I have been trying to cover a cake with fondant all day today. Everytime I put the fondant on the cake it almost immediately starts to crack all over. Can anyone tell me why this is happening? I don't know what to do.

Have you been rolling out too long? Did you knead the fondant very well before rolling it out?

There are many ways to cover a cake with fondant. When I first started cake decorating, I too had problems.

I did knead it quite a bit as I was coloring it. Could I have over kneaded it? If so, how do I get the color right without over kneading and is there any way to salvage the fondant or should I just throw out what's left?

I don't think I rolled it out too long. Just enough to cover the cake. And it's not a very big cake.

colourings can dry out fondant, you may have to add a bit crisco too help.
i find it easier to colour small lumps at a time til they are well marbelled, then start kneading the lumps together.
xx

So can I salvage the colored fondant that I haven't thrown out by adding Crisco? I want to finish this cake today but am procrastinating becuase I don't want to frustrate myself. And if I keep throwing out the fondant I color, this is going to get pretty expensive.

you might be able to. too much crisco will mean you cant work with it either. trial and error im afraid! just add a tiny, tiny bit at a time.
xx

Also are you rolling it too thin?

I roll my fondant on a mat (silpat) and then flip it over onto the cake. In order to prevent "elephant skin" I slighty grease the mat with margarine before I roll out the fondant. This way that side stays moist and doesn't dry out.
Just be careful- you only want a thin layer or the fondant stays shiny and greasy!

The first time I thought I might have rolled it too thin. So I did it again, thicker and the same thing happened. This is not the first time I've had this type of problem and I have worked with fondant in the past with wonderful results. It's just kind of sporadic and I can't figure out the problem. My BF thinks it could be the temperature or humidity since I live in south Florida. This is a 3 tiered cake and I did the first tier early in the day and that was just fine. Although it had no colouring, just white. Could that be it?

I'm going to try again adding a little crisco to the fondant. I'll let evryone know what happens.

Are you using pre made fondant or did you use MMF? I find MMF dries out too quickly if you don't get it mixed just right.

I'm using Wilton's premade fondant.

Well I added a good amount of crisco and rolled out the fondant. It looked OK so I tried it on the cake. I got a few cracks that developed while trying to smooth out the sides but it wasn't too bad. Next time I'll try a little more and probably roll it out a little thicker too.

im glad it helped it can make you want to tear your hair out!
xx

ususlly add a bit of shortening can also add some glycerine to restore it if it gets dry. do you usually use wilton fondant? I know the taste is less than desirable (my own opinion) , there are some good marshmallow fondand recipes that are good, and easy to make, and taste good if you ever want to make your own. I only use wilton fondant for figurines becuase i do not like the taste.

Sorry for the late reply. Also, adding some color to fondant will change the consistency. That being said, sometimes it gets too soft to the point where it tears easily.

Let me just toss one more idea in here. Are you rolling the fondant big enough? I find that if you make the fondant a great deal larger than the cake surface, it's much easier to avoid cracks, overlaps and dry edges. Once you've fitted the fondant to the cake, cut all around about an inch from the edge with a pizza cutter (this fondant is clean and can be re-used). Then trim at the edge with a pointed offset spatula, which can also be used to make sure the edges of the fondant are stuck to the cake. These second trimmings might get mixed in with whatever you used to crumb-coat the cake with and so might not be reusable. Since I've started doing it this way, I've never had a fondant failure, even when my fondant is a little dry. HTH.

It's also a good idea with coloured fondant to colour it the day before you need it, then leave it covered in clip wrap/seal tight bag overnight. Especially the stronger colours. It allows it to settle and for some reason you don't get the cracks. The brighter/darker the colour the more unforgiving it tends to be...

My guess is that you could have kneaded in too much powdered sugar while you colored it....that can dry it out and make it crack.

When that happens to me I rub some crisco on my hands and knead it into the fondant until it starts to cooperate. Also if its sticky then I add a bit of cs. I also find that if it does not sit for a couple days prior to using mmf, it is a problem. HTH

Sounds like the color is the problem. The color has glycerine in it so you have to accomodate for the extra stretch. Adding more PS helps if too soft and a little crisco if too dry. There is a point where nothing can help and you just have to start over with a new batch. Adding the color during the mixing process, (if you make your own), will help you make the proper adjustments, easier!! Good Luck, I know it can be very frustrating, I still have problems and I have been working with it for serveral years, but, when it is good, it is REAL GOOD!! LOL!!

Well I finished the cake last night and it looked pretty good. There werew some issues but I ws able to hide them. I did a topsy turvy cake, my first one, and will be practicing another one soon.

I would love to make my own MMF. Can someone recommend a good recipe? I know there are many out there some good and some bad.

Well I finished the cake last night and it looked pretty good. There werew some issues but I ws able to hide them. I did a topsy turvy cake, my first one, and will be practicing another one soon.

I would love to make my own MMF. Can someone recommend a good recipe? I know there are many out there some good and some bad.

http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-3183-Rhondas-Ultimate-MMF.html