Hi, I am new to this forum and very very new to the art of cake decorating. I like to challenge myself and since I am retired and not the athletic, out doorsie type, I look for ways to fill some time (when my grand daughter is not visiting). Last month I made a birthday cake for my brother-in-law which I took to the restaurant where the family was meeting for dinner. My cake was a big hit. Even the Chef was taking pictures of it. Last week I made one for my sister and also took it to the restaurant (different place) and everyone raved about it. They were very nice considering my inexperience, however they were less than perfect for sure. One of the waitresses asked me if I would do a cake for her boyfriend's birthday. I said I would have to think about it. I would like to do it for her (and earn a few bucks to boot) but I want to be able to do a good job. Now, on to my question ... I can't get a good shine on my fondant and gum paste decorations. I tried using the 50/50 corn syrup/vodka but it stayed very sticky and it also caused my painted on colors to run. I put the glazed items under a fan for 2 days and they still didn't dry. There is some humidity where I live but not like coastal or South kind of humidity. Now I want to put a shine on the whole cake but I don't want it to be sticky. I'll probably try shortening unless someone can suggest a better way????
Have you tried steaming your fondant? Steaming will impart a gentle shine. You can also use shortening. Why do you want your fondant shiny? I've used glaze on leaves, the hair on models, etc., but not on the cake itself.
@kakeladi , steaming will not add a high shine that lasts a long time, but it does add a bit of gloss which lasts a little longer than 5 minutes. I never steam the fondant on my cakes, but I steam gum paste flowers all the time. The do not stay bright shiny, but they do have a nice, permanent patina which makes them look a lot less like sugar.
Thanks everyone. In the end, I just used shortening and it worked well for my purpose.
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