I made MMF. Beautiful texture. Also made a recipe in black. Let them rest over night. When I went to roll out the black (first), I used crisco to cover the board and the pin. I rolled it out, always rotating to keep it from sticking, but it was difficult the whole time and rolling the pin over the dough made kind of a wave action. I didn't want to use powdered sugar but I decided to use it on the board since you wouldn't see it. It started sticking worse and by the time I got it to size, I couldn't lift it without it tearing.

I gave up and went to the white, using powdered sugar on top and bottom and pin. Same wave action started, but the sugar helped. I don't know if I rolled it out too thin, but it kept cracking. I was trying to not add too much sugar so it wouldn't dry out too much, but nothing I did seemed to help. It started sticking to the board too, and I just did my best and got it on the cake, cracking and all. I rolled out thin strips of black to cover the cracks, but it was truly horrible. Very frustrating. What did I do wrong? What's the thinnest it should be rolled?

In the pics, I was so unbelievably far behind (being that I was decorator, caterer, and planner for this party) so I didn't have enough time to really do the cakes properly so they wouldn't show through the MMF. Please ignore that part....

It looks like the fondant was too thin. Some prefer it about 1/4 inch thick.

Wow, no offense but you sure did have a bad time with that fondant. I use cornstarch when I'm rolling out fondant b/c it seems like the crisco makes it hard to work with if it gets too much in it. How do you cover the cake? I roll my fondant out on the mat to no less than 1/4 inch thick, smooth it with cornstarch and the smoother, then turn the mat and fondant upside down over the cake, lay it on top, then peel it away. Also, I have a problem with my MMF being crumbly the next day, I am going to try cutting back on the PS and crisco.

Yes, 1/4 inch thick is about right. That looks way too thin.

for me, i think you were not able to place the fondant on the cake properly. you might need to read/watch more on how to place the fondant on the cake. there are several videos on youtube.

i only use mmf on my cakes, the only disadvantage that i experienced is cake condensation. MMF cant handle condensation that well compared to fondant from scratch. MMF can be paper thin and still manageable. of course, its just my opinion and based on my experiences.

I think I was trying to get more out of a piece than I should have, which is why it's thin. Kimmy: no offense taken, it's utterly horrible. I was balling so hard I thought my insides would come out. Wouldn't the cornstarch be the same as the sugar, as far as powdery residue on a colored mmf and drying the fondant out?

As far as watching videos, I think I spent too much time watching videos and reading posts and not enough time trying it for myself. I thought I could handle it with no problem, looked easy, but I didn't give myself enough time for errors. Ugh.

As for smoothing, and getting it on the cake, the frosting on the cake was not thick enough, ran out of BC with no time to make more, so I didn't get it covered well, especially in that one pic where the cake looks cracked.

See where it's overflowing at the bottom? I couldn't get that to lay on the cake smooth, lots of overlaps. So I just left it like a piece of material. I did what I saw others do, fluff it out, smoothing upwards so it wouldn't crack on the edges, but it just wouldn't settle in!

Why couldn't I get it to lay flat on the cake sides? Too much, too thin again?

Sigh... welcome to the horrors of fondant! My first fondant cake had a huge crack on it. Ok, crack doesn't even cover it. It's posted in the worst cake thread, I think...

Anyways, cornstarch is a miracle worker. I highly recommend it. Also, was this homemade or Wilton? I hate to say it but I would recommend using Wilton the first time just because it's the proper consistency. Just don't eat it. You might die from awfulness!!!!!

Also, to cover your cake. Take your cake (with a cake board cut exactly to size of cake with enough allowance for frosting and fondant). Then take a Crisco can or something that the cake can sit on and is smaller in diameter than the cake. This way when you put the fondant on the cake it's not being held up by anything and is actually helping you smooth it. See, sometimes fondant plays nice. Then cut off the excess (I usually allow an extra 4" to work with). Too much excess and it causes more issues. Then fluff and smooth and move around the cake until you get it just right. If there's a wrinkle anywhere, then fluff it.

Ag shame man! I feel so sorry for you- I can just imagine how you felt.
Your fondant is definiteley to thin, and then, I also used to struggle with pieces overlapping at the bottom, until someone here explained to me that you need to cut off the excess with you pizza-cutter BEFORE trying to smooth it out at the bottom. Since I've been doing that I had not troubles anymore.

So cut it first, then fluff.... Got it! Thanks for the can tip aswartzw. I'll definitely try lifting the cake to cut the excess. I have one of those pedestal spinners, but if the cake is smaller than the top, it wouldn't work right.

I did used Wilton the first time, which I was glad I did so I could understand what it was supposed to feel like. But, like was said, it tasted horrible! This was only the 2nd time I've used fondant and the MMF is so easy to make I thought it would be easy. So, it was definitely too thin... Try cornstarch... but what about the cornstarch on deep colors? And why did the crisco not keep it from sticking to my board or the pin? This doesn't make sense to me.

Use cornstarch instead of PS - I think the consistancy is different. And yes, you have it too thin, like everyone else said. 1/4 " at least.

Good luck!

I've made MMF several times and finally gave up because the consistency varied so much. One day, I made 2 batches in a row. The first batch came out perfect and the second batch...well, I had the same problems you did. It stretched, it cracked, it tore and I was so frustrated. I was doing the cake as a surprise for a friends birthday but I haven't been able to make myself try MMF since. I've been using Satin Ice but I think I'm going to try Toba Garrett's and Michele Foster's recipes for comparison.

I agree also that it is rolled too thin. I've used all types of techniques when rolling fondant, cornstarch, shortening and PS and if differs slightly based on the humidty but cornstartch works best for me, but just enough to keep it from sticking.

You talked about the wave effect when rolling it out and I think you are pressing down too hard with your rolling pin. Just use slight pressure and always start from the middle.

Good luck and don't give up!

Sorry for the troubles....definetely way too thin. I always make MM fondant and though I might get slightly different consistencies I always manage to get it right. I find that keading it very well before using it is a must. I normally apply a very thin coat of crisco to my work surface and then powder sugar. Rotate the fondant and do not roll it too thin. NOrmally I roll it between 1/4 and 1/8. Some people don't like it too thick so I have to go a little thiner than 1/4. Yours was definetely too thin. Hope this helps.
Sandra

I think MMF might be a bit hard to learn with, as it is more temperamental than purchased fondant. (JMO). buy some Pettinice or Satin Ice until you get it down pat, and then try "harder" fondants.

I hate MMF... (coming over from the SMBC thread to see what you problem was ). I make Michele Foster's Delicious Fondant (recipe found hree in the recipe section) and it works great everytime. MMF is tempermental to say the least. It does look like you rolled it out way too thin. I usually roll mine out to about 3/8 of an inch. Roll it so you have enough to work with.. a 10" cake that is 4" high will need about a 20" circle of fondant to be workable. I put my cakes on top of a cake pan that is 2" smaller in diameter so you can have the space to work the fondant and cut it easily. Keep trying.. and buy Sharon's DVD..