Working with Rolled Fondant (3-Part Video Series)

rolled fondant

It is smooth and sophisticated, but there is a mystique about working with rolled fondant that keeps too many people from using it. Fondant reminds me of Play-Doh, you can create everything from an intricate wedding cake to a birthday cake in the shape of a Tonka truck. Your imagination and few helpful hints will open up a new world of cake decorating options. I chose this simple winter motif to get us started. First, we have to choose our color and tint the fondant, next we’ll cover the cake in the perfectly smooth fondant and to finish we’ll add simple snowflakes.

I’ve broken the videos into 3 parts: coloring the fondant, covering the cake and decorating. Enjoy and happy holiday baking!

Part 1: How to Color Fondant

Rolled fondant (You can make homemade fondant or buy it pre-made. The homemade version is MUCH tastier, but the store bought version is a touch easier to work with.)

or

Wilton Rolled Fondant (Wilton is easy to work with, but you DO NOT want to eat it. I only use this if the person I’m making the cake for intends to peel off the fondant. Yes, you just peel the entire layer of fondant off and reveal some delicious icing underneath. I’m suggesting you start with Wilton’s product just because it is so easy to use.)

Gel food Color (Use the gels, not the water based kind you get at the grocery store.)

or

Paste Food Color (These are the most intense colors, but they are not as neat to use as the gel colors.)
Food Service Grade Disposable Latex Glove (This will protect your hands from the food coloring.)

Heavy Gauge Clear Vinyl (This is the clear sheet that I roll out the fondant on. Nothing sticks to it and you can lift it up easily and move it around. you can also use a Roll’Pat Pastry Mat, but it is much more expensive.)

Part 2: How to Roll Out Fondant and Cover the Cake

What you will need to cover your cake:

Cake of your choosing that has been crumb coated. (see video on crumb coating)

Rolling Pin

Wedding Cake Separator Plate (This is a round plastic plate that is used for separating the tiers of a wedding cake. They are wonderful when working with fondant, because they lift the cake up off the table slightly, which makes it easier to get a nice clean bottom edge. Once the cake is finished you will remove the plate and lay it flat on the serving dish.)

Fondant Smoother (Gives the fondant a smooth finish and can work out any knicks in the surface.)

Corn Starch

Part 3: How to Decorate the Snowflake Cake

What you will need to decorate your snowflake cake:

Snowflake Cookie Cutters

Paint Brush (this should be one that is only used on food.)

Cake edible glitter

Other Fondant Cakes:

Zoë Bakes Anniversary Cake

Two Tiered Birthday Cake

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18 thoughts to “Working with Rolled Fondant (3-Part Video Series)”

  1. GORGEOUS! This looks like winter, wedgwood china. As my Grandmother would say, “It looks too pretty to eat.” Thank you for sharing this art form.

  2. thanks a lot for the video..i have always wondered how to colour the fondant evenly whenever i see the white fondant in the store..gr8 video ..will definitely give a try.Merry Xmas & happy holidays..:)

  3. Hi Zoe,
    I’ve never worked with fondant before, so your blog will be a great learning curve for me. I am moving closer to family next year and am hoping to start making presentable cakes. I know your blog will be an inspiration.

    Happy new Year to you.

  4. gorgeous fondant colours!
    btw, I just recently bought your “healthy bread” book for my kindle and look forward to making those gluten free bread recipes. I can’t wait to chew on a nice fresh loaf again!

  5. Beautiful cake! So perfect for the holidays!
    By the way, I read almost all of your pizza book in 10 days :-). The first thing on my list is the deep dish pizza with savory brioche dough. The only problem is that I ran out of flour, and the next shopping trip is going to be in a week or so. So I have something to look forward to in the coming year. Happy 2012, Zoe!

  6. Zoe, the link to Amazon.com for the vinyl is now dead and I’m trying to pull together the things I need for this recipe in advance. What is “heavy gauge” vinyl (30 gauge?) and how big of a piece do you go for…?

    Thank you!

    1. Hi Ariana,

      I have found it at Joann fabrics in the past. Ask them for their heaviest gauge, I think it is used for covering furniture? You want a piece that is going to easily accomodate the largest cake size. Remember that you roll the fondant out much larger than the actual cake width.

      Thanks, Zoë

  7. Hi Zoe, I love your blog! recently I made rolled fondant following your recipe, and made some nice butterflies and flowers out of them. I dried the decorations for about 10 hours at room temp. I then put them on a cake covered with cream cheese frosting and few hours after they started to melt. Do you have any idea what might prevent this? After that I did put the cake in the fridge (thinking it will dry out the fondant flowers) but apparently I made it worse. Thanks a lot for your help Zoe!

    1. Hi Susan,

      The refrigerator is actually quite humid, so it makes fondant more tacky and sticky than leaving it at room temperature, preferably in an airconditioned spot. Making your fondant as thin as possible, so it will dry thoroughly will be helpful. You may need to let them dry out longer before attaching them to the cake. You can make the decorations days in advance, to make sure they are dry and stiff.

      Thanks! Zoë

  8. Hi Zoe,
    thanks again for your generosity in sharing the tips and recipes, they’ve taken me out of a couple of tight spots!
    A question: when you start making the fondant you use the stand mixer, then you switch to hand kneading to incorporate the end of the sugar. When you needed to rescue a slightly dried out fondant, you used the stand mixer. To add the colour, you always seem to do it by hand. Is there any reason not to use the stand mixer with a dough hook to knead in the colour? (spot me being lazy…. 😉 ) This is obviously on the assumption that the stand mixer has a powerful enough motor, I have a 1000W one. Thanks in advance! 🙂

    1. Hi Silvia,

      It is really just the save the machine from any stress. The fondant gets very thick and difficult to mix with the mixer. I’ve tried adding the color in the mixer and it actually takes longer to incorporate.

      Thanks, Zoë

  9. Such a wonderful tutorial. I needed a refresher course and you were excellent. Your voice was clear and I understood you perfectly. Ten thumbs up!!! Thank you a thousand times!

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