R writes:

Hi Amy,
I really like your blog. In fact, it has inspired me to try something that I’ve always meant to but have never gotten around to trying. I really want to learn to make/work with fondant. I have the old standby - The Joy of Cooking - recipe, but I was wondering if you had a better recipe or any suggestions for a beginner. Particularly, the Joy of cooking said that you had to steam rolled out fondant over a broiler in order to shape it. Do you do it this way? What exactly does this mean?

Hi R!
I am not sure why The Joy of Cooking says to steam the fondant as I have never seen anything recommending to handle it that way, nor do I do it that way. In my short time baking/decorating cakes, I have done a lot of reading and I have tried a couple of different fondant recipes. In the end, the one I have found to work the best for me is below:

Rolled Fondant

Ingredients:
1 TBS Unflavored Gelatin
4 TBS Water
2 TBS Vegetable Shortening (Crisco)
1/2 cups Light Corn Syrup
1 tsp clear flavoring of choice
7 cups Confectioners Sugar

Directions:

1. Pour confectioners sugar into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Melt the gelatin into the water over a double boiler (or steel bowl over a sauce pot). Allow all the gelatin to dissolve, but do not let it boil.

3. Remove it from the heat and add the shortening. Mix until melted.

4. Add corn syrup and flavoring. Mix until blended.

5. Pour wet ingredients into confectioners sugar and mix. I often use a fork and a butter knife in a swirling motion using the butter knife to scrape the mixture off the fork back into the bowl, until most of the wet ingredients and powdered sugar are incorporated into a somewhat sticky mass.

6. Sprinkle powdered sugar onto a clean work surface and grease your hands with shortening. Place fondant onto work surface and knead until it has a smooth consistency.

7. Wrap in two layers of plastic wrap. Roll with slight pressure to remove air. Refrigerate until needed. If you need to use the fondant right away, give it 15 minutes in the refrigerator before rolling it out. If it’s been in the refrigerator for a while, let it sit out for 10-15 minutes before rolling it out.

A couple of other tips I have figured out in the process of working with fondant are:

1. Cut the cake as level and uniform as you possibly can. Coat cake with a crumb coating (i.e. butter cream frosting) to smooth the outside and fill any gaps between cake layers. This is important because any imperfections will show through the fondant as lumps. Let the cake air dry with the crumb coat before covering with fondant.

2. Color the fondant using gel or paste colors. Liquid colors (i.e. what you usually find at the grocery store) are more difficult to work with b/c they are less concentrated and take lots of kneading to keep the fondant from being streaky.

3. Apply a thin coat of shortening (Crisco) on your hands when kneading the rolled fondant. This helps it from sticking to your hands and the surface you’ll roll it out on. On the other hand, if you find the rolled fondant is too soft a consistency, you can knead in sifted powdered sugar.

4. Roll-out the fondant on a silicone mat dusted with confectioners sugar using a French rolling pin.

5. Roll-out using a slight pressure to a 3/8”-1/4″ thickness. Rotate the rolled fondant constantly to prevent sticking to the mat/table. Don’t flip the fondant over.

6. Place the prepared cake on the worktable in front of you. Carefully lift the fondant off the worktable by rolling it around a French rolling pin. Alternatively, you could lift it with your hands, but make sure not to push your finger through the fondant. I also sometimes use the mat itself to transfer the fondant to the cake. Lay the rolled fondant over the cake starting from the side closest to you, then across to the opposite side, making sure you have covered the entire top and sides of the cake.

7. Cut off the excess with sharp knife (I have read that serrated works best, but I myself use a regular knife in a pressing motion rather than a sawing motion and I have been successful in achieving clean edges). Then work slowly around the cake to remove any wrinkles. Use a bowl scraper or fondant smoother to smooth and adhere the fondant to the cake.