Holy Cow! I made my first cake using fondant that I had to color, and place over a cake. I only covered three little cakes; I don't know how you people handle rolling out fondant to cover large cakes! Kneading in the color was time consuming but rolling it out was a real task! The cake did come out cute; but I worked on it for over six hours! (Not counting baking.)
Here's the end result:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=912823&done=1

We do cakes w/ 99% fondant and let me tell ya.... it is a pain sometimes But I have nice arm muscles now! haha

I agree with Meancat. After doing three fondant covered cakes this weekend, I was aching, but I've developed great definition in my arm and shoulder muscles in the six months I've been working with fondant! (Slim and toned, not Arnie style! )

Who needs workout tapes and the gym, when you've got fondant!

Kelly

I don't cover my cakes with fondant. I prefer the CBC, it looks kinda like fondant, but taste more like buttercream. However I do use ALOT of fondant and gumpaste for my decorations. And let me tell you, my right arm should be the size of a wrestlers by now. If only this workout could help me loose the weight around my waist!!! If anyone has any tips for that PLEASE let me know!!

I just can't fathom people rolling it out big enough to cover a 14 or 16 inch layer cake!

I had to do that with ONE cake and that was it. The bride specifically asked for a fondant covered cake. Unless they ask for it, I cover my cakes with CBC. This one was a 16, 12, and 8 inch rounds for her wedding and oh my, I thought I would be rolling it out until the wedding itself. Here is the pic.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=66408

It looks like the cake is offcenter, but it's just the way the flowers are draped around the cake.

Well just to turn this back around I have no idea how you guys get the buttercream so smooth, that to me is just amazing and a skill I have yet to master! I have the utmost appreciate for you guys!

LittleLinda - your cake turned out fantastic; love the draping and brims on the hats! Understand what your saying. I have yet to master it - I guess the old saying holds true 'practice, practice, practice.' I watch the videos where people just flip this stuff around in a matter of seconds....

Crusting Buttercream. I have a wonderful recipe. It looks more like fondant, but taste like buttercream. It works great with the Viva paper towel method to smooth.

OH! Crusting Buttercream. I use it all the time. Well, it's buttercream and it crusts ... so I guess it's CBC!

I love working with fondant, but would love to try your recipe for CBC frog80, would you mind sharing?

I love working with fondant although I gave up on mmf and started using satinice. MMF was a pain for me! The mess of mixing it, then knead, knead, knead...I just couldn't take it!

Here is my CBC recipe. . .

1/2 cup of cake flour
1 1/2 sticks of crisco

cream together in mixer

place a pot w/ 1/3 cup of water with about 1-2 tblsp of salt dissolved in it on the stove.

put 2 lbs. of powdered sugar in the crisco/flour mixture and add 2 teaspoons of clear vanilla (I sometimes use butter flavoring, you could add whatever flavoring you want at this time instead of the vanilla) and add about 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup.

Just as water is beginning to boil, pour over sugar mixture and mix until smooth. To thin icing for piping add more corn syrup until desired consistency.

Let me know what you all think.

Uh...how much icing does that make?

Not sure exactly how much it makes, but it's enough for me to cover a 11 X 15 sheet cake.

Maybe I do have arms of steel because I have a 37 lbs 27 month old that still likes me to lift him and carry him, but I didn't find it too hard to work with. Now, I did heat it ever so slightly in the microwave before I used it though (on super low power) to soften it up a bit. Then it rolled out like a stiff bread dough, imo. I'm talking about Satin Ice. I do make breads though that you have to knead in fruits (christmas stollen), so perhaps I'm used to rolling out firm things... Hmm... cold cookie dough for cut-outs is really firm too... It's all like that.

I'm curious to try making a fondant cake again, because I found it SOOOOOO much easier to work with than buttercream - like TONS easier. My only "fondant" cake is the Salazar Slytherin cake in my photos.

Well, I sort of made a fondant cake 5 years ago, but it was candy clay and I was TOTALLY clueless then when I made my son's castle cake for his birthday when he turned 6. He's turning 11 in a couple weeks now! Wow, how time flies!

Melissa

Your cake turned out great! Love the hats.
The only cake I've covered with fondant was my Class 3 final cake--it was fun and challenging but I can well understand the pain of covering a 14" or larger cake !!! I haven't had an order for a fondant covered cake yet but I use fondant alot in my decorations for cakes. Like playing with PlayDo --so much fun!

Linda, like I told you before I think that the cake turned out great.

Now BC v's Fondant? For me fondant wins egvery time. I am like some of the others here, they can't get that BC to smooth out like I would want it to. I know that some day I will get it to come out the wat that I want it to but to this day, nothing yet, I can't get the sides to cover completly. I know that you have to put plenty of icing but I still can't get it to come out right. With fondant roll it out crumb coat your caek and slap it on that is it and you are off to decoratinig. I love the stuff. Than that work that you can do with fondant you can't with BC, so i am a big fan of fondant.

Vicky

I have a real appreciation for everyone who uses BC! I find fondant fairly easy to use, but I'm hopeless with buttercream- either I'm making a complete mess everywhere or I've failed miserably to get it smooth no matter what method I've tried. I take my hat off to all of you BC users!

Bonnie from Scotland (how cute ... I'm singing "My Bonnie lies over the ocean". Anyhow, welcome to cake central.

your hat cake looks wonderful!!! Congrats on getting your first fondant work under your belt!

I love SMBC because you can smooth it like glass but I have had to learn to use fondant to cover cakes because my son's wedding cake will be done in fondant..so I am feeling better about that....still a few issues though..

Great job on that pretty cake!

Ooops! I guess I needed to finish reading the threat!! I'm sorry!

Linda,

Off the subject here, I just noticed that you are a Forum Superstar. Congrats, Good for you. Goosh I am slow I really just noticed it now as I was reading the other responds.
Oh well, that is me, SLOW.

VIcky

Thanks frog80. I appreciate your sharing.