So, as the title says, my fondant cracks all the time! It's pliable when I roll it and it doesn't stick but when I get it on the cake and smooth it on it cracks on the edges of the cake, I don't know what to do. I try smoothing out the cracks but that doesn't work either. I don't really want to learn to smooth cracks I just don't want them to happen in the first place.

Anyway, I had an inkling that I may be rolling it out for too long of time? Could that be my problem? If not that then what is it?

Thanks in advance,
Lianna

Maybe the problem is, that you are rolling it too thin. That used to happen to me until I was taught to use a rolling pin with dowels (1/8 in.) laying on either side of the fondant so that my thickness was even all the way across. Hope that helps

I get that when I'm in a rush and don't kneed it enough - It can be soft and pliable but still not completley worked through. I now make sure to kneed fondant for one cake in parts and tehn add it all together and give it another round

You need to work reasonably fast too as the air will dry the fondant out so the longer the time between the kneading and getting it on the cake the more chance there will be cracks - so for example if you take a long time to roll it out or if you don't have your cake there ready to put it on and work fairly fast at smoothing it etc then more chance of cracks.
HTH

I had that problem when I covered my counter with powdered sugar or corn starch. It would dry quickley and crack! I now use PAM or shortening on my counter and it no longer cracks.
Love the idea about the dowels on either side of the rolling pin! I will definately be using that one from now on!

Thanks guys I will try all your ideas to cover my cake...in like a few minutes actually. Thanks so much again!

Dance2thebeat - curious...what fondant are you using?

I also only use shortning on the mat to roll the fondant out - keeps the fondant nice and supple. One other thing is that I microwave the fondant first to get it a little warm - makes it easier to knead it - then I knead it on a shortning covered surface to get it satin smooth before rolling it out.

I also never refrigerate before putting the fondant on, I like the fondant to adhere to the freshly iced cake - for me this works like a charm. I had a class of 5 last night that all did their very first fondant cakes just like this, and every one of them turned out perfect!

I don't "pick" the fondant up - I flip the entire mat over and peel it off. I use MMF - but I have seen the same technique used with satin ice also (on the Ulitmate cake off!)

I've gone to Fondarific and it NEVER cracks. I roll it about 1/16 of an inch and it just doesn't crack. I'm still getting the hang of covering cakes with it though. I tried every trick imaginable with Satin Ice and the only luck I had was using shortening and flipping the mat over but I could cover a cake pretty easily.

I bake the cakes, let them cool, wrap them with saran wrap, then I put one on top of the other like they will be when they are all done. I let them set overnight.

Next morning, I unwrap, level and get ready to finish them. I fill and crumbcoat. I then get everything ready - so there is no lag time between the final icing and putting the fondant on it. I ice, roll the fondant, and cover.

As far as the shortning, just enough on the mat to keep the fondant from sticking. As I am rolling, I will "lift" the fondant off the mat just to be sure there are no places where it is sticking. After flipping it onto the cake, there is usually not much smoothing that needs to be done, but if there is, I lightly dust the fondant smoother with cornstarch and smooth away - you can feel if the smoother needs dusted more, it will try to "drag" on the fondant. I can ice and cover a fondant cake a lot faster than I can smooth out a buttercream one if all the icings are made and ready!

Thanks Loucinda. Fondant is a mystery to me