Trusty Ol' Fondant

Fondant is a well-known and widely used icing in wedding cake industry for over the years. It gives a velvety matte surface showcasing untimely wedding cakes a sophisticated appeal. It’s not harsh to say that fondant has been the most trustworthy and fool-proof icing for wedding cakes. Why? Because of its pliability and easy to mold ability creates multitude of eye appealing designs. Almost as versatile as buttercream, fondant can be used to ice cakes, embossing textures on, cut-out into pieces, mold into figurines, lace work and also creating ruffled effects. As long as it’s external cake décor uses, fondant serves all.

Miniature cake iced with Yellow tinted Rolled Fondant. Other samples of fondant cakes can be found here

Little that we know, fondant actually can be divided into two types, which are “Rolled Fondant” and “Poured Fondant”. Rolled fondant is the type that we all know and excessively seen. Its main use is to cover and decorate cakes and other pastries. Rolled fondant made mainly from sugar, more specifically icing sugar, and other ingredients like gelatin, glucose syrup, water, and some fat. The additional ingredients lend themselves to the quality of the rolled fondant – pliable but firm enough to hold shapes like clay. Its pliability stands for a period of time allowing for some room for it to be worked with. Although however the exterior of fondant will eventually dry a little (but never crusts), the overall fondant that’s underneath will stay relatively soft to be cut through with knife. Contrariwise, poured fondant is made with just sugar and water, boiled together to a certain temperature read and will be left off-heat until the syrup cools down. After that it will be agitated and kneaded continuously until it forms into a white opaque mass almost like dough. Despite the same purpose of poured fondant to the one we are familiar with – rolled fondant, the use of poured fondant can be traced mostly in candies and other confectionery products.

 

Proper technique and tools will help getting the smoothest result with fondant. Pastry Wheel, Rolling Pin and Fondant Smoother (not shown in picture) combo is always a great help.

 

Options in acquiring rolled fondant are left for the decorator to choose. Store bought fondant is a convenience because of its ready-to-use eminence, but for a domestic use, you’ll get bang for your buck with home-made fondant. Either one works equally the same although store bought fondant wins over having the smoothest texture to the home-made one. Through my experience, home-made fondant isn’t as workable to be reused from previous scraps as compared to the store bought fondant due to the fact that it will be slightly dry and crumble apart. Store bought fondant seems to work fine always in retaining its elasticity after kneading it continuously.

Leftover fondant will crumble apart. Simply knead it continuously to revive it to its pliable consistency.