Adding Color To White Fondant?
Decorating By drnksince21 Updated 3 Apr 2007 , 5:44am by LisasCakesNM
i actually have 3 questions but dont know if they will fit in subject line. 1. if i use a homade fondant recipe, when do i add the food coloring, when melting marshmellows or directly to prepared fondat then knead it in? 2. for anyone that has tested more then one mmf fondant recipe, i've seen a more complicated recipe and a simple one that literally only has marshmellows, water, powdered sugar and crisco.... does it make difference, will i get a better quality mmf with the more complicated recipe, i think it was rhonda's by the way? lastly i'm worried about making a cake that will not with stand the weight of fondant, any good recipes for a firmer, heavier, moist chocolate and white cake as well?
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2163-Darn-Good-Chocolate-Cake.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1972-Durable-Cake-for-3D-and-Wedding-Cakes.html
these are my favorites but are box based i only use scratch for spice and carrot so others may help you with that.
for coloring mmf
either add after melting before sugar-great for big batches of one color or difficult colors
or knead in smaller amounts( more tiring)
both methods work
i use
1 bag mm melted with 2tbsp water
work in most of usually not all 2lb conf sugar.
i grease my hands well and work in an additional estimated 2tbsp crisco while kneading.
If the elasticity is not so good after i warm it i will knead in a little more crisco( i have gotten to doing this by feel-looking for something that aproximates commercial fondant)
hope this helps some.
the only time i have had trouble with cke supporting fondant waas wit a very strange sculpted cake that i ended up having to redo 
thank you for you response all info is helpful, have never made a cake that didnt come in a box and didnt use canned icing. i have recently started my own catering business and would like to exstind my potential clients by gaining expertice in the art of cake making too, this is definenetly the website to learn it at. i am making a cake for my friends shower on april 15th and will def. post pictures of the finished product so everyone can see my first "real" cake. i first got on this website 2 days ago and have already spent at least 12 hours here, and referred 5 friends...i am addicted!!!! any other advice here is greatly appreciated. i am a perfectionist and want my first cake to be perfect.
I have learned more here than anything anywhere else !!! welcome can't wait to see your cake
[quote="drnksince21"]i actually have 3 questions but dont know if they will fit in subject line. 1. if i use a homade fondant recipe, when do i add the food coloring, when melting marshmellows or directly to prepared fondat then knead it in? 2. for anyone that has tested more then one mmf fondant recipe...quote]
I use 'Rhonda's' recipe because it's easy and tastes just as good (if not better) than some of the more complicated ones. I play with the flavouring and some are outstanding! I just made a coconut flavour that was lucky it made it onto the cake. 
If I only need one colour I add it to the melting marshmellows, it blends in really well during the stirs and kneading. When I need more than one colour I seperate the batch, then knead the colour in, be patient though ... takes alot of kneading for a consitant colour, no matter what recipe you use.
I'm probably not the best one to answer your question on the cake recipe. Whenever I do a 3D I use pound cakes, they're firmer, tighter and that makes for easy carving. I hate it when I get all that baking done, then half way through the carving I end up having to make cake balls and start over. I personally will not use a recipe for carving if it calls for less than 5 eggs, my favorite one calls for 7 and it's never let me down - tight, heavy and holds the fondant weight. Just food for thought when your looking at recipes. Remember they are heavy when finished so use a sturdy base/board. I just had a board 'fold' when I went to lift it, I saved the cake but my pants are ruined 
, and my heart is still trying to slow down! I'm going to ask my hubby to make me a couple of wood ones when he's back at the saw, also will be using 1/2" foam boards no matter how small - I just don't think my heart would take another 'ooof' like that again!
You can add in the coloring whenever you want. If you need to cover the whole cake in one color, then I find it easier to add in the color when melting the marshmellows. If not just wait, kneading it in takes more time but then you can break up your batch and do different colors! I asked which recipe was best a while back and I got overwhelming response saying stick to the basic melt the marshmellows, add PS... I guess if it ain't broke don't fix it! Funny enought I also asked about cake density with fondant a while back! If you need any links to post just PM me! I have never had any trouble with cakes not standing up because of MMF! I love the stuff and have never had any trouble with it.... well there was one time... bad wal-mart brand PS.... Live and LEARN!!! Hope this helps!!!
Lisa
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