Hi everyone,
I've been decorating for a few years and have recently starting using fondant. I've noticed that when the fondant dries it is sometimes cracking. Do I need to add anything to the fondant to make that not happen? I'm using satin ice fondant. Also, I have a big wedding cake coming up for my cousin. It's going to be a 4 tier outdoorsy type cake....waterfall, moss, rocks and pine trees. Any suggestions or guides on how to make pine trees (either out of fondant or icing). Well, thanks for the help.
Pine trees -- I like the ice cream cone method. Get cone shaped ones (not cup). You can cut them to desired size with a serrated knife. I used green icing and a star tip and just put stars all over them. I think I held them by the tip and then finished the very top after I pressed them onto the cake (it was in the fall, so I don't remember exactly). I have only posted two photos, so just click on my photos if you want to see.
Aine2 has a great tutorial for pine trees... and its really easy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDvpQn3fUcg&feature=channel_page
I learned off from aine2 video. Very easy and quick. I did this over a month ago and it sits right here on my laptop. No cracking at all but have done some fondant work that does crack. I read on here that not starting with a seamless round ball will cause stress, therefore causing cracks.
Haven't done it, but adding gumtex to fondant is supposed to make it easier to work with for figures -- dries faster, won't sag as much (so stiffer, I guess). There is also something called tylose that does the same thing. I have never used that either, although I just ordered some that should get here next week. What I read was that you add something like 1/2 or a full tsp per about a pound of fondant. I also read a comment by someone who said they add a little at a time and keep kneading it in, and you will know when the consistency changes.
When you are covering a cake, you just use plain fondant. You want it to stay soft. It has to be pliable but not really hold shape.
Gumtex, gumpaste, or tylose does several things to fondant. It dries it harder, faster. It makes it more moldable (is that a word?). It's hard to explain but a very exagerated way would be like comparing molding mash potatoes to molding cookie dough. It just somehow helps it hold it's shape better. It also allows you to roll the fondant very, very thin, like for flowers. For some reason without the gumpaste, you can't roll fondant out quite as thin.
Make sure your house is nice and cool..fondant is very tempermental..and I've noticed it cracks more easily if I dye it and then try to cover a cake with it..It's better to use plain white when completely covering the cake or buy your fondant pre-colored if you need a different base color than white.
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