Finally Tried Fond-X---I Hate It!
Decorating By BlakesCakes Updated 4 Jun 2006 , 4:28am by BlakesCakes
A while back, CalJava had a sale on Fond-X. I'd heard good things about it being able to be refigerated and good taste, so I bought 3 10# buckets.
This past weekend, a minister at church was leaving and I was asked to make a cake for 125-150 people. Because of his dedication to the kids in the congregation, I thought a whimisical, "seussical" type cake was in order. I made a 3 tier BKeith Ryder-style cake and set out to cover it in Fond-X in blue, yellow, and red. I checked the bucket for directions--just in case my usual methods needed to be modified--and was glad to see crisco or powdered sugar as surface prep recommendations. The fondant had a nice smell and texture out of the bucket, it took color very well, and it tasted good--but this is where the compliments end 
This stuff was sooooooo stretchy. It developed a surface "skin" on it before it could be completely rolled out (I had to roll pieces that were 24", 20", and 19" in diameter). It produced awful elephant skin when put on the cakes and because the tiers were tall--6" tapering 4"-- it stretched as I was smoothing it and deveoped thin spots that eventually eroded and it was un-patchable--and I worked quickly when covering these cakes. I rolled it to 1/4" and it didn't tear, it just continued to thin as it sat on the cake 
I usually roll on vinyl with a bit of crisco on it, so I cleaned off the crisco (thinking that was the true culprit) and sprinkled on some powdered sugar--just as bad! I tried some corn starch for tier #3 and saw no real improvement, either. I think it really would have been the ultimate nightmare had it been hot! I cooled the cakes (no sweating, at least) before stacking them and I think the texture was even worse. The fondant was too dry and the areas of elephant skin cracked when touched-gently.
I covered imperfections with surface decorations, but I hate to have to work around product problems! For decorations, this stuff was great for making ropes and fluffy clouds--because it stretches so much, but for cut outs it was a bear to get them off the mat and to the cake without major fingerprints and distortions.
I have one 10# bucket unopened and about 3 #s of "leftovers". I'll use it to cover flat surfaces, make accents, and 50/50 items, but no more covering tiers 
I'm back to Satin Ice 
I can't post photos because my dial-up service times out before the process is finished--sorry. I'll have a better connection over the summer and I'll put up photos then. The cake was very much appreciated and no one else saw the problems, but I wasn't too happy. 
Rae
I bought some and my problem was that is would not make a deep purple. It taste good but a nightmare to color. Really soft, as of right now I am going back the other brand I used before Satinice Fondant. Really good.
20 lbs for $55.50 from cakedeco.com
I just tried FondX for the first time as well (BRATZ cake). I had problems with strectching when I lifted the pieces to place on the cake. It was also very sticky when I added color. I thought it was user problems, not product as I'm very new to fondant. I have some FondX left over - at least enough to make one more small cake. So, I'll give it another try. If Istill have the same problems, I think I'll switch back to Satin Ice (or MMF).
WEll, dangit. I've got a 10# bucket that just arrived for a cake this coming Friday.
I was excited to finally get it and now I'm getting nervous.
I tried it recently for the first time also and suffered some of the problems you did also.
A friend told me to use corn flour, definitely NOT icing sugar(powdered sugar) and it made a HUGE difference, also an instructor recently taught me to spray my table with vegetable oil spray, not olive oil or a highly flavoured oil but something like canola, and roll out my fondant directly onto this.
There was no sticking and not a great deal of stretching either.
Try this and maybe you may be able to use up what you've bought, you may even find you like it 
Thanks for your input, Fran.
When I use up what I have left, I'll just use the cornstarch. It was marginally better than crisco, etc., but the elephant skin really bothers me the most. I just find that Satin Ice seems to keep a much nicer surface texture during rolling and after sitting on the cake, so I'll be "sticking" with that brand from now on.
Rae
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%