I totally believe in adding some gumtex to anything that I want to set up. I just flatten the fondant out a little, sprinkle some in the middle, and knead it in. If it's not too humid outside, it will typically set up overnight for me. But the longer you let it set, the harder it will get. As for colors, just add a small amount of icing color at a time with a toothpick and knead in. Yon can keep adding until you get the intensity that you want. I use wilton fondant, even though I know it isn't that good taste wise. But that's all I knew about until I found CC and so that's what I'm use to. I would love to try Satin Ice, but don't have anywhere to purchase it where I'm at. I've tried to get mmf to work for me, but as of yet it hasn't. If there is anything else I can help with, please feel free to ask. And welcome to the world of fondant! I LOVE IT!!!
I wish you well. I am wanting to learn also. I have a son in the military whom I want to do a flag cake for.
I have made one of fondant using Janet Brown's directions and a great deal of help. Here is Janet's website if you want to see some really excellent flag cakes. http://www.janetscakes.com/CEREMONIALCAKE.html
Don't add anything to your fondant such as Tylose or Gumtex, just straight fondant. The first thing you want to do is decide where you want to place the flag on your cake and in what direction. I made a sheet cake, iced it in buttercream, plus a small 6" square cake, cut the square in half diagonally so you end up with two equal triangles of cake, fill and stack the triangles (I cut a board into a triangle a bit larger than the size of the cakes and iced them lightly with buttercream on the board and set directly on the iced sheet cake) then lay on top of the iced sheet cake with the point of the triangle facing to the back in whatever direction you want the flag to go, but have the point of the triangle pretty close to an edge of the cake so you will have room for the striped section. Then you roll white fondant to the size you want the finished red and white striped section to be. Roll fondant fairly thick, like 1/4" on a piece of vinyl you can later toss out or wash because you will be airbrushing on it. Cut the rolled fondant into a piece about 12" wide by 17" long, use a strong masking or painters tape and tape off evenly spaced stripes. You will need 7 red stripes and 6 white. so, the taped sections will become the white and the ones inbetween will be airbrushed red. The outside stripes on both sides will be red, so tape accordingly. Make the tape strips long enough to go beyond the fondant and attach to the vinyl mat at the top and the bottom. This will secure the tape so it doesn't move and smear the stripes. After the tape is measured off smooth each stripe so you know it is well attached and then use an airbrush gun with Americolor red airbrush liquid color, hold it about 12" away and do just a light coat of red between the tape, then do a second coat. The force of the air blowing the color may lift the tape up and cause overspray or smudging if the tape isn't well attached. You want to work quickly because the fondant will begin to dry and when you attempt to position it on the cake it will make crack marks in the red stripes. Carefully peel away the masking tape. Put your hands under the fondant and lift it onto your cake, Position it so the top is butted up and touching the bottom of the triangle shaped cake, allow it to drape in large folds as you lay it on the sheet cake, it looks nice with a portion of it hanging over the edge of the cake. You don't want the flag to lay flat and smooth, you want some movement to it. Now roll out blue fondant the same thickness, 1/4" and cut it into a square about 12" in size. Airbrush it with Americolor Navy Blue, put your hands under the fondant and lift it onto the triangle shaped piece of cake, you want folds in it as well, and try to get some of the folds to cover the top part of the striped piece so it actually looks like one solid flag, tuck the ends of the blue piece under a bit. Now cut out white fondant stars with a small star cutter, moisten the back with just a tiny bit of water on an artists brush and carefully position them on the blue section. Don't use too much water or they will slide around and smear the blue airbrushed piece. You don't have to actually have 50 stars. Just fill in as evenly as you can on the blue section, it will look so much like a real flag that people won't notice how many stars are there. They will however notice if you have the wrong number of stripes on the flag section. Carefully touch the points of each star to make sure they are laying flat and are well attached.
You can't make this flag ahead, dry it and then lay on the cake because the fondant will crack and it won't drape and look natural when you place it in position on the cake. You can make it of gumpaste and allow it to dry on the back of a sheet cake pan so it has the natural draping shape of the cake itself. But it is nicer done in straight fondant because it drapes and folds better and also because it can be cut and eaten when cutting the cake. You can also make the red stripes of fondant but it doesn't look nearly as natural as airbrushing the color because you will notice the difference in thickness of the stripes if you glue on red over the white.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=69325
This was my first flag cake and I learned a lot while doing it, it could have been better, but as Janet told me, people were so impressed by it they really didn't notice any flaws. The banner and photos are gumpaste with edible images and gumpaste frames painted with a mixture of gold luster dust, with a little super pearl luster dust mixed in and then thinned to a painting consistency with Everclear or Vodka.
WOW! Janet's flags are amazing! My brother is coming home from Iraq in 2 weeks and I have been planning on something real patriotic for him. Those are amazing cakes. I hope I can do justice to our flag like that.
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