Fun with Fondant

Have you ever had a piece of wedding cake covered in fondant that looked so delicious, but took a bite and then pulled the fondant off the cake because it was so horrible?  Here is a delicious recipe for fondant that is super easy and inexpensive to make and tastes so delicious that you will be sneaking bites as you go along.

This is my niece's 16th birthday cake.

She came over with her mom with a drawing of her design.

 

Of course, I love the color scheme.

Her mom made the cakes and the fondants and then brought them over for me to put together. 

Marshmallow Fondant

16 oz. marshmallows - use good quality marshmallows

2-3 T. water

2 lb. powdered sugar

   Place the marshmallows and water in a large microwavable bowl.  Place in the microwave and microwave 30 seconds until the marshmallows are beginning to  melt.  Remove from microwave and stir the melted marshmallows and water together.  Repeat until completely melted and blended together. Place in your large Kitchenaid or other heavy duty mixer bowl.  You will need a powerful mixer to blend this.  Use your bread kneading hook.  Add the 2 lb. powdered sugar and any paste coloring and flavoring you would like.  This makes coloring the dough so easy.   I like to add 2 tsp. almond flavoring.  Begin to mix the dough at a low speed.  Mix until completely blended.  This will cover an average 8 or 9 inch double layer cake.

   The fondant will be warm at this time.  You will want to let the fondant cool before you use it or it will stretch too much.   Let it cool for a while and then place it in a large plastic Ziploc bag to save for later use.

   This cake is a 12 inch round on the bottom, a double layer 8 inch square in the middle and a 6 inch layer on top. To cover this 3 layer cake we used 3 batches of fondant.  Fondant can be kept in a tight bag for a few days.  It will stiffen over time.  You can soften it by kneading it on the counter.  If you just want small amounts of colored dough, knead the paste food coloring in after making the batch of fondant. 

   To decorate the cake, cut a piece of cake cardboard which you can buy at craft stores in the cake decorating area of your craft store to fit the cake.  It should not extend past the cake layer. You will usually have to trim it as the cake shrinks as it bakes. Place a small bit of frosting on the board to glue the cake to the board.  Frost with desired frosting and filling, using a thin layer of frosting to coat the outside of the cake. Refrigerate cake so that it is firm.  Take out only one layer at a time to cover.  Using a flat spatula, smooth the frosting so that it is level. 

  

 Roll the fondant out on a large piece of plastic.  You can buy a large piece at fabric stores.  Buy the clear heavy plastic that is used for covering chairs.  Wilton also sells one, but it is much smaller and is not big enough for a 12 inch cake or larger.  Sprinkle the plastic generously with cornstarch.  Measure the cake going up the side, over the top and down the side.  Roll the fondant out adding 2 inches on each side. Be sure to keep adding the cornstarch underneath so it doesn't stick. Carefully lift the fondant and place it over the cake.  On bigger layers, tip the fondant over and lay it on the cake and peel the plastic off.  Begin smoothing the fondant across the top and then down the sides, gently pushing the fondant rather than stretching it.  Smooth the wrinkles at the bottom and cut the excess off.

   To place a layer on top you must cut wooden dowels the depth of the cake and place 4-6 spaced evenly around the center of the cake to support the weight of the above layers.  The fondant makes the cake very heavy and the layers will crush the lower layers if you don't insert dowels.  You can find the wooden dowels in the cake decorating area of your craft store. 

To attatch decorations, apply with a little white vanilla or royal icing. You can finish off the edges by rolling balls of fondant, by using ribbon or by piping frosting. 

   Covering cakes with fondant takes a little practice.  Begin with a small cake.  My sister-in-law tried something ingenious on the 12 inch layer on the bottom to ensure that it was strong enough to hold the upper layers.  She made a batch of Rice Krispie Treats and molded them into a disc, placing it in the center of the pan before she poured in the cake batter.  She baked it with the Rice Krispie disc in the center.  When cutting the cake, she only cut to the Rice Krispie Treat center.  It supported the weight very well.  We still put dowels in the cake just past the Rice Krispie center.  I thought that was very clever.

   Have fun and give fondant a try!