they disappear.

Don't do this if you have pieces of fondant that are set into a particular shape in case it softens them up and they lose their shape.

Just barely damp and only for a minute or two.