I'm using Satin Ice for the first time today and so far, I HATE it. I've only ever used MMF in the past, and it's been successful. I've got it rolled out, same as I always have the MMF and when putting it on the cake, it's ripping everywhere. I've got a huge mess on my hands. I've thrown most of it in the trash because it pulled the BC off the cake (Buttercream Dream, again all I have ever used) and I can't reuse it.

I'm trying to do a TT (3 layers 12", 3 layers 9", and 3 layers 6"). I can't get past the first section (12 inch) with the Satin Ice. It looks horrible.

Any hints, tips, suggestions before I scrap the whole thing?

1. Calm down.
2. Make sure you're rolling out the Satin on the thinnest film of veg shortening. If it seems way soft (super fresh) you can even let it sit a few moments (not long) to firm up before moving it to the cake.
3. Are you rolling it 1/4" thick?
4. If it pulls the bc off, flip it over and scape as much of the bc off as you can. then knead it back together and try again.
5. Do not throw out SatinIce because it has bc stuck to it!

I think gravity itself, pulling it down the sides is what killed it.
I want to peel it back off and try again...

It's not going to screw it up if some of the bc gets mixed back in??

I did roll it out on a thin coating of shortening, rolled it down closer to 1/8" I think and I've just never tried to cover a cake bigger than 9" before, or 3 layers. It started tearing when I moved it and got worse when it hit the cake.

I'm not giving up! I'm going to let my crumbcoat set longer this time and try again on the smaller tiers

Try rolling it thicker. It works better at 1/4" than at 1/8" inch. And it will be fine if some of the BC gets mixed in.

OK, I usually try to "suggest", but in this case, I'm TELLING you to go buy a box of Wilton fondant (or make up a batch of successful MMF) and knead in 1/3 Wilton or MMF to 2/3 Satin Ice.

Doing this, you WILL get GREAT TASTING, EASY TO WORK WITH, ABLE TO BE ROLLED LESS THAN 1/4TH INCH THICK Satin Ice that you can easily pick up on a rolling pin.

I do this EVERY time I work with SI and the results are FABULOUS!

Yes, if you have just BC--no cake crumbs--on your fondant, you can knead it in without ill effects--up to a point. Over time, too much buttercream will make the fondant softer and harder to work with (add more Wilton if this happens). Also, it can be dicey keeping leftovers with BC mixed in, as the ingredients in the BC can make the fonant gooey. Keep those leftovers separate and use them first.

HTH
Rae

I like to put my fondant over a nice chilled firm iced cake. Drape it over and immediately smooth the top and get it smoothed down over the edges so that the fondant is not pulling down so much. Then once its attached to the bc at least on the top edges and about an inch down the sides, you can spend more time working it down the rest of the way.

Also make sure you are not rolling the fondant super huge for what you need. If you have too much extra hanging off the sides, then yeah the weight will pull holes into it.

Oh how I wish I had known it was Ok to mix a little BC in if it gets on there. I tossed a TON of it last week when it ripped on me

I had the same problem the first (and only) time that I have used Satin Ice. I couldn't see what it was that people liked about it other than the taste. I wish I had known all the tips listed above! I think I'll try it again now!

I use Satin Ice all the time and have never had this problem. I roll it out a bit thicker and on a mat with a thin film of shortening. Never had a rip in it. I hope you can work this out as it's a shame when you try something new and it doesn't work.

I HAVE TO SAY, IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FONDANT. SATIN ICE IS AN EXCELLENT FONDANT, AND IN MY OPINION THE BEST TASTING. HOWEVER, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH. IT'S SO SOFT AND SILKY THAT ITS EAS TO LEAVE A FINGER PRINT IN IT. I STILL USE IT BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST TASTING, BUT WHEN I AM SCULPTING OR DOING LARGE WEDDING CAKES I USE PETTNICE FONDANT. IT IS THICKER AND ONCE YOU ROLL IT OUT IT HOLDS ITSELF TIGHTER AND MORE TOGETHER THAN SATIN ICE. TRY IT, YOU MIGHT LIKE IT. I LOVE IT FOR ALL MY "HEAVY DUTY" PROJECTS. BY THE WAY NEVER TOSS FONDANT WITH BC ON IT AWAY, YOUR OSSING YOUR MONEY IN THE GARBBAGE FOR NO REASON. AS LONG AS THEIR ARE NO CRUMBS ON IT, JUST SCRAPE OFF ANY HEAVY PARTS OF BC AND ROLL IT OUT AGAIN. HOPE THIS HELPS.

I had the same problem last night! I bought red, so I could quit kneading forever, and it was too soft for me. Anyway, I eventually got the cake covered, but this morning there are cracks on the top. I've never had that happen before. So frustrated!

wow i've had very different expereience. Usually my MMF will rip and tear and get that stretched look, but Satin Ice is sooo much easier for me to use. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd use it all the time, but I have to be selective as to what cakes get it and which don't.

I agree on the rolling it thicker suggestion and also making sure you don't roll out more than you need. Just these 2 helpful hints have been a tremendous help for me over the last few months when covering cakes with fondant.

I have bought cheaper, store-named fondant, and that was way stretchier, way goopier than Satin Ice. True, Satin Ice may not be as firm as Wilton, but it's close. Given the texture of some of the fondant I've purchased in the past, Satin Ice is comparably quite firm. I have tried to make bows out of the other stuff, and it was so slimy the loops wouldn't hold shape at all.

I'm also guilty of tossing fondant once BC was on it. But recently I've gotten wiser I just cut around the part that has the BC/cake crumbs on it. Because Fondant is not cheap. I did a Patron cake and the fondant cracked on me. I tossed the first go around of fondant and the second time it did the same thing I was like I refuse to throw out any more. LOL.

soooo... if i get b/c on some fondant and want to salvage it for my next cake, and there are no crumbs or major lumps of b/c... how long would it keep? wrapped, of course, in press and seal and/or saran. I too have thrown away major amounts of fondant from worry about "cross contamination"

It's the satin ice. I tried it once and never again. The stuff is god awful. I don't know why everyone raves about it. It is gooey and sticky, sticks to the mat no matter how much cornstarch you use (forget about shortening on the mat - you'll end up with goo) and it smells and tastes disgusting. It tears, sticks to the mat, slides off the cake, etc. Terrible. I tried to cover a cake with it and as soon as it was on the cake, the sides literally tore away from the top. So frustrating. It's the only fondant that has done that to me. Go make a batch of MMF and use that. I love MMF. I just bought 5lbs of Pettinice. I am going to see how that performs.

Oh and a little buttercream in the fondant never hurt. Wipe away the excess, and then knead it again. If crumbs get on it, just make sure you wipe them all off. (clean paper towel will do the trick)

I had the same trouble with Satin Ice, but as everyone has mentioned, I just rolled it out thicker and rolled it so that there was only a little excess to cut off. I also found that if there is a tear, it's a lot easier to mend the tear with Satin Ice than with Wilton or MMF.

Yeah, I wound up scrapping it and making MMF, which worked fine. I was trying to ave some time by using the SI (and hoping for consistency), but never again for me either. No matter how thick I rolled it, no matter how close to the table I got the cake (gravity), no matter what I did, it ripped. I called my friend and told her that her baby shower cake may not make it. I made MMF and it was fine.

I've got a small unopened tub of Choco-Pan in the cabinet, now I'm afraid to open it for fear the same mess will happen. I'm going to try Michele's next and see what kind of luck I have there..

Thank you all for your responses and sharing your experiences.

Weird. I love Satin Ice. Use it all the time. In fact I currently have white, chocolate, red, pink, yellow, black, blue and purple. I think it's the best stuff ever!

i used to use SI and once i discover Pettinice I will never go back... PI tasted great and my hubby who is the one that rolls out the fondant for me... swears by it, he says that it rolls out great, and is alot easier to work with than SI... we used Wilton ONCE... and NASTY... it tastes GROOOOOOOSE... we only use wilton to make figurines and we mix it with wilton gumpaste... and hope that no one ever eats it...

I just covered a cake in chocolate SI and even though it was hard to roll out because I needed a big piece it worked like a dream. I had never used the chocolate before so I wasnt sure how it would behave. I love it. And now that I know I can salvage a piece with BC on it I will use it more often. (I love the taste too!)

I have used fondex before and HATED it.

the place where i get my supplies doesnt have fondex... so i have never used it...

FondX is lovely stuff, but even softer than SI--I mix FondX 50/50 with Wilton! Still tastes wonderful and is a pretty white, but much easier to work with!

Rae

Wow...I guess this is a perfect example of why there are so many different brands/kinds of Fondant! I love Satin Ice...I have Red, Black, Chocolate, Yellow, Pink, Green and Blue in my pantry right now and use them all the time. It's the easiest to work with for me and tastes great (maybe it's because I have used it for a while now)? I think the most important thing is to just find whatever works for you and to not be afraid to try something new.

To everyone who reads this thread and hears all the different things people are saying about Satin Ice, please don't be afraid to try it!! You just might have good luck!!