I've never attempted using fondant. Since I've heard that it's hard to work with, I planned to take a class before I attempt it so that I don't get discouraged trying to teach myself (which I often do!). But, there are no classes in my area until after the first of 2007 and I can't wait until then! I don't even know where to start. Can anyone tell me the basics on fondant? Thanks!!
Whether you make your fondant or use commercial, the quality is extremely important. Pettinice and Satin Ice are good commercial brands.
For real cake, the cake must be covered with a thin layer of buttercream (I think the UK uses marzipan instead), and it must be very smooth. The fondant will show any imperfections. The fondant will need to placed on the cake soon after it is frosted.
You will need a large area for rolling out the fondant. What you roll it out on is personal choice. I use muslin (heavy cotton) fabric taped tightly to my counter and dusted liberally with powdered sugar. Many use heavy-duty upholstery plastic. This doesn't work well for me.
The fondant must be kneaded until very smooth. When deciding how much you need add the height of both sides to the diameter of the cake. There's a chart somewhere on the net, but I just kind of guess about how much I will need. If you can, get a heavy rolling pin (they're not cheap, but well worth it) and maybe some clean PVC pipe to help lift the fondant once it's rolled to about 1/8" thick. If you get an air bubble, prick it with a straight pin and quickly smooth with your hand.
Place the fondant gently on the cake and immediately start smoothing from the top down. Lift the bottom of the fondant as you go around the cake to remove creases and folds as you smooth. Remove most of the excess and continue smoothing. When you get it as smooth as you can at the base, remove all of the excess. A pizza cutter works well for this. To get a more even look, a fondant smoother will make the sides straight and the top more even.
Boy, this sounds complicated, but it really isn't. If things don't go well, the fondant can be removed and re-kneaded as long as there are no cake crumbs in it. A little buttercream is not going to cause any problems.
If you practice, I suggest using an 8" cake. Any smaller can be difficult and larger is definitely harder. It's also a waste if it's only for practice.
I hope I haven't confused you. You can PM me with any questions if you would like.
Michele
I just made my first fondant cake, and making the mmf was the hard part (but the people here at CC helped me a bunch and it turned out great! Thanks you guys!) Rolling the fondant and placing it on the cake was actually easier than I thought it would be--just make sure to keep lifting up the fondant as you roll it, so that it doesn't stick. HTH!
i just made my first fondant cake and it was super easy. i made MMF, 3 ingredients. thats it. looked great, easy to work with, easy to make. i did have to microwave it to make it pliable, but that wasnt a big deal. the only problem i have is how to do the edges on a square cake. i sorta improvised and it looked a little weird. lol
you should write an article on fondant sugarflowers - that's a great set of instructions!
I've never written an article and have no idea what might interest others. I'll take suggestions.
Michele
Thank you all so much! Sugarflowers, I am going to print your instructions, I'm sure I'll need to look back at them a few times. I hope it's as easy as everyone makes it sound. Is there a certain recipe for fondant that's better than others? Also, my cakes always seem to be lopsided, even when I trim a little off to even them out. How do y'all get them to look so perfect?! Won't the fondant really show the uneven shape? Thanks again everyone!
I used this recipe: http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1949-20-Marshmallow-Fondant-MMF.html
But I haven't made any others, so I don't know how it compares... This one worked and tasted GREAT though!
HTH!
Here's a pictorial:
http://tinyurl.com/yjgj9x
and more recipes:
http://tinyurl.com/y2fy2b
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