I am looking for advice on how to make those beautiful fondant impressions that I have seen on cakes, like the diamonds that look pressed in.

I am acually wanting to put oak leaves on the side of a cake that are pressed in like the diamond look.



Do you do it as soon as you put the fondant on. Do you actually cut the fondant or just press? Use water, crisco???

I am new to using fondant. Just made my first batch of Rhonda's Ultimate MMF and love it!!!


Any suggestions??

Yes, you need to make your impressions as soon as you can after placing the fondant. If it dries too much, it will be really hard to get a nice impression.

You can use impression mats or cutters, i.e, Patchwork cutters. Actually, I've even used cookie cutters. Just remember to press lightly if you're using something out of metal or sharp.

Do I need to use something like water to help smooth it??

No water on fondant. It will dissolve the sugar and leave pockmarks.

Make sure your fondant is nice and smooth and then just gently press whatever you're using for the impression into the fondant. Leaf cutters would work pretty simply.

I need more help with this, I MUST be doing something wrong! I pressed my impression mat into the side of the cake "a bit more than gently" and it left impressions, but they faded shortly after that. If I had pressed any harder, it would have knocked my cake over....
So, how do I get them to keep from fading away? Some peoples on here look like they will stay there forever! So nice and clean cut.....

Are there any secrets or tips I'm missing????

I would like to know as well!!

I would love some help on this topic as well

There is every cutter you can think of out on the market - you just have to look and shop around. I have everything from geometric shapes to circus animals, and just about all the patchwork cutters (with the books) - which I love!!! Makes up for a lot of time and my lack of artistic talent.

Since the fondant is so thin, you have to be careful with your pressure, and you can use them on BC and pipe over the design for a nice effect, but make sure your BC is cold or you will make a mess!!

HTH

I have found this to be true when using mmf only. I have to press really hard and there is some bounce back. Lightly dust mat with cornstarch to keep it from adhering. Someone suggested going over the the impressions afterwards with the tool that has interchangable wheels....I forget what it is called but it you can also use a sewing wheel...for a crisper look.

I guess I'm just weird 'cause I impress my fondant first and then put it on the cake. Granted it is a bit tricky as you have to handle it with extreme care. Now if I am decorating dummy cakes, I'll usually press the diamond impression mat against it right after I've covered and smoothed.

I use MMF and don't have any problems if I press into it immediately after I put it on the cake. What I had a problem with this weekend was transferring a design that was on parchment paper to the fondant. I used a tool with a sharp point and I could hardly see the design. Anybody have a better method?