Basics: Homemade Rolled Fondant! part two

by zoe on October 16, 2008 · 111 comments  |  Print Print  |  Print Email this to a friend

More than half of the cakes I do for clients are covered with fondant. It is gorgeous, sleek and can be simple or ornate.  Over the years I’ve tried just about every product out there and have loved some and loathed others. Some are easy to use but have no taste feel like chewing gum in your mouth. Others are melt in your mouth and have a pleasant flavor, but are nearly impossible to work with unless the conditions are just right. Not to mention the cost. For those of you who have worked with it you know it is very spendy, as we say here in MN. So make your own and get the flavor, the texture and the price you like. It is very easy, albeit a tad messy, but most of all fun!

A few years ago I fell in love with Margaret Braun’s book Cakewalk. She combined a mastery of cake decorating with a vision of art history. I too am an art major and have always loved cake decorating because it allows for such incredible creativity. Her cakes were a departure from tradition and I just loved her sense of whimsy and color. Most of her work is done in fondant and pastillage (gum paste) to create works of art. I read somewhere that her cakes command as much as $25+ per person. It is no wonder once you see how intricate they are. I figured anyone who had such skill would make a great fondant, so I tried her recipe and I love it! It isn’t quite as easy to work with as the Wilton Product, but its texture makes it worth the effort!

Sugar Paste (Rolled Fondant) recipe from Cakewalk: Adventures In Sugar With Margaret Braun:

2 pounds confectioner’s sugar

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

3 tablespoons cold water

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons Glycerin

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract(If you want a PURE white fondant than use the clear vanilla, I used pure vanilla and you can see that my fondant is very white.) You can add other flavors as well but I would stick to those with an alcohol base and not an oil extract. You don’t want to add any fat to the recipe.

Sift 1 1/2 pounds of the confectioner’s sugar into a large standing mixer bowl, set aside.

In a small bowl, stir the water into the gelatin.

Dissolve over a double boiler with simmering water until clear.

Remove from the heat and stir in the corn syrup, Glycerin, and vanilla.

With the standing mixer turning on low speed, slowly pour the gelatin mixture into the bowl of confectioner’s sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Continue beating on medium speed until well combined and very sticky.

Scrape the sticky fondant onto a clean silicon Pastry Mat.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 pound of sugar on the dough a little at a time.

Knead the sugar into the dough with the palm of your hand, then fold it over and continue adding sugar. I wished I’d had a pair of Gloves for this, but of course I’d run out!

Use your plastic Bowl Scraper to help you fold the dough over while adding more sugar.

Keep repeating these steps until all of the sugar is added and you have a nice smooth and uniform ball of dough.

Wrap the ball in plastic twice and let rest for at least 12 hours. DO NOT REFRIGERATE!!!! It will get tacky and impossible to work with if it is refrigerated.  WRAP IT WELL! Store it for up to 2 weeks in a dry cool spot.

When ready to work with the dough unwrap it and knead it to make it smooth and pliable. Add your color and decorate as I did for Claudia’s birthday cake. I will be using it for my blog-iversary cake next week. I’ll also be giving away a T-shirt that my husband/webmaster/designer made for me!

Thanks to all of you on Twitter who keep me inspired and sane!

Another fondant cake I made for a client with a mini!

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Percy Train Birthday Cake : Andrea Meyers
October 10, 2009 at 11:54 am

{ 110 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Christie @ Fig & Cherry October 16, 2008 at 6:24 pm

Ooooh, you are sooo clever! Love the Fondant letters and the mini – well, that’s nothing short of extraordinary!

2 Susan at Sticky,Gooey,Creamy,Chewy October 16, 2008 at 8:03 pm

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!

3 Shari October 16, 2008 at 8:07 pm

I like that you’ve found a recipe for fondant that tastes good! That mini is sooo adorable!

4 zoe October 16, 2008 at 9:16 pm

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

5 Aran October 17, 2008 at 4:19 am

great photos zoe!

6 Y October 17, 2008 at 6:25 am

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

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

7 Tartelette October 17, 2008 at 7:15 am

Fondant is definitely a beast of its own and I think people have too high expectations when they try it, like it is going to be like buttercream. Without being quite as delicate some are actually very good!! Love your recipe and your step by step pictures. Excellent tutorial!

8 robin // caviar and codfish October 17, 2008 at 7:17 am

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! :)

9 brilynn October 17, 2008 at 8:09 am

Thanks for the tutorial, I’ve wanted to make my own fondant for a while now. How long will it keep wrapped tightly? And how much do you usually use for a cake? And how thinly can it be rolled?

Last time I made a cake covered with fondant the exterior looked pretty but was basically inedible and we just peeled it off to eat the cake inside.

10 Alexa October 17, 2008 at 10:01 am

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.:-)

11 Sam Sotiropoulos October 17, 2008 at 10:27 am

Fantastic! Thank you for this easy fondant recipe. And what a lovely blog you have… I will be back. :)

12 Barb October 17, 2008 at 11:13 am

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

13 Karen October 17, 2008 at 11:51 am

You make it look so simple! Fondant is one of things that scares me :(

14 Thip October 17, 2008 at 11:56 am

Wow! the mini is so cute.

15 Hillary October 17, 2008 at 12:21 pm

I’ve seen so many demos on how to work with fondant but never how to make it, so thank you for the recipe! Much appreciated.

16 Karin October 17, 2008 at 1:59 pm

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

17 clumbsycookie October 17, 2008 at 2:21 pm

Cool Zoe! I allways buy mine, but someday I’ll try making it at home. Great step-bu-step! And the car cake is so cute!

18 zoe October 17, 2008 at 2:43 pm

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

19 zoe October 17, 2008 at 2:53 pm

Hi Sam,

I can’t believe you didn’t mention that my name means “life” in Greek. As if I could get to the age of 40 without knowing that. People tell me that all the time and you, who are an authority on all things Greek, didn’t mention it! I so appreciate that! LOL ;)

Best, LIFE

20 Leslie October 18, 2008 at 8:55 pm

Love your “Mini”..too cute!

21 Jude October 19, 2008 at 1:07 pm

Had no idea this was going to be a lot like kneading bread. Thanks for the recipe!

22 zoe October 19, 2008 at 6:36 pm

Hi Jude,

It is exactly like kneading dough or wedging clay.

Thanks, Zoë

23 Vera October 19, 2008 at 10:40 pm

I’ll certainly give this recipe a try. Thanks for sharing, Zoe. Wilton fondant is impossible to eat :)
The “mini” is adorable!

24 Eileen October 20, 2008 at 7:08 am

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

25 Jaime October 20, 2008 at 9:56 am

Thanks, Zoe! You’ve changed my life forever! It looks great. No hydrogenated oil! That’s something to celebrate!

26 Gabi from Mamaliga October 20, 2008 at 10:07 am

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

27 zoe October 20, 2008 at 11:31 am

Hi Gabi,

What a great idea for a post, Thanks!

Zoë

28 zoe October 20, 2008 at 11:32 am

Wow Jamie,

That is quite a statement. ;)

Thanks!!!

Zoë

29 zoe October 20, 2008 at 11:33 am

Hi Vera,

I’m with you on the Wilton Fondant. It is wonderful to work with for beginners, but you have to peel it off because it tastes awful!

Thanks, Zoë

30 Sandie October 20, 2008 at 2:53 pm

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!

31 giz October 20, 2008 at 3:16 pm

The tutorial is wonderful – it really makes it seem a whole lot easier than I thought – of course I’m watching way too much competitive cake decorating on the Food TV network

32 zoe October 20, 2008 at 3:41 pm

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

33 zoe October 20, 2008 at 3:43 pm

Hi Giz,

Those shows are both inspiring and intimidating. They are doing really fabulous and complicated things that we mere mortals don’t have the equipment to pull off. ;) But playing with fondant is easy!

Have fun! Zoë

34 sara October 21, 2008 at 11:40 am

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!

35 Natalie October 22, 2008 at 8:07 am

Just made the fondant- definitely a very sticky project! The step-by-step instructions were great. Quick question: Does the fondant have to rest for 12 hours or can you use it sooner?

36 zoe October 22, 2008 at 8:20 am

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

37 Emiline October 22, 2008 at 12:19 pm

I’ve got to try this recipe! Thank you so much.
I’ve only worked with marshmallow fondant before.

38 Emiline October 22, 2008 at 12:20 pm

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

39 Barb October 23, 2008 at 10:15 am

Awww Zoe,

I am SO sorry, I’m NOT trying to be a pain, but I can’t see where you answered me, and I left a comment at the artisan site too. I am SO SO sorry – what am I missing?

If email would work better my email is lalalime{at}hotmail{dot}com

Thx,
Barb

40 zoe October 23, 2008 at 3:34 pm

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

41 zoe October 23, 2008 at 3:35 pm

Hi Emiline,

Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you enjoy the book. Come back and tell me about the breads you are baking!

Enjoy, Zoë

42 cakebrain October 23, 2008 at 10:51 pm

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!

43 zoe October 23, 2008 at 11:06 pm

Hi Cakebrain,

It is still fondant, but this recipe tastes so much better than Wilton!

Enjoy, Zoë

44 Jennifer A. Wickes October 24, 2008 at 8:55 am

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

45 zoe October 24, 2008 at 9:47 am

Thank you Jennifer,

It is great fun!

Zoë

46 Melisa November 6, 2008 at 9:54 am

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

47 Julia November 17, 2008 at 12:45 am

Thank you for such a great post. I’ve only recently started working with fondant and while I love it, it really is quite expensive. I am going to give this recipe a try. I love the step by step photos. I was curious though – how many pounds of fondant did your recipe yield?

48 Stacey Bauerle February 7, 2009 at 3:34 pm

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.

49 zoe February 9, 2009 at 8:48 pm

Hi Stacey,

I’m so thrilled that you had such great success with the recipe. I’m so impressed that you have always made your own. ;)

Happy baking! Zoë

50 venz March 9, 2009 at 9:08 am

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.

51 zoe March 9, 2009 at 9:48 am

Hi Venz and Stacy,

Did you heat the gelatin over a double boiler? The heat under it should be very gentle so the gelatin dissolves slowly and without taking on any color.

Let me know if that sounds like it might be the issue!

Thanks, Zoë

52 venz March 9, 2009 at 9:31 pm

Hi Zoe,

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

53 zoe March 9, 2009 at 10:22 pm

Hi Venz,

I have a thought. This has happened to me when I have tried to bloom the gelatin with hot/warm water. Is it possible that your water wasn’t cold?

Zoë

54 Tiffiny March 11, 2009 at 10:20 am

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

55 zoe March 11, 2009 at 11:34 am

Hi Tiffiny,

That is a great question. I think you may be better off with one of the products that has more gum in it, to give it the elasticity you will need. This recipe will work, but may require more finesse! One way to do it is to warm the fondant in the microwave for just a VERY short time. It gives it more flexibility!

Let me know how it goes! Zoë

56 venz March 12, 2009 at 6:37 am

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.

57 Bertie April 16, 2009 at 12:40 pm

I’m making a fondant covered open book, how do i make the top pages appear rolled up on the corners?

58 zoe April 16, 2009 at 1:29 pm

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

59 tien April 27, 2009 at 6:06 pm

love your page…thank you for the pictures of the step by step instructions

60 Amy May 28, 2009 at 10:15 am

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!

61 zoe May 28, 2009 at 3:41 pm

Hi Amy,

You can make as big a batch as your mixer will handle. My 5 1/2 quart mixer would probably do a double, but not a triple batch.

Have fun and let me know what you make! Zoë

62 Lyndsey June 14, 2009 at 6:15 pm

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!

63 zoe June 14, 2009 at 9:08 pm

Hi Lyndsey,

Adding more cornsyrup may have made it too sticky. You may want to try to incorporate more powdered sugar into it if it isn’t smooth after it rests. If it feels too “dry” when you try to roll it, sometimes heating it on a very low heat in the microwave for just 15-30 seconds at a time can help make the fondant feel more cohesive.

If when you are adding more corn syrup and powdered sugar, if you add too much you may mess with the proportions of the gelatin. One way to fix this is to make another batch and knead it all together.

I hope this is helpful! Your cake sounds gorgeous!

Zoë

64 Amy June 30, 2009 at 10:49 pm

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?

65 zoe July 1, 2009 at 10:49 am

Hi Amy,

It depends what kind of cake is inside the fondant. If it is something that will survive well without refrigeration, then leave it in a cool spot, covered with plastic wrap. If it has whipped cream or mousse or something that will need to be refrigerated then store it, wrapped in the refrigerator. Once a refrigerated cake comes out it may become tacky, especially if it is humid. that should go away once it comes to room temperature.

Have fun! Zoë

66 NiNi July 15, 2009 at 1:30 am

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

67 Marcy July 16, 2009 at 4:02 pm

I want to make stars and other things out of fondant to decorate the cake that I will also cover w/fondant. Can I make these seveal days in advance? If so, how do I store them?

68 zoe July 16, 2009 at 9:14 pm

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

69 zoe July 16, 2009 at 9:16 pm

Hi Marcy,

Fondant is wonderful for getting stuff done ahead of time. just store it in an airtight container. You just don’t want them getting sticky if it is humid. In the summer I also separate them with wax paper.

Have fun! Zoë

70 @Cyanaura July 21, 2009 at 1:49 pm

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!

71 Meettu July 23, 2009 at 9:50 pm

hiii zoe,

Great recipee….U have mentioed 2 pounds of sugar..but i had to use about 2.5 pounds since the fondant was sticky…..would it spoil my fondant????
Why do they say we have to leave the fondant for 8-12 hrs???
would the texture of the fondant change then????

72 zoe July 24, 2009 at 10:16 am

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

73 Meettu July 25, 2009 at 12:55 am

hey!!!!
Ur a Star…..yah its really humid here…raining all day….thank u zoe…
:)

meettu

74 Kelly July 25, 2009 at 11:36 pm

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!!!

75 meettu July 26, 2009 at 10:37 pm

Hi zoe,

My fondant was nice…i was a ble to role it properly …..thanks for ur help…:)

76 zoe July 27, 2009 at 7:58 am

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

77 zoe July 27, 2009 at 7:59 am

Hi Meettu,

That is wonderful. Congratulations!!!

Zoë

78 Shari July 27, 2009 at 5:40 pm

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!

79 Sophie July 29, 2009 at 9:04 pm

Hi Zoe,

Thank you very much for this recipe! I had a mini cake challenge with my friend for our first Fondant cake! It was great. Your website is awesome!

80 Christine August 2, 2009 at 9:18 am

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!

81 zoe August 2, 2009 at 10:40 pm

Hi Shari,

So sorry for the delay in answering your question. It seems as though your gelatin wasn’t fully “bloomed” before you put it on the double boiler. This is when you pour the water over the gelatin and stir it together. It should absorb all the water and get kind of rubbery, and there should be no dry gelatin left in the bowl. At that point you put it on the double boiler and it should cook for just a few minutes, before melting and turning translucent.

If the gelatin wasn’t behaving properly it will have an effect on the consistency of your fondant. It won’t be as elastic as you want.

Next time you make the fondant, if you think it is starting to get crumbly then stop adding the confectioner’s sugar.

Have fun! Zoë

82 zoe August 2, 2009 at 10:42 pm

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

83 Aude August 30, 2009 at 11:47 am

Hello Zoé !
I just see your amazing site ! I love bake as you and I have a question : do you heat your corn syrup before use it ? Because I just finish my fondant and it have little pieces of stiff corn syrup. Sorry for my English (I am french…)
Thanks, Aude

84 zoe August 31, 2009 at 1:03 pm

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

85 Millicente September 2, 2009 at 8:37 pm

Hi…Love your site. What is a good extract or flavoring for the fondant?New one that would taste great

86 supersara September 20, 2009 at 12:15 pm

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

87 zoe September 20, 2009 at 2:20 pm

Hi Millicente,

I’d try any flavor that suits the cake you are making, but make sure it is not oil based.

Hi Supersara,

You can half the recipe if you are only making a small cake. Just be sure to make enough that you can roll it out and have extra, that will end up getting cut off. If it is not a big enough piece you may end up trying to stretch it too thin to smooth it out.

Enjoy, Zoë

88 supersara October 7, 2009 at 7:18 am

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

89 nancy December 2, 2009 at 2:01 pm

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

90 albert December 13, 2009 at 7:04 pm

hi..nice and great recpe..

91 albert December 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm

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

92 Marie January 27, 2010 at 1:52 pm

I love to bake. Recently I was asked to make a birthday cake and a baby shower cake, both using fondant. I Had never used fondant, but was willing to try! I look every where for a recipe, found a few, but yours seemed to be “true”. SO I made a small test cake to see if I was going to be up to the challenge. I Was! It was perfect! I had never tasted fondant prior to makeing my simple test cake! I just wanted to say thank you Zoe for leaving this recipe up, as there are not many recipes out there for fondant nore to people really share info for free. So thank you! Happy new year!

93 zoe January 28, 2010 at 11:55 am

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

94 peter kiwalaka February 11, 2010 at 9:27 am

i dont know how fondant is made

95 Leila February 18, 2010 at 7:20 pm

Hi there,
I have been testing out a few different recipes for making fondant and I am going to give yours a try. I am making my 2 soon to be 3 year old daughters cake (handy manny face) and wanted to know if you can give me some advice on how to make the bill of his hat stand up right on the cake? I will be using fondant to make it but wanted to know if it was as easy as leaving that piece to harden a bit for a few hours?

Also,I’m assuming you cover the cake in a butter cream frosting first, would you recommend flavoring the fondant with a clear almond extract? or is that to strong of a flavor??
thanks!

96 zoe March 1, 2010 at 12:11 pm

Hi Leila,

I just realized that I missed your question, so sorry! If you have not yet made the cake you will need to let that hat sit for several days, not hours. It will need to dry out completely or it will just collapse. You can flavor the fondant as you wish, but don’t add too much or you will change the consistency of the fondant.

Enjoy and have fun! Zoë

97 Allie March 2, 2010 at 7:52 pm

Hi Zoe,

Do you know if there is a good tasting/easy to work with fondant that is vegetarian (i.e. no gelatin)? Thanks, your cakes look gorgeous!

98 zoe March 3, 2010 at 10:58 am

Hi Allie,

The thing that comes to mind is replacing the gelatin with agar-agar, but I’ve never tried it and don’t know how much to recommend. If you do it start with a small batch and do some experimenting.

The other idea is to go with marzipan if you like the flavor of almonds, but it won’t be pure white.

Good luck! I’ll keep looking and let you know if I come up with something further.

Zoë

99 Catherine March 10, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Hello Zoe,

Thanks for this recipe. I have a question about food safety. If I layer with buttercream or ganache and then leave out after applying fondant, won’t it spoil? They both have dairy in them? I don’t get how people are getting sick from wedding cakes. Thanks. Catherine

100 Emma March 31, 2010 at 1:10 pm

Hello Zoe,

I have just tried to make a Silver Spoon Fondant mix and I thought it was going wrong so I threw it away. Problem is I didnt knead it, wrap it in cling film or let it rest for 12 hours. Is this where I went wrong. Need your help so bad !!!

101 zoe March 31, 2010 at 8:47 pm

Hi Emma,

I’ve never tried the product and am not sure what the directions are. You might want to contact the company and explain what went wrong. I’m sure they have a place on their website to ask questions???

Great luck to you, once you get the fondant to the right consistency you will have a blast with it!

Zoë

102 Soufie April 4, 2010 at 8:31 am

Hi Zoe. I tried your recipe with a glucose syrup substitute for the corn syrup. I’d made the glucose syrup at home cause I couldn’t find any in the market right now. But the dough wasn’t really elastic. Sometimes, I’d knead hard and parts would crumble. Other parts would be sort of elastic enough to hold it together. And then I ran out of glucose syrup so I used honey! (I know, it’s pretty crazy the amount of substitution going on here) and that sort of helped, but not entirely.

Also, I followed your instructions with the gelatin, but I never felt like it was really transparent per se. I’m puzzled about that bit.

I know I’m doing something really wrong here. Could you help identify what it might be? This is my THIRD batch in two days and I’m going crazy!

Thanks.

103 Amandalynn June 22, 2010 at 8:29 am

Ahh I tried this recipe three times last night and each time it was a disaster I have to go and buy Wilton fondant now, I don’t know how I messed this up your directions are so clear!
I only could find golden corn syrup would that have done it? My glycerin and gelatin mixture once mixed with it was just a stretchy, kinda solid goo that worked its way up my mixer and got tangled, it wouldn’t mix with the sugar at all. :(

104 zoe June 23, 2010 at 2:54 am

Hi Amandalynn,

I’m sorry you are having such troubles. The only thing I can think is that you might be adding the corn syrup, glycerin and vanilla to the gelatin when it is too cold, so it is getting stringy? Is that a possibility? You want to add the corn syrup when the gelatin is just melted, but still quite warm.

I hope that helps! Zoe

105 BeccaMae July 31, 2010 at 4:56 pm

Zöe ,
this fondant is amazing!!!!
I was at a bakery the other day and the fondant was HORRIBLE!
So then i tried to make my own from other websites and
they were OK. Then i tried ur recipe. So good:) my kids are
4 and 14 so for my 4 year olds birthday, i made a cake covered
with the fondant — SUPER!
Question- if i reduce the recipe will it come out the same?
Thx!
BeccaMae

106 zoe July 31, 2010 at 5:45 pm

Hi BeccaMae,

Oh, that is wonderful, I’m so glad you had such great results with it.

You can reduce the recipe and I think it will work just as well. I’ve doubled it with great success.

Thanks, Zoë

107 Samantha August 2, 2010 at 6:02 pm

Hi. Im an aspiring baker, i love making cakes and cookies and everything desert wise. Ive tried the marshmallow fondant recipe before and it never came out right, it tasted wonderful but i would always fall apart on me, not a big fan of the MMfondant but i love marshmallows lol. Ive seen many variations of fondant just not sure what to try. Im wanting to open my own bakery and i know fondant is very popular. Have you ever tried adding flavor to your fondant. I once went to a baby shower that had a cake that had fondant all on it, and it was a 3 tier cake and the bottom tier had a cherry flavored fondant, the middle had a blueberry flavored, and the top was apple. I thought it was the cake that tasted like it but it was actually the fondant. I never found out how the fondant was made that way cuz her mom bought the cake for her and i could never get ahold of her to find out how to do that. Do you know how to make the fondant taste like that???

108 zoe August 5, 2010 at 6:56 am

Hi Samantha,

You can certainly add extracts to the dough to flavor it. You will want to add extracts and not oils, which can break down the fondant.

Great luck to you in your bakery!

Zoë

109 Tina August 26, 2010 at 10:57 am

I am typically not a commentor, but felt it necessary to do so after making this recipe. I have been using a rolled fondant recipe that requires a bit of shortening. I don’t like it, and avoid it whenever possible. This recipe makes it possible! I was out of clear vanilla extract and was feeling under the weather when I made this, so I threw in powdered vanilla instead. Also, because I wasn’t feeling that great, after incorporating ingredients in mixer, I turned out onto a powdered sugar dusted surface, worked the mixture a bit with my hands, and then tossed it back in the KA mixing bowl with the dough hook and let it knead the last of the powdered sugar in for me. This worked beautifully and saved me the extra work. Thank you for posting this recipe…my new favorite rolled fondant :)

110 zoe August 26, 2010 at 12:15 pm

Hi Tina,

I am thrilled to hear you tried it and liked working with the fondant. I completely agree and love how you saved some time!

Thanks, Zoë

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