OK - tried fondant again - bought the satin ice. The cake did not come out too bad but the fondant was way too thick. I really tried to get it thin enough - it kept sticking to the counter no matter how much confec sugar I put on it.

What is the trick to rolling the fondant really thin?

Thanks!

well, I don't think you want it TOO thin, but do yourself a favor and invest $40 in a silicon mat that you can roll the fondant on. worth every penny. other will suggest getting a simmilar mat from a fabric supply, but the one I have (from Ateco) also has measurement on it to use as a guide for size.

You can pick up a Wilton rolling mat at a local craft store which will help out lots. It also has a measuring guide on it. A trick I learned at the Wilton class was to pick up a disposable dish cloth at the store and put cornstartch in it and use it to dust your surface. You could use a clean stocking too. Also, don't roll your fondant too thin.
Jacqui

I have the Ateco mat and it's wonderful! Other than that, try greasing the counter with crisco rather than using confectioner's sugar. Or a clean plastic/vinyl tablecloth coated in crisco, then you can just lift the tablecloth up, flip it over and place fondant on the cake. Then carefully peel the tablecloth off the fondant. This is how I do it with my Ateco mat.

~Chelle

I tried to take the class at Michales on fondant and gumpaste but it was cancelled because they needed 8 people so I have been trying to teach myself. I do love the fondant for molding but no luck so far on the actual cake.

I did try to use the white wilton mat but I did not use the stocking underneath, maybe that was the problem, I found it very hard to work with.

I do have silpat mats for my cookies, I did not know that they made larger ones. How do you know what is too thin? (I guess it rips?)

Try your Wilton mat again but dust it with the cornstarch and if you're covering your cake with the fondant roll it about 1/8". Yes it will tear if it's too thin. Rolling fondant is like rolling out pie dough. As you roll lift the edges and dust it so that it doesn't stick to the surface.
Jacqui

You could buy dough rings for your rolling pin to help you get the desired thickness.

Thank you for your help! I will try again this weekend.

Tiptops top tips:

I almost use strictly fondant and Satin Ice is my primary pick. Here are my easy instructions.

*Get yourself a flexible bench knife - flexible is the key here. (They are not too spendy. Next to my KA, I consider them the very best tool I own.)

*Get yourself a cheap Wilton plastic rolling mat guide and using masking tape - - - tape to your counter.

*Lightly grease your mat with Crisco.

*Roll out to the desired circumference.

*Run your bench knife around all the edges until you can pick up the fondant from the mat.

*Flip the fondant over your forearm and drape over cake.

Walla a beautiful cake!

Wow, maybe I've been doing it wrong, but I dust my mat with confectioners sugar lightly, not cornstarch.
If it's too thin, it will rip.
I also just use my mat to place it on cake. Peels right off.

My silpat is, by far, the best investment I have made for my cakes. (I got my KA mixer as a wedding present!) I roll the fondant on the mat, lightly dusted with cornstarch, then simply pick up the entire mat and flip it over the cake. Lift back the mat and smooth down the fondant. Works beautifully every time! I hate BC covered cakes. I almost refuse to do anything that isn't fondant. After you see the smooth, even surface of fondant, BC looks messy no matter how smooth I can ice it!

OOOH I do not have a bench knife - can you get this at any local supply store like Michaels?

Great tips - thank you!

meihana - no one complains about the taste of the fondant? Everyone peeled off the fondant icing but maybe it will be better when it is thinner - it was really chewy.

I hate to spend all that time and have people pick off the icing

LIGHTLY GREASING MAT WITH CRISCO WORKS FOR ME.
I use that really large Silpat mat. Works very well.
I go as large as a 14-inch round or square.
I no longer do 16 and 18-inch rounds in rolled fondant.

You can get the bench knife at a kitchen supply store. Mine has a ruler on it and it cuts also, so it is good for many baking items.

I also use just a touch of powdered sugar (which has cornstarch in it). but only a very little bit, since with the silicon mat you don't need much.

What works really great is vinyle table material you buy at walmart or material store. You do not need to grease it or use cornstarch or powder sugar which will dry out the fondant.

Roll fondant to about 1/4 inch thick.

Roll your fondant on the vinyl.

I have two peices of vinyl same size and I saw this on another webiste. Lay the second piece on top of the fondant, now the flip the two peice you will now have the nice smooth side down on the second piece of vinly, roll on of the corners to hold the fondant. Lift and lay on cake, peel vinly off and you have nice smooth finish and no tears for lifting becuase the fondant will stick to the vinyl.

I will see if I can find that link to so you can see what I mean. Very help and the vinly is very cheap.

Good luck