Hi,
I'm baking the cake for my little granddaughter's 4 yr birthday party, which will be on Saturday. She REALLY wants the Dora cake that is in the 2006 Wilton yearbook, the princess Dora with the ponytail and the fondant dress. I've never used fondant before...my question is, Is marshmallow fondant fairly easy to do, so that I can expect to be successful on the first attempt? Or would you who are mm fondant experts advise me to bake and decorate a practice cake first, before the real cake. I want this cake to be special for my little granddaughter!
One more question--does mm fondant taste good enough that little kids will like to eat it?
Anyway, I was just wondering, and hoping some of you who use the marshmallow fondant will advise me. If the consensus is that this will take much practice, then maybe I'll consider baking a sheet cake and putting princess Dora on the top of that. Thanks!
Linda in NC
MM Fondant is the only one I use...the taste is good, my son eats it like bread. It is the easiest icing to handle..no mess no fuzz...
Whether you'll be successful on your first attempt or not ? that really depends on your skill..my first attempt was perfect. Try it !
At first you might think you have failed because it always looks so dry and falling apart.. but keep kneading it for at least a good 10 minutes..if it still falls apart add a few few drops of water and keep kneading until it sticks together and pliable, but not sticky to the touch..do not use powdered sugar to dust, use corn starch..I've never used shortening and I don't think I will..just the thought of it is EEWWWW !!! Grease on your icing ? I don't think so !! and just's just me.. good luck...
Hi Linda,
MMF is fairly easy to work with and taste pretty good.
Instead of doing the entire cake, just make the MMF and practice with that first and see how you like it.
I've only used it three times for my Barbie doll cakes and love it...getting better at covering my cakes 
MMF is very easy to make and work with...I always coat the bowl, my hands and the work surface with a light coating of crisco! No sticky mess and seems to help prevent cracking.
As far as taste goes...........it is very sugary, so it is a big hit with kids. A little too sweet for my taste though!
Good luck to you and don't forget to take pics to share with us!
hiya patton
As for how mmf tastes? it's sorta like those orange circus peanuts that you used to be able to get a long time ago (haven't seen em in a while) You can make it perty much any flavor that you want. Just add that flavor to your marshmallows during the melting process. As for kids likin it..... let me tell ya, can't keep my kids out of it. sheesh lol
My experience with MMF is very different from majal's.
I roll my MMF on a piece of vinyl (I buy that at WalMart in the fabric & notions area). I never use cornstarch or powdered sugar--which can leave a white dusty film on colored fondant--because I lightly grease the vinyl with Crisco and then rub my hands with Crisco.
I knead the MMF until it holds together--usually about the time it reaches a temperature that no longer feels cool to the touch. If your kitchen and/or hands are cold, you can microwave it for a very short time--5-10 seconds for a softball sized amount. If it still has trouble holding together, I find that a small amount of Crisco kneaded into it increases it's elasticity and sheen when applied. It doesn't leave the fondant greasy and you can't taste it or "feel" it when you eat it--no EWWWW factor at all.
Once rolled out--between 1/8th & 1/4th inch thick, depending on use--thicker for a layer of cake, thinner for applied decorations--if it's on vinyl, you can just keep the MMF on the vinyl, turn it over centered on the cake layer, sit it on top and then gently peel the vinyl off. This makes it very easy to shift the fondant without tearing. If it does tear, you can usually repair it fairly well by gently rubbing a dot of Crisco over the tear until it disappears. Water will make it sticky and can leave a shiny spot that will stand out from the rest of the piece.
For peace of mind, I'd experiment first--perhaps on a small round or square cake--so that you can get the feel of how this works for you. Once you get the hang of it, it's lots of fun.
Enjoy!
Rae
As long as you get the results you want !!!! and you're happy with it, that's all that matters... how you did it is really your style and way...
As they say, "To each it's own" ! Good luck..practice makes perfect.
Fondant ingredients are cheap, so knock your self out !
Hi,
Thanks to all of you who have shared your mm fondant expertise. It's very helpful! Sounds like I could go ahead with just the one birthday cake for Saturday...but I think I will at least make a batch of the fondant and see how that goes.
The Dora cake is on page 29 of the 2006 Wilton Yearbook, if you have that book and want to check it out. It doesn't look TOO hard, does it?
Linda in NC
I've never tried MM fondant, but am now excited to try it! Thanks for all your great hints.
I made fondant for the first time a couple of months ago. It was a bit messy for me because I didn't have a stand mixer at the time and had to knead the powder sugar in by hand. The results were great though. It's also easy to work with. It was only the second time I've worked with fondant and now I really like it.
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