Using Fondant in Cake Making
Using fondant for homemade cake making instead of frosting gives it a smooth, satiny look, provides clean edges, and lets you create colorful accents. It requires a bit of practice, but if your goal is to create a professional-looking cake for a fraction of the cost, then mastering the basics is worth the effort.
Making Rolled Fondant
You’ll need:
1 ½ oz Water
2 ¼ tsp Gelatin powder
4 1/3 oz Light corn syrup
1 lb 8 oz Confectioner’s sugar
Food coloring as desired
Combine the water and gelatin, head until tepid. Remove from heat and stir in the corn syrup. Add the sugar and mix until smooth. Knead in food coloring to entire batch, or into portions.
Roll the fondant, as you would pie dough, using confectioner’s sugar to dust your board instead of flour.
Fondant as Icing
First ice your cake in a thin layer of frosting or butter cream to provide a sticky surface.
Roll fondant to ¼ inch thick (If your cake is 9 inches around by 3 inches high, you’ll need a 15” circle of fondant). Always roll out a little more than you think you’ll need.
Drape the fondant over your rolling pin, and carefully lay one end over your cake. Using the pin, un-spool the rest of the fondant over the cake.
Dust your hands with cornstarch. Starting in the middle and working outward, gently press out any air pockets between the fondant and the cake. When you’ve reached the edge, mold the fondant down and around the cake, keeping the surface from crimping. Trim excess.
Fondant as Accent
Use fondant to create piping, ribbons, or other accent pieces to decorate your finished cake. Simply roll the fondant to ¼ inch and cut into strips. Adhere pieces to cake with a little water.
As with modeling clay, fondant can be used to create anything from bows to flowers to brides and grooms. Let your imagination be your guide. Just keep in mind that fondant dries quickly; you should keep it wrapped tightly in plastic until ready for use.
