Basics: Homemade Rolled Fondant! part two

This is so cool! I haven’t worked with fondant much, but I’ve always used the store bought kind. It is thick and tastes awful. I had no idea that I could make my own this easily. I can’t wait to give it a try!

Hi all,

It still tastes like SUGAR unless you flavor it, but it is much nicer than many that I’ve bought on the market and the texture is very nice.

Enjoy!

Zoë

Aw how cute is that Mini cake! How mini was it anyway?

By the way, I’m loving this buildup to the final reveal of your blog-iversary cake!

I keep oogling pretty cakes and cupcakes with fondant on the web lately. I’m going to have to try my hand at it soon.

By the way, since I’ve been laid up on the couch lately, I’ve been re-listening to all my Splendid Table CD’s and I heard you piece yesterday. What fun! You sounded fantastic!

Such an informative post… I have never worked with fondant. My sister took a class and made some amazing creations with her new skills. One of these days I will try my hands at it.:-)

Hi Zoe,

I just purchased your Artisan Bread in 5 cookbook. I RARELY buy books, as we have an amazing library where we live, but HAD to have your book. I listened to the podcast on PRI’s The Splendid Table, made your recipe, now I’m HOOKED!

I’ve blogged the podcast, did not realize you had websites, blogsites too, so am going to give you another day of fame here soon!

I have some ideas about the artisan breads too – will share at some point with you too!

SUBSCRIBED to your blog and website – amazing! You’re turning me into a true ‘foodie’

Q. I’ve been ’sprouting’ – alfalfa sprouts so far {they are NOTHING like what you buy in the store I’ve discovered – sooo crunchy and fresh!} but next want to sprout some wheat, sunflowers etc. Have you ever adapted the 5 min breads for ’sprouted’ breads like I see in the stores?

Barb
http://www.lalalime.blogspot.com

Wow! the mini is so cute.

Thank you zoe and jeff. I too had the love for good pheasant breads. I am now baking breads the way my norwegian grandmother did.

I use a cast iron pot with lid that I preheat when I heat up the oven. I just plot it in the pot and return the lid and place in oven. I do not use water. I received the same results, a great crackling sound, crusty crust and chewy bread.

Thanks again for all you work

Karin

Hi all thanks for the great notes! Hope you will try your hand at the fondant and even make a mini!

Brilynn, the fondant will last for a long time as long as it is wrapped really well and NOT refrigerated. I’d say at least a week, if not two. Nothing in it to go bad, it will just dry out if it isn’t wrapped really well.

It will cover a 9″ cake and I rolled it out about 1/8″ thick. As you stretch it you will thin it out so don’t go too thin.

Some people like the flavor, but most of my clients end up peeling off fondant as well. It is mostly the look they are going for. I always cover the cake in either buttercream or ganache first.

Wow Robin, that NPR piece is really old, I didn’t even know it was still available. That is really cool. Thanks.

Enjoy! Zoë

Love your “Mini”..too cute!

Hi Jude,

It is exactly like kneading dough or wedging clay.

Thanks, Zoë

Thanks for this recipe, Zoe. I have never made fondant.

Zoe!

As a child, I was ALWAYS eyeing the fondant flowers from the wedding cakes in Romania.
That Mini is a fabulous work of art!!

Now, do you have a recipe for Marzipan??

Glad I found your lovely blog!

Cheers!
Gabi @ Mamaliga.com

Wow Jamie,

That is quite a statement.

Thanks!!!

Zoë

Loving your series on fondant. I’ve always wanted to work with fondant, but never had the need, cause, or opportunity, only the desire. These posts are pushing me one step closer to just going for it!

Hi Sandie,

Fondant is so much fun to work with. If you’ve never tried it before you may want to start with a commercial product that has way more “gum” to it. It is much more pliable and easier to handle. Once you get the feel then switch to one that tastes better! You’ll be hooked.

Thanks! Zoë

I love this! Have been using Pettinice which has worked well, but like the idea of making it myself, and controlling the ingredients. The only other homemade recipe I’ve seen uses a bag of marshmallows, which sort of defeats the purpose.
Thanks!

Hi Natalie,

You do need to let the dough rest for 12 hours so that everything can become a nice smooth and pliable ball.

I actually let mine sit for nearly a week and it got a touch dry, so I just put it back in the mixer and added a teaspoon of corn syrup and it was good to go again!

Have fun. I will be posting my finished cake tonight!

Thanks, Zoë

Oh, also, I’m definitely buying your book soon. I’ve heard so much about it!

Hi Barb,

My fault I should have told you where I left the note.

I am so sorry not to have responded earlier. I did get your note and have been thinking about the answer! We are working on a new book about whole grains and healthy breads. In that book we are considering adding a recipe using sprouted grains. I too love these breads and am excited to play with it more! We’ll keep you posted as that is developed.

Thank you so much for your note and for your enthusiasm. It is wonderful that you have been sharing the book with so many people!

Happy Baking!

Zoë

What a fantastic step-by-step and recipe too! Thanks for the tips because I only have used the Wilton recipe. I’m not too fond of the flavour of fondant, but it sure looks pretty!

I haven’t worked with fondant in ages! The cake is gorgeous! You are very talented!

Hello, I just found your blog and I LOVE it! I am learning all the cake making and fondant things and I have people asking me to make them which is exciting but I was wondering what you thought about marshmallow fondant? And why do you use cornstarch to help it not stick? does it have a flavor? Thanks, Melisa

I made this recipe two days ago, and used it to decorate a cake last night. It worked great. The only problem I had was when I heated the gelatin and water it dissolved quickly, but never got clear, but rather was brownish in color. I think I ended up leaving it on the heat too long, and it kind of congealed in part. But it turned out great anyway. I also made the marshmallow kind, three times, and each time I got it too stiff, and it was really hard to roll out. It worked, but from now on I will stick to this recipe because it worked perfectly, easy to roll, easy to use. GREAT. P.S. I never tried Wilton’s.

Hi zoe,

I had the same problem as stacy. The gelatin turned outlumpy. I still mixed it anyway but I had to pick up the lumps from my dough.

Hi Zoe,

Thanks for the quick reply. The gelatin starts to harden even before I heat it.

Can you use this recipe to make drapes? Thanks! Love the cake!

Hi zoe,

I used cold water. I’m thinking maybe my gelatin is very concentrated. 1 small pack (around 3 tbsp.) needs 1 liter of water.

Hi Bertie,

Do you mean dogeared pages? If so I would lay several layers of the fondant on top of each other like pages and just fold up the top layer to look folded over.

Is that what you had in mind?

Thanks and I hope you will send me pictures!

Zoë

Thank-you for the wonderful tutorial and recipe. Is it possible to double or treble the recipe, or should I make two or three separate batches for doing a large cake?

Thanks!

Hello. I took on a huge project of making a wedding cake which I’m going to cover in fondant and use a vine-design rolling mat. I’m making my own. I tried this recipe last week and it seemed too dry, so I added more corn syrup, let rest a bit more and tried to roll it. It still felt too dry but also sticky. It was odd. I went over the 2 pounds of sugar at first because it still felt so sticky. Should it feel a bit sticky before it rests? I don’t know what else it could have been! Thank you!

Hi Zoe – I’m working with fondant for the first time and would like to know how to store it once it’s on the cake. I’d like to serve it Thursday mid-morning, but need to decorate the cake on Wednesday. What do you recommend?

Hi!! I have a question about the Glycerine, can I use Vegetable Glycerine???

Hi Nini,

Oh boy, I’ve never used vegetable glycerin, but I would imagine that it will behave in much the same way. Best to start with a small batch.

Please report back when you try it.

Thanks, Zoë

Hi! I just found this. I remember asking a cake decorator I met “what’s that stuff that’s like vinyl siding on cakes?” a few years ago. I’ve always wanted to try it and now I can!

Hi Meettu,

The fondant may have needed more if it is particularly humid. As long as it was not too dry and crumbly then I bet it is just fine.

The reason to let it sit is to let all of the ingredients absorb into one another and become more homogenized. If you try to roll it out before letting it sit, it will not have any elasticity. It is like when you let a pie crust rest after making it, but this requires more time.

Enjoy! Zoë

Hey Zoe,

I tried a recipe identical to the one above except it called for 4 tablespoons of water instead of 3. I let it sit afterwards wrapped in plastic for over twelve hours (I think it was like 14 hours), and it was hard as a rock, and then when I broke it open to roll it, it crumbled everywhere. Do you know what would have caused this? Thanks and I absolutely love your car above!!!

Hi Kelly,

I’m not exactly sure what went on, but if your fondant is rock hard like that you can throw it in the microwave for a few seconds and soften it up. Don’t let it go too long or it will just melt.

Zoë

Zoe,
I just tried the fondant recipe today. I’m making my wedding cake at the end of august and am really nervous! I am taking a fondant class…but the wilton stuff tastes so gross and I just can’t imagine spending so much money for something that no one will eat.

this recipe tastes really good! …but I had a few questions.

My gelatin and water mixture never really became completely clear. It was more milky…with ribbons of clearness, if that makes sense? Timewise, how long do you typically let your gelatin mixture cook on the double boiler?

When I first finished mixing the fondant it was sticky…but seemed to be the right consistancy. As I kneeded the powdered sugar into it though it became more and more crumbly…wouldn’t stick together. I don’t know what I did wrong. I threw it in the mixer again and added a little water. So far, so good…but I guess I’ll find out tomorrow how it turned out.

Why do you think my fondant was so crumbly?

I love your blog…and I’m super excited that I saw you occasionally do some baking classes (I think I saw that anyway)…I’m also from MN and would love to attend one!

Hello, I never worked with Fondant before however I have decorated cakes for 20+ years. I used this recipe and it was exactly as you stated..thank you…
ONE QUESTION.. I make my little cut outs, set them aside, covered the cake with fondant, by the time I got to putting my cut outs on they crumbled and broke before getting them on the cake? Should I transfer decorations to the cake while the fondant is still soft? Thank You!

Hi Christine,

If you want to make them ahead and use them, but don’t want them to dry out you need to wrap them well in plastic wrap. Once they dry they will be very brittle, so you need to be able to attach them in exactly the shape they are in and not try to bend them.

So glad you gave it a try! Zoë

Hi Aude,

No, I add the corn syrup after I remove the gelatin from the double boiler. I bet the lumps you saw were gelatin that wasn’t entirely dissolved?

Thanks, Zoë

hi zoe, i was just wondering if we can half or quarter the recipe? would it taste as good?

hi zoe, tried to make the fondant a few days ago. i rolled it out with cornstarch, because i thought that it may be sticky. when i rolled it out, it was great. however, after a while it started to get hard and rather crumbly. what do you think is the problem? by the way, about the gelatine, i simply heated the water in the microwave and spooned the gelatine in to dissolve it. is that ok?

thanks

thanks alot. is sugarcraaft done the same way like the rolled fondant?

i used glucose to substitute corn syrup and it turns out good

Hi Marie,

I’m so excited that you tried it and had such a great experience. It really is so much fun to work with!

Enjoy and have fun with the next cake too.

Zoë