All about Fondant Icing & Decorations (2024)

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All about Fondant Icing & Decorations (25)

Jennifer Sbranti

Graphic Designer and Creative Events Stylist

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There was a time when I associated fondant with professional bakers only. As someone who’s designed and blogged about parties and celebrations for years, I saw firsthand that the most amazing cakes and desserts were almost always adorned with fondant.

The thought of attempting to work with fondant myself was intimidating, but I also wanted to take my homemade cakes and desserts to the next level, so I decided to give it a try. After figuring out the basics, it was a lot easier than expected! Even the simplest fondant shapes, patterns and flowers are beautiful, and they’re very doable at any skill level.

What is Fondant?

Fondant is an edible icing with a pliable texture that can be rolled, shaped and sculpted. It’s most commonly used to decorate cakes, cupcakes and cookies.

There are different types of fondant, including rolled fondant, pour fondant, chocolate fondant, sculpting fondant, marshmallow fondant and gumpaste fondant. Marshmallow fondant is by far the easiest fondant recipe to make at home and requires only three ingredients — marshmallows, water and powdered sugar!

And if you’ve heard the rumors that fondant doesn’t taste good, no need to worry about that here! I have to keep my kids out of the kitchen when I’m working with this marshmallow fondant recipe because they just want to keep stealing pieces to gobble up!

All about Fondant Icing & Decorations (26)

All about Fondant Icing & Decorations (27)

How to Make 3-Ingredient Marshmallow Fondant

The first time I made this recipe was for my oldest daughter’s 12th birthday. She wanted a rock-and-roll-themed cake, and I knew it would look SO much better with fondant decorations than with piped buttercream. I was able to use marshmallow fondant cutouts to spell her name in a perfect rocker-style font and to adorn the rest of the cake with mini lightning bolts. She loved it!

For this easy fondant recipe that’ll give you about 2-1/4 pounds of fondant, you’ll need to mix 1/4 cup water with 16 ounces of mini marshmallows. Then melt the mixture in the microwave using 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval.

Once the marshmallows have a smooth texture without any lumps, mix in 32 ounces of powdered sugar, a little at a time. Stir the mixture first with a spatula, then knead it by hand (or use a stand mixer and dough hook) to fully combine the marshmallows and sugar.

A thin coating of shortening on your hands will make the hand-kneading process MUCH easier. Once the mixture becomes a smooth ball of dough, it’s ready to use! You can roll it out immediately or color it before rolling.

How to Color Fondant

Fondant takes color well and can be turned all sorts of beautiful shades! It’s important to use gel coloring with fondant because liquid food coloring will change the fondant’s texture.

You can create multiple colors from one batch of fondant by separating sections for each different color. You might need only a little bit of one color and a lot of another, so divide the fondant accordingly.

Knead a couple of drops of gel coloring into the fondant by hand. Add more drops as needed to deepen the color. To prevent the color from staining your hands, coat them with vegetable shortening first or use disposable food gloves. If you use gloves, they will also need to be coated in shortening to prevent the fondant from sticking to the gloves.

All about Fondant Icing & Decorations (28)

All about Fondant Icing & Decorations (29)

How to Roll Out Fondant

Use a hard, flat surface to roll out your fondant. Fondant will pick up any little thing, so make sure the surface is extra clean before start. Prep the surface by giving it a light dusting of cornstarch or powdered sugar.

It’s easiest to work with small amounts of fondant at a time instead of the entire batch (unless you’re rolling out enough fondant to cover a large surface like a cake).

Press down on the fondant ball to start flattening it, then use a fondant rolling pin to roll it out evenly. Fondant rolling pins sometimes come with rubber bands that you can place on either side to help regulate the thickness. For fondant toppers and decorations, 1/8-inch thickness is a good general rule of thumb.

How to Use Fondant

There are some situations where decorating with fondant is ideal versus using other types of icing. Fondant is much more versatile than other icings for making three-dimensional shapes and pieces with a marbled look. You can also paint fondant and write on it with edible ink markers.

Fondant makes it much easier to personalize a design with letters and numbers. You can use cutters to achieve perfect, uniform shapes instead of relying on a steady piping hand.

Also, fondant won’t easily melt in the heat like regular frosting can. Best of all, it travels well because of its sturdy structure. That means there’s less chance of accidental smudges and smears!

All about Fondant Icing & Decorations (30)

All about Fondant Icing & Decorations (31)

Fondant Cake Toppers & Decoration Ideas

Fondant can be used to decorate cakes, cupcakes, cookies and other desserts. It can also be used on its own as fondant candy.

Fondant flowers are one of the most popular types of fondant cake and cupcake toppers. These confections can range from simple to elaborate, but even the simplest fondant flowers look great! Check out these tutorials for fondant roses, fondant sunflowers, fondant daisies and fondant leaves.

Other ideas for decorating with fondant include letter and number cutouts, fondant bows, fondant figures (superheroes, favorite characters), fondant animals, and even embossing designs and edible prints.

You’ll need cutters, fondant tools and edible adhesive to create most fondant decorations. Sometimes versatile cutters like metal cookie cutters can be used, but specialty fondant cutters often have additional benefits like adding texture and detail to the shapes at the same time. Fondant molds are popular tools as well. Simply press your fondant into a mold to create an instant and intricately detailed fondant shape.

Although fondant itself can last for a long time, the cake or dessert that it’s placed on will have a much shorter shelf life. A cake that’s fully covered in fondant (and that does not contain perishable fillings) can last at room temperature for three to four days, and in the freezer for up to three months.

Fondant Cakes

To cover an entire cake in fondant (think a wedding cake), you’ll need one large piece of fondant rolled to about 1/8 inch thickness. The size of this fondant piece can be determined by adding up your cake’s diameter and the height on both sides. For example, a 6-inch round cake that’s 3 inches tall would be 6+3+3.

Lightly frost your cake with buttercream first, then gently drape the fondant over the cake. Use a fondant smoother to help adhere the fondant to the buttercream, and stretch and smooth the fondant around the edges until the cake is completely covered without any creases. Cut the excess fondant off of the bottom of the cake with a fondant trimmer, pizza cutter or sharp knife.

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All about Fondant Icing & Decorations (35)

Jennifer Sbranti

Graphic Designer and Creative Events Stylist

Jennifer Sbranti

Graphic Designer and Creative Events Stylist

Jennifer Sbranti is a mom of 2 and the founder ofHostess with the Mostess(HWTM), a creative lifestyle brand established in 2006. Her graphic design work and party ideas have been featured in media outlets such as Good Morning America, The Today Show, Real Simple, and more. Through HWTM, Sbranti shares inspiring ways to *bring the fun* to special occasions and everyday moments.

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All about Fondant Icing & Decorations (2024)

FAQs

What are the four types of fondant? ›

Fondant is an edible icing with a pliable texture that can be rolled, shaped and sculpted. It's most commonly used to decorate cakes, cupcakes and cookies. There are different types of fondant, including rolled fondant, pour fondant, chocolate fondant, sculpting fondant, marshmallow fondant and gumpaste fondant.

How long do fondant icing decorations last? ›

Plan to use the decorations within 2 months so they don't harden beforehand. Don't put your fondant in the fridge or freezer since it could form condensation when you take it back out, which can make the decorations wilt or sag.

What is the difference between fondant and fondant icing? ›

Fondant icing, also commonly just called fondant (/ˈfɒndənt/, French: [fɔ̃dɑ̃]; French for 'melting'), is an icing used to decorate or sculpt cakes and pastries. It is made from sugar, water, gelatin, vegetable oil or shortening, and glycerol.

What is the best fondant for beginners? ›

Fondarific Buttercream Fondant – Good choice for beginning cake decorators. Its softness and pliability are forgiving to those who are still perfecting their craft.

Which frosting is best for fondant? ›

My personal preference and the preference of many cake designers is to use meringue-based buttercreams under fondant. Both will work just fine, so if you're team American buttercream, then go for it!

Can I refrigerate a cake with fondant decorations? ›

Fondant is sugar and as with all sugars it will attract moisture, with that in mind, I avoid storing anything with fondant in the fridge. A ganache only decorated cake can be stored in the fridge. So very pleased the site has given you confidence and encouragement to tackle your forthcoming celebration cake.

Do you let fondant decorations dry? ›

Letting fondant air dry naturally can take up to 36 hours, depending on how thick it is. If you're not short on time, this is reliable way to ensure you don't damage the fondant, but it requires a bit of planning.

What's better, buttercream or fondant? ›

Fondant is basically one huge piece of candy, which a lot of people can find sickly, while the thick, dry texture can be a turn off for others. Buttercream, on the other hand, has a rich, creamy taste that most people prefer to fondant.

Do I need to put buttercream under fondant? ›

In addition to the fondant, you will need a cake that is covered with a layer of buttercream at least 1/4-inch thick. This frosting layer helps the fondant stick to the cake and smooths out any bumps or imperfections on the cake surface, so the fondant layer looks clean and smooth.

Why is fondant not edible? ›

Is Fondant Edible? Yes, fondant is 100% edible. In the media, you will sometimes see fondant being removed from a baked good before it is eaten, but this is simply because some people don't like the flavor or texture of this icing.

Will fondant decorations melt on buttercream? ›

Fondant will dissolve in most types of buttercream and does become wet and shiny after a few hours.

How far in advance can you decorate a cake with fondant? ›

With a basic butter cake, the fondant covering should be done no more than 2 to 3 days in advance of decorating and serving. A cake only remains fresh that long anyway and because fondant is sugar based, it's also how long it can stand without breaking down from the moisture in the cake.

How to use fondant icing for beginners? ›

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.

Is marshmallow fondant the same as regular fondant? ›

More traditional rolled fondant recipes require a few more ingredients and you more than likely won't have them on hand. Marshmallow Fondant is a bag of marshmallows and icing sugar, That's all you need.

What is the difference between poured fondant and rolled fondant? ›

Rolled fondant has the same texture of clay that is a little stiffer than you are used to, and poured fondant is a very gelatinous, thick liquid. We will not touch too much on poured fondant, as it is less common, but it is used for fillings or covering cakes.

What is the best fondant to make figures? ›

The Wilton Fondant is nice and durable which makes it great for creating figurines……. (Although I would never cover a cake with the Wilton Fondant due to the taste). At times I also use a 50/50 mixture of commercial fondant and gumpaste to create my figurines.

Are gumpaste and fondant the same? ›

Gum paste is a soft and pliable sugar dough, but unlike fondant, it dries completely hard. This makes it perfect for creating detailed cake decorations like roses, daisies and other flowers.

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