Why does my fondant look like it has "stretchmarks" and how do I correct it?

How much time between the time you roll it out and the time you place it on the cake...and then the time that you smooth it on the cake? You have to work sort of fast...

After I rolled it out I immediately put it on the cake, then it already have these "stretchmarks". Can it be that I am rolling it too thin?

I find that the combination of spending too much time rolling my Satin Ice out in cornstarch and then placing it on the cake results in elephant skin or stretch marks. I find that if I roll it out (not too thin, btw) using a little shortening and then put it on the cake quickly, I don't have a problem.

Hth!

I used Michele Fosters fondant the other day and with the first tier I had tiny stretch marks. The second time I worked a bit of shortening into it (still rolled it out on a bit of powdered sugar) and it worked a lot better. More pliable.

I agree the shortening tip works-it seems it happens when my fondant is drying out. I personally have been using fondarific for awhile now and I very rarely have that problem anymore.

I get 'elephant skin' in some areas on my fondant as well, especially corners - is there any way to smooth that out? I tried rubbing some crisco on it but it didn't really help..

Sherry: did you roll it out onto powdered sugar/cornstarch or crisco? I find that since I've been using a light coating of crisco to roll out my fondant, I have significantly less elephant skin. You still have to move fast though, regardless of what you use.

I get the stretch marks (aaaarrrgh) when I roll the fondant just slightly too small and have to tug it a bit to cover it properly. If I do a tall cake gravity also doesn't help and I also tend to get stretchies Sometimes I wonder why I love fondant so much when it can cause me such grief But yes - rolling it a bit thin makes the stretch marks a bit more noticeable than if I roll it a bit thicker...

Thanks. I have never rolled my fondant on cornstarch or put in shortening, going to try it.