Homemade Fondant

Hey guys!  For this Tutorial Tuesday,  I thought I would share how I learned how to make fondant at home.  I want to share my resources and tips that I used to help you in case you were interested in taking a stab at making your own homemade fondant too.  There are advantages and disadvantages to making your own fondant, and I’m not against buying ready-made fondant either.  So take a look and see if you’re up to it!  It’s not easy and it takes practice, but it’s very rewarding as well! Last year, my goal was to make my son’s first birthday cake with fondant. Above are pictures of my very first attempt.  That was the very reason how I started baking! Advantages to making your own fondant:

• It tastes GREAT unlike most pre-made fondant found in stores
• You can flavor it with any extract or emulsion that you want & match the type of cake you’re covering
• Save money!  The ingredients don’t cost much at all!
• Make custom colors you couldn’t find in stores.
• It feels like a great accomplishment when you get it right!  It’s a skill I plan to use a lot, so it’s worth the trouble!

Disadvantages to making your own fondant:

• It takes some equipment you probably don’t have, unless you bake or cook a lot.  I think you need to use a stand mixer if you want to save time, energy & elbow grease.  If you don’t want to buy any new equipment, just buy your fondant!
• It takes time & practice to get the right consistency.  It gets really stressful if all you have is your own homemade fondant, and you’re trying to decorate a cake & it keeps sticking to your work surface!
• Since I’m not an expert on homemade fondant, I think it’s only best for smaller cakes.  Consistency is key for properly covering a large cake & that’s the toughest part about making your own.  Pre-made fondant shouldn’t give you much trouble, then again, I have never really made a cake with pre-made fondant.

Below is the resource I used to learn how to make fondant.  I found it among a sea of many “How to make fondant” videos on YouTube, and this by far was my favorite because it was clear & easy to follow. “How to make Instant Fondant with Christina Marie Vega-Gluch”   Ingredients for homemade fondant:

• 1 (16 oz.) pack of mini marshmallows (I like Kraft brand)
• 2 pound bag of SIFTED Powdered Sugar (I like C&H brand, it’s already pre-measured in a 2-lb size)
• White vegetable shortening (I like plain Crisco, don’t use butter flavor or it will color your fondant yellow)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon extract or flavor emulsion like vanilla, butter, or almond
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• gel food coloring of your choice

I’ve only made four cakes using my own homemade fondant, and I learned so much every single time.  I admit I still haven’t quite mastered making homemade fondant to the point that it’s perfect each time but I’m getting closer to that point. Below are some important tips I learned from experience:

• I suggest working with store-bought fondant for your first time to understand the consistency of good fondant.
• Make the fondant the day before you plan on putting on the cake to prevent the fondant from drying out.  I have also found that it’s more pliable when it’s fresh!
• Use a stand mixer! If not, don’t bother trying to make it on your own just kneading it; it will take FOREVER!
• Sift you powdered sugar! Don’t be a lazy bone!
• Use brand name, not generic, marshmallows & powdered sugar.  If you go cheap, you’ll have fondant that dries out easily!  I learned the hard way!
• Color the marshmallows before you add the powdered sugar if you only have one color you want to use.
• Let the mixer do the majority of the work for you!  It take about 30-45 minutes for me to get the right consistency.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar & watch for the proper consistency; you may or may Not need all the powdered sugar.
• I like to use cornstarch for dusting the work surface instead of powdered sugar.  Just use it sparingly so you don’t dry out your fondant.
• After mixing & it looks doughy & not sticky like fondant, take it out the mixer & knead it until it has a perfect, soft, pliable & NOT STICKY.  Store it tightly wrapped with Saran Wrap so no air gets into it & put it in the fridge.  It needs to be at room temperature when you’re ready to use it.
• If you have a big cake, to me thats bigger than a 9″X13″ cake (i.e. bigger than the #1 cake I made below), just buy pre-made fondant.  For me, it’s difficult to make a giant single piece of fondant to cover the cake that doesn’t rip.  I would only use homemade fondant for small cakes.

Hope this helps! – MMC Bakes It feels great to be able to think of the future & looking back at these photos with my son telling him that Mommy made his cakes!