I have tried to do a fondant bow cake topper about 5 times now and I can never get it right. It always cracks and breaks when I put it together and it falls flat.

I roll the fondant out, cut into strips, make the loops, and set each one on its side to dry. Then when I start assembling it on the cake it starts to fall apart. I been trying different things, through trial and error, but I'm ready to give up.

My customers love the look of a edible bow cake topper and I really need to get this right. Any suggestions?

Sounds to me like your fondant may not be completely dry. I stuff mine with tissue and give it 24 hours. Not sure why it's falling apart though. Are you using a "glue" when you put it together? Any extract will work just don't make it soggy. The tiniest bit works.

You can always do 50/50 gumpaste and fondant to see if that helps.

Are you just doing fondant or are you mixing something with it? Fondant alone doesn't dry as hard or as strong (unless drying for a really long time) as gumpaste or a blend of the two.

You can do a blend of gumpaste and fondant to make it stronger. You can also add gum-tex (wilton product), tylose, gum trag, and I have even ready about using fixodent powder. They will help the fondant be more like gumpaste so that it dries harder for you.

Hi there, didn't you add a bit of tylose to the fondant? It makes the fondant more pliable and when it drys it gets hard. I wouldn't use fondant only to make a bow. If you have store bought gumpaste, use 50/50 fondant and gumpaste.

HTH.

Check out the tutorial here. I mix 1/3 gum paste 2/3 MMF, this makes it dry hard overnight unless the weather is too humid it takes longer, also I put it together w/candy melts before I put it on the cake. Weather here doesn't let me assemble it on the cake (I learned this the hard way ). The candy melts (colored wathever color matches the bow) dry quick and hold the loops just where I want them.

I also use a 50/50 gumpaste/fondant mixture.

Adding the gumpaste and the other things mentioned will definitely restore your confidence when making bow loops!!

I've made straight fondant bows/bow loops (have some loops on my kitchen counter right now... still not dry and I made them over 24 hours ago now) but you really have to have the time to let these dry compared to those with the other things added in.

Good luck next time!! Don't throw in the towel just yet!