Hi guys,

I am sure this question is out here somewhere, but I couldn't find it anywhere!

Om my last cake, the white and orange 40th bday, I used the fondant to cover. I think I figured out the fondant on the cake part. I used light covering of crisco to keep from sticking. But on the sculpting part, and the stars/flowers they dried out and looked bland up close. I am sure that I am nitpicking because everyone loved it, and didn't know what I was talking about!

As a attempting-to-be-professional-make-a-go-at-cake-decorating (breathe) I want to know does all fondant dry out and look dull after a while? Is there a time limit on creating it, and then delivering the cake with decorations?

Do the famous people, like Colette Peter's, fancy cakes always stay shiny? What does she do to make it look that way? Please help, I am OCD, and want to be perfect. (A curse!)

Also, if you don't want to post trade secrects, you can PM me too!

TIA (learned that today )
Angie

I don't know the answer... but would like to, so.....



BUMP



(learned that one not-so-long-ago )

I was actually told by a hairdresser to dissolve gelatin in some water and spray it onto the cake to make it shiny. I have not tried it yet though. Hopefully someone else will have an idea.

Try using luster dust. It gives it that "professional" look you see and seems to impress people more.

A few ways to get shiny fondant are to hold pieces over steam for a short time, just pass them through the steam a few times, turning each time. Or you could apply shimme dust

Luster dust or shimmer/sparkle dust are the answer for me. My DD loves painting it on everything.

I've read that brushing the fondant with piping gel will give it a shine. Luster dust also works well.

You can also add a dab of Crisco to the palm of your hand, use a dry artists paint brush and brush back and forth in the Crisco. The warmth of your hand and the brushing will slightly melt the Crisco, then just brush it on your finished piece. Steaming will make gumpaste or fondant shine for awhile but it will dull to a matte finish after a day or so. The main reason I steam gumpaste flowers is to set the dusting powder so it doesn't flake off on your iced cake. It does add some sheen to the flower as well.

There is also edible lacquer that can be sprayed on but I would only use that for a display piece I wanted to keep for a long while. The lacquer does have a taste to it and it also will begin to yellow after awhile.

I rub lightly with crisco-for the cake. The flowers are usually brushed with luster because I'm addicted to it!! Super pearl rocks my world!!

I had also heard that the steam method works well.

i am sooo glad that whoever it was posted this topic about making fondant shiny! I am always wondering how they did that! I love the luster dust but I do think that the crisco might be better. But wouldn't that make the fondant taste funny???

It is such a light, light layer that I don't think it does anything but add sheen. You wouldn't want to glob it certainly, you just put a tiny bit in your palms, rub them together, and then rub on the cake...kind of like applying lotion to the fondant.

Thank you so much for always being so helpful! I have been addicted to this, and would like to open a bakery here, but don't feel ready. 3 little ones make it hard to practice because there are little fingers inthe icing, and they always have to practice with the fondant too!!!

Saying that outloud was silly! I should BE LETTING them help play, then they stay quiet!!!! Thank you again, Angie

I lightly spray my entire fondant cake with Pam spray when I'm done if there is cornstarch on it. Check out on CC my Pirates Bat and Hat cake, you can see the shine. At first it turns out REALLY shiny but then it absorbs into the cake, but not all the shine absorbs. Take a peek. I found this out by mistake b/c I had a panic attack when I finished this mostly black cake and had tons of cornstarch on it.

ginger

confectionary glaze