Hi!

I return to you after quite a long absence with a little more knowledge on what in the world fondant is.

Ever wonder how those professional cakes have that seamless and smooth look to the base layer of “icing?” Much to my surprise (and excitement), that look isn’t achieved with icing, but with this stuff called fondant. Generally speaking, fondant is like edible play-dough that, when worked with correctly and carefully, can produce some amazing things. Solely fondant is used to cover a cake, but a combination of fondant and gumpaste, a similar substance with a slightly thinner consistency, is used to make flowers and other decorations.

You can do so much with fondant, only your imagination limits you. After a covering a cake, you can go ahead and add other icing decorations, or even paint it with food dyes. You can even use ribbon to go around the cake for a more elegant look. The possibilities are endless.

To get y’all started, here are some tips on covering a cake with fondant:

• Crumb coat your cake before placing the fondant on it, or your cake will become hard and not stick to the fondant (crumb coating is mentioned in the post “Cake!!!”; you can also look up “crumb coating your cake” on youtube for a visual aid)
• Make sure you have enough fondant to cover your cake in one big lump. If you roll it out first and then realize you don’t have enough, the seam created from adding more fondant WILL NOT disappear (I learned this the hard way). Check the side of the box the fondant comes in, it should have a guide; and of course, the internet and ingenuity helps if all else fails.
• Use shortening and powdered sugar on your work surface and rolling pin. I HATE shortening for various reasons, but it really does come in handy. So, it’s starting to grow on me….
• Knead your lump until it is malleable and somewhat soft; it may seem difficult at first, but it will certainly help in the long run.
• To store your excess fondant, wrap it in plastic wrap, then place it in an air-tight plastic bag. It will keep for 6 months or so, or longer.
• Don’t give up! With more practice, it will get easier and easier to whip out those seamlessly beautiful cakes 🙂

Here was my first try at a fondant covered cake. I had to do an artistic project that encompassed the 11 Chinese Dynasties we had covered in our Chinese History class, so of course I had to put it into a cake! The cake is a green tea cake with a honey-meringue frosting. (If you look closely through the center of China, there is a line; there is also one through the upper half of the blue East China Sea and Pacific Ocean; this is what happens when you did not pick out enough fondant to roll out. Lesson Learned: Better to have more than less)