How Do I Make My Fondant Not Crack Or Go Dry??
Baking By kirsty2504 Updated 17 Aug 2015 , 12:15am by ShannonWinc
Hi, Was after some advice...I have recently started making cakes and the first few have been ok. My only problem is that the fondant icing seems to crack and look very dry..Is there anything i can do to stop this???
Thanks, Kirtsy
If you add too much powdered sugar it will dry out your fondant. Try using shortening when kneading and rolling out your fondant. If the fondant becomes too shiny from the shortening, just rub in small amounts of powdered sugar.
hth 
Also, don't spend too long rolling it out - the more time it's out, the more likely it will dry.
xx
rule of thumb is: if the fondant is cracking add crisco, if it's sticky add powdered sugar. And be patient with it...sometimes I've found that the fondant needs extra kneading to get it to that soft dough stage.
Thanks very much guys...Im from the uk and dont think we get Crisco...what about Trex?? Thanks for all the advice!
Hi i was wondering if anyone has tried using fondant mixed with gumpaste and if they found a smoother finish? I need to make a peacock wedding cake
@kirsty2504 You can get Crisco at Waitrose but I hear it is not the Crisco it used to be as they swapped the recipe and it is now softer. (Mine is really soft, like butter that has been left out of the fridge for a few hours...) Trex is an alternative. I have not used it, but many decorators do. Be careful not to use too much of either of these products as they cause stomach upsets, to put it mildly.
@ShannonWinc Did not mix up commercial packets of both as too expensive. Tend to use Tylo powder mostly on shop bought fondant. It goes a long way. If you prefer, you can buy gum tragacanth instead but it needs curing for a day in the fridge and it is much more expensive (but not as expensive as buying ready made gum paste!) I only use the ready-made ones when I do little flowers or figures. Hope this helps.
Thank you. How do I work with the tylo powder????
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