How do you stop fondant icing from looking 'cracked and crusty'?
I've done a few cakes and the ones that have the more fiddly pictures end up with raggedy edges and the fondant seems to crack - what am I doing wrong?

I've a Ben 10 birthday cake to do soon and the facial features are very small...

thank you!!

Try using a different recipe, there are very many in the recipe section here on CC.... i have a faithful recipe that i use ... when i can get to it i will PM it to you.

In order to keep fondant from cracking the following 2 things can help :0)

- use less powdered sugar when rolling out. The more you use the more it dries it out.

- rub the surface with a thin coat of crisco after you have placed it on your cake (or before you put in on.. either way just a very lite coating).
This will help as it absorbs slowly after you are done while the cake is resting.

:0) :0) :0)

thank you both for your help! Glad to know that there's a solution!!

Will adding crisco after applying fondant also help to make it super shiny, or only help with the cracking? It would be nice if it did both!

I have also used Crisco on my table when rolling fondant out instead of powdered sugar.

I used to get the elephant skin (cracks) with SI.... I started making my own MMF... I got a recipe here and tweaked it... and since then.... no more cracks... or dry looking fondant... to get it shiny... I use my iron on steam setting.... works great... super shiny and not sticky....

hth

Fantastic! I read a clothes steamer worked really well but I don't have one. I do, however own an iron. Score!