And please be patient with me. I have not taken any classes. Would love to but due to 3 kids, one with SNs, and a constantly deployed spouse, Im just having difficulting getting to one. So Im figuring things out for myself.

How do you get fondant to lay so smooth? I've used it 3 times now and each time, I could still see the shape of the cakes. I just did one today for a bday tomorrow and I cut off the top and sides of the cake. Still came out lumpy.

I also cant seem to get the fondant to lay smooth for round cakes. When I smooth the sides, it ends up overlapping. I cut it and smooth down but a seem is still visible.

Is regular cake icing okay to use under fondant?

What's the best way to keep fondant from sticking to surfaces while cutting shapes and stripes? I used conf. sugar and besides coating my clothes and just getting everywhere, it didn't help much with sticking.


Is there a way to get buttercream close to the smoothness of fondant?

Does flavoring fondant really help?

I know Im going to sound like an idiot but, when working with icing, bags and tips, how do the tips stay put? They pop out, for me.




I just want to make cakes for my family's events. Right now, I am beyond frustrated from my attempts today . I have never failed so miserably. I did learn something, though. Apparently, fondant likes you to have A/C on if you're using it during the summertime. lol. I figured that out after 5hrs of dealing with tacky fondant. lol.


I am using Wilton RTU white fondant
Wilton color dyes
Conf. Sug.
BC cake mix(butter yellow)
BC frosting(buttercreme)
Wilton small fondant roller
Wilton smoother
Wilton cutting tool.


Thanks!

Hi there!

I haven't been to any classes either...just the school of youtube and CakeCentral

I use marshmallow fondant, so I'm not too sure how it compares to the Wilton stuff. I have heard that Wilton's fondant is really easy to work with, but lacking in the taste department. I flavor the marshmallow fondant with Lorann oils and it makes it taste great. You might try that with the Wilton stuff, or you might try making marshmallow fondant and see if you like it.

The best way to keep your fondant from sticking is to get a piece of thick clear vinyl...think tablecloth cover stuff...at the fabric store or in the sewing dept. at Walmart if your Walmart still has one. Cut a piece to fit your countertop, and lightly dust it with cornstarch on a pastry brush before you put your fondant down. As you roll the fondant, you'll need to dust the top occasionally, pick it up and flip it, then dust the bottom too.

A bigger rolling pin would probably be helpful to you...not necessarily the large wilton fondant roller because it's hard on the arms, but something bigger than the little white plastic one, when you're rolling enough fondant to cover the cake.

You should try making your own buttercream. It's a different, thicker texture than the stuff in the tub, and it will help to make your fondant look smoother on the cake. It also tastes better. I really like Indydebi's recipe: http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-6992-Indydebis-Crisco-Based-Buttercream-Icing.html Using a crusting buttercream will also help you get the cake smoother before the fondant goes on and will help you get the fondant on easier.

I use a cake circle cut to the exact size of my cake...just foamcore board cut to the size and shape that I need. I cover it with press and seal wrap before the cake goes on it. Once the cake is filled and crumb-coated, I set the cake, on it's perfectly fitting board, onto something that's a smaller diameter, like a coffee can or smaller sized cake pan. Then I roll the fondant and put it over the cake. Since the cake is not on a board that sticks out further than the cake, the fondant will hang past the cake and any wrinkles or folds that form will hang lower than the cake. If it's hanging down really far, I trim the fondant with kitchen scissors, a little ways below the cake board. Then I open up any folds that are forming and start smoothing the fondant, starting with the top. Work your way down the sides toward the bottom. Don't cut out any excess and don't let any folds form. The fondant will stretch over your cake and the extra will get smoothed out. When the cake is as smooth as you would like it to be (or as smooth as it will get, depending on how well it's going, and you're right, humidity is a big issue), then trim the excess off, slightly lower than the cake board because it may shrink up a bit when you cut it. Transfer the cake (still on it's exact-size board) onto a larger cake board that you've decorated, and use a spatula or bench scraper to tuck in any little bits of the bottom edge that look out of place.

To decorate a board, I like to roll fondant onto a plain piece of foamcore, make impressions in it with stamps, then glue a ribbon around the edge. It doesn't take a ton of effort but it makes almost any cake look a million times fancier.

When you're cutting strips or shapes, save yourself some aggravation and get a metal pastry wheel instead of that plastic wilton cutter. You can get one at Target for $4 that has a regular and a scalloped wheel. It works great.

Oh, I meant to add that I used a big wooden roller for the base coat of fondant. I did purchase the BIG Wilton one but I haven't opened it yet. Instead, I coated the wooden one with CS.

I think I am going to have to look into making the icings and fondants. Maybe that'll make a big difference.

Does the MMF really taste like Marshmellows? I don't like MMs. lol. That's the only reason I haven't tried it yet. lol

It tatses like circus peanuts if you follow the recipe. You can change and double the flavoring you want.

I add all kinds of flavorings to it...my MMF tastes like butter rum, vanilla, coconut, raspberry, almond, orange (call it dreamsicle), etc...

Hi there fellow caker and welcome.

The trick to getting a smooth fondant covering on any shape of cake is to make sure the icing you lay underneath is smooth.

Any imperfections there and it will show up in the fondant.

My very first cake I used the store bought tub frosting and it was ok but I had the very same problem you did.

Best thinkg to use is buttercream and it is so easy to make too. If you look online in the recipe section here on CC you will find tons of different variations of buttercream.

Have fun and experiment with the recipes and find one that works best for you. Me personally I use indydebie's recipe as I like the taste and the way it holds up to heat in outdoor venues.

A crusting buttercream is also helpful and that is when the icing dries a little and forms a slightly hard crust on the outer layer. You should be able to touch it and not pull any icing off onto your finger.

Once you BC has crusted you can use a few different ways to smooth out any lines or unevenness using paper towel(VIVA), fondant smoothers or parchment paper. You can also use a small foam roller the kind you can buy at the hardware or local dollar store.

Once your BC is smooth then it is time for the fondant. Most people (myself included) dont always get it right, but the more you do it the better you will get

If you do some searches on You Tube there are some excellent video tutorials online, I would recommend tonedna videos. And she also has a great recipe for BC as well.

Hope this helps

You've gotten some excellent advice so far so I'm not going to duplicate it but what I can add is that maybe you invest in some dvd's. Sharon (Sugarshack's) dvd's will definitely help you in most if not all of your questions.

Here's a link to her site:
http://www.sugaredproductions.com/

This is a great way to learn (besides youtube and CC) that does not require you to leave home!

Good luck!