Hi everyone! I need some advice. I decided to buy a costco cake (cause I love them) just iced and cover it in mm fondant. I made a test cake on father's day to try out the mm fondant and have to say I was pretty happy with the way it turned out. I attached a picture of it below. I saw so many tutorials online on how to make the mm fondant. For this cake I made it the night before and just let the mm fondant sit out and rest. The next morning I rolled it out and covered the cake with it. It seems a bit stiff and I felt like if I rolled it out anymore it would crack. It was probably about a 1/4 in. thick. When I was first done with it (the night before), it seemed perfect. Also, I cheated and bought wiltons fondant for the decorations...but I didn't even try to taste it. So this time I want to make the mm fondant to cover the cake and for the decorations, here are my questions:
How long can I keep the mm fondnat out? I have a few colors I want to make so it will take me a considerable amount of time. I would love to make it in the middle of the week so that I'm not crazed the night before the party.
Also, let's say earlier in the week I wanted to use some of the colored mm fodnant I made to roll out and do the cut-outs for the decorations. How long can I leave them out? I'm trying to think of how I can do everything ahead of time so that on the day of the party I just have to assemble the cake.
One more question, for the mm fodant I made for the picture below I added food coloring to the melted marshmallows before mixing in the sugar. I couldn't get the blue to the deepness I wanted, but I think I have to use icing gel, so I will try that. But if I'm going to do multiple colors would it be easier to make small individual batches that I can add the color to the melted mm or should I make a big batch and keep it white then add the color and kneed it in? And if I do that at what point do I do that, right when it's done or once I'm ready to roll it out and actually use it.
Any advise would be most appreciated! As you can see I'm new at this and would like to do as much in advance as I can. Thank you soooo much!
I have left marshmallow fondant sealed in zipper bags out on the counter for a couple of weeks. It isn't made from anything perishable, so it's safe. (Marshmallows sit out on the grocery store shelf forever, don't they?) It gets more workable after it rests. If it's too hard to use, I put it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time until it's pliable.
Whenever I need several colors, I make half- or quarter-batches and add the coloring to the melted marshmallows. It's much easier to blend in color when it's in the gloopy, melty stage. But be careful...it's HOT!
You can make the cut-outs ahead of time. Just cover them to keep them dust-free.
I made some MMF several weeks ago, and stuck the leftover into a zipper bag and put it in the cabinet as an experiment to see how it holds up over time. I just took out a piece and it tasted fine (but I don't know if I'd use it on a cake). It's also very pliable.
As for the color, a good dark blue is tough to achieve. I don't know what icing gel is or how you would use it. Do you mean piping gel? I don't know how you would use that to color fondant.
Have fun with it.
Good for you! I think you did pretty well at your first attempt.
Stiffness & dryness of the mm fondant could have been the result of too much conf. sugar when you mixed it. Or, did you grease your fondant ball before you wrapped it in cling wrap? If not, that could have been the issue. When I make mine, I only make it a little stiffer if I'm going to color it. I color mine with gel coloring, usually the day before I'm going to use it. That way it has time to set up and not be sticky.
As far as coloring as you make it.... I have found that, coloring only as much as I will need is the best way for me. Otherwise you wind up with colors that just sit waiting to be used and eventually the mm fondant starts to lose some of it's elasticity. I store mine wrapped in cling wrap and place inside a ziplock bag. It lasts about a month or more. If you are doing white mm fondant and it seems too stiff, knead it on a well greased surface once it's been warmmed in the microwave. That may loosen it up a bit, or you can add, a couple drops of water at a time as you knead to bring it to a consistancy you can work with.
I make my decorations with the fondant as well and when I need the decorations to be stiff and rigid I add gum paste to the appropriate size fondant ball I need for that particular decoration. You can make your decorations ahead of time. I have decorations (flowers, boarder balls, etc...) that I made months ago that were extras, and they hold up just fine inside an airtight container. If you are making them colored, make sure they aren't exposed to sunlight. This can fade them...especially red/pinks and blues/purples.
I hope this has helped you some! Good luck and keep at it. It's gets easier with practice. My family had to eat a lot of cake when I first started out. LOL
Sorry this is so long, but wanted to cover your concerns.
Good for you! I think you did pretty well at your first attempt.
Stiffness & dryness of the mm fondant could have been the result of too much conf. sugar when you mixed it. Or, did you grease your fondant ball before you wrapped it in cling wrap? If not, that could have been the issue. When I make mine, I only make it a little stiffer if I'm going to color it. I color mine with gel coloring, usually the day before I'm going to use it. That way it has time to set up and not be sticky.
As far as coloring as you make it.... I have found that, coloring only as much as I will need is the best way for me. Otherwise you wind up with colors that just sit waiting to be used and eventually the mm fondant starts to lose some of it's elasticity. I store mine wrapped in cling wrap and place inside a ziplock bag. It lasts about a month or more. If you are doing white mm fondant and it seems too stiff, knead it on a well greased surface once it's been warmmed in the microwave. That may loosen it up a bit, or you can add, a couple drops of water at a time as you knead to bring it to a consistancy you can work with.
I make my decorations with the fondant as well and when I need the decorations to be stiff and rigid I add gum paste to the appropriate size fondant ball I need for that particular decoration. You can make your decorations ahead of time. I have decorations (flowers, boarder balls, etc...) that I made months ago that were extras, and they hold up just fine inside an airtight container. If you are making them colored, make sure they aren't exposed to sunlight. This can fade them...especially red/pinks and blues/purples.
I hope this has helped you some! Good luck and keep at it. It gets easier with practice. My family had to eat a lot of cake when I first started out. LOL
Sorry this is so long, but wanted to cover your concerns.
Good for you! I think you did pretty well at your first attempt.
Stiffness & dryness of the mm fondant could have been the result of too much conf. sugar when you mixed it. Or, did you grease your fondant ball before you wrapped it in cling wrap? If not, that could have been the issue. When I make mine, I only make it a little stiffer if I'm going to color it. I color mine with gel coloring, usually the day before I'm going to use it. That way it has time to set up and not be sticky.
As far as coloring as you make it.... I have found that, coloring only as much as I will need is the best way for me. Otherwise you wind up with colors that just sit waiting to be used and eventually the mm fondant starts to lose some of it's elasticity. I store mine wrapped in cling wrap and place inside a ziplock bag. It lasts about a month or more. If you are doing white mm fondant and it seems too stiff, knead it on a well greased surface once it's been warmmed in the microwave. That may loosen it up a bit, or you can add, a couple drops of water at a time as you knead to bring it to a consistancy you can work with.
I make my decorations with the fondant as well and when I need the decorations to be stiff and rigid I add gum paste to the appropriate size fondant ball I need for that particular decoration. You can make your decorations ahead of time. I have decorations (flowers, boarder balls, etc...) that I made months ago that were extras, and they hold up just fine inside an airtight container. If you are making them colored, make sure they aren't exposed to sunlight. This can fade them...especially red/pinks and blues/purples.
I hope this has helped you some! Good luck and keep at it. It gets easier with practice. My family had to eat a lot of cake when I first started out. LOL
Sorry this is so long, but wanted to cover your concerns.
Peony421-
I was just reviewing the cute picture of your cake. I think you did a great job! I'm going to attempt making some cupcakes this week using the MM fondant and will need some brown fondant. Did you have to mix the colors to get brown or was there already a brown food coloring? Or did you use chocolate? Please describe your process.
Thanks,
Dasme
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