Posted on February 01 2022
How to Work with Fondant
Shared from Wilton blogFondant is a fun and versatile medium for covering and decorating cakes; however, it can be tricky to work with. Weather, temperature and environment can all affect the texture and performance of your fondant. You can avoid these problems before they start with these helpful fondant tips and tricks!
From how to use fondant to the best ways to store it, these tips for working with fondant are great to keep in mind before starting your next project.
Can You Eat Fondant?
Yes, you can eat fondant! Most of our Decorator Preferred fondant is vanilla flavoured, which compliments almost any cake.
You can also try our assortment of Flavoured Fondants, which contain natural ingredients and no artificial flavours. These Flavoured Fondants come in milk chocolate, white chocolate and caramel flavours.
How to Work with Fondant
Dust your workstation with powdered sugar, cornstarch or vegetable shortening
Fondant can be sticky and has a tendency to pick up crumbs and dirt, so make sure your work surface is clean before you start rolling. Prevent fondant from sticking to your counter by lightly dust your work surface and fondant roller with confectioners’ sugar or cornstarch. You can also use solid vegetable shortening to prevent sticking if you live in a very dry climate or if your fondant is already a little dry.
Coat clean hands in vegetable shortening or wear food-safe gloves
Before rolling, take some time to knead your fondant until it’s soft and pliable. Make sure you wash your hands before you start so nothing sticks to the fondant. You can also coat your hands with a thin layer of solid vegetable shortening or wear food-safe gloves.
Keep fondant moving
It’s important to keep fondant moving as you work. Never flip it over after you start to roll. Just turn it about a quarter of the way to prevent sticking and help ensure the thickness of your fondant is even.
How to Soften Fondant
If your fondant is too hard, add about 1/8 teaspoon of water for every 24 ounces of fondant to soften it. If your fondant is too soft, add a small amount of confectioners’ sugar or Gum-Tex powder to help strengthen it. Soft fondant is usually caused by kneading too much or adding too much liquid.
How to Colour Fondant
Colour fondant with food colouring
Gel food colouring, such as icing colours or Colour Right concentrated food colourings, are great for tinting your fondant. They produce bold, bright colours without changing the consistency. Make sure to wear food-safe gloves to mix in the colour so it doesn’t stain your hands. We suggest avoiding liquid-based food colourings, as too much liquid can soften your fondant.
Combine coloured fondant for more colours
You can also mix more than one colour of fondant together to get a whole rainbow of shades! Add a small amount of dark teal fondant to white fondant to get a lighter teal, or combine red and blue fondant for purple. This is a great way to use up any leftover fondant you may have from another project, so don’t throw your scraps away!
How to Make Black Fondant
For super rich colours, like black or red, you may need to add quite a bit of colour to get the shade you need. This might affect the consistency of your fondant. For those instances, we suggest buying pre-coloured Decorator Preferred fondant, which comes in a variety of shades, including black. If you can’t find black fondant, you can use black icing color to tint brown fondant black.
How to Cover a Cake with Fondant
To get a nice, clean finish to your fondant cake, make sure you frost your cake smooth with a thin layer of buttercream frosting. This will prevent any imperfections on your cake from poking through the fondant. If you’re using a lighter shade of fondant, frost your cake with white buttercream. Using white buttercream is a good rule all around unless you’re using black fondant, in which case chocolate frosting works just as well.
How to Roll Out Fondant
Lightly dust your surface with cornstarch or confectioners’ sugar. Using a fondant roller or rolling pin, roll out your fondant. Turn it about a quarter of the way after every roll to prevent it from sticking and ensure the thickness of your fondant is even. When your fondant is at the desired thickness, use a rolling pin to help drape the fondant over your cake. Once draped, work quickly to smooth out the fondant using a Fondant Smoother for the top and your hand to smooth the sides. Any excess fondant on the base of your cake should be cut off with a knife or Fondant Trimmer.
How to Fix Fondant Cracks
As you roll and mold fondant, you might find that it tends to crack, especially on edges and corners. If you notice that your fondant is cracking, rub some solid vegetable shortening over the crack in a circular motion to smooth the cracked area together. We suggest not using water to do this, as too much liquid can break down your fondant. For a more in-depth look into how to cover a cake with fondant with complete step-by-step instructions, check out our How to Cover a Cake with Fondant post!
How to Make Fondant Shiny
How to Make Fondant Cake Decorations
How to Store Fondant
Fondant dry out quickly, so be sure to keep it covered or wrapped in plastic wrap when not being used. After decorating, roll unused fondant into a ball and coat with a thin layer of solid vegetable shortening. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature in an airtight container. Stored this way, your fondant should last about a month.
Can You Freeze Fondant?
No, fondant should not be frozen. In fact, it should avoid any contact with your freezer or refrigerator. Store leftover fondant at room temperature. If you’re using fondant to cover a cake, store your cake at room temperature, as well.
- Fondant picks up dirt and lint easily so be sure to avoid wearing fuzzy sweaters or clothing when working with fondant
- For fondant decorations that need to keep a shape, add a small amount of Gum-Tex to prevent drooping
- Use guide rings on your fondant rollers to help get an even thickness when rolling out your fondant
- You can find even more fondant tips in the below video.
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