Covering a cake in fondant can be a bit tricky if you are new to this. If you follow my tips you will be on your way to creating beautiful fondant cake designs.
My tips…
1.Work it baby!
Work your fondant a little to soften it up. I usually ‘knead’ my fondant for a few minutes
to make sure it’s nice and pliable. I use a 50/50 mixture of icing sugar and cornflour and sprinkle this lightly onto the bench to stop the fondant from sticking.
2.Be quick
Work quickly. If you leave your fondant out for too long it will dry and you may get
some cracking when you cover the cake. You may also get what’s known as ‘elephant skin’ when the fondant looks stretched and is not super smooth.
3.The heat
Heat and humidity are your enemy when it comes to working the fondant. If it’s a particularly hot or humid day try and work in an air-conditioned kitchen or really early in the morning or late in the evening.
4.Colouring fondant
If you are working with dark colours (red, black navy) it’s best to buy these pre-coloured. I love hand colouring all other colours. If you are working with dark colours and the fondant gets a bit sticky then mix in a 50/50 mixture of icing sugar and cornflour as you knead. This will help make the fondant less sticky.
To get those super sharp edges, I always cover my cakes with ganache and let the ganache set overnight. You can leave it to set in the fridge or in a cool dark place. If you do set it in the fridge you will need to leave it out for a couple of hours before you cover the cake in fondant. This is because the ganache sweats and will make your beautifully covered cake look shiny.
Step 1
Lightly brush your cake with cooled boiled water before you start so the fondant sticks to the cake. Once your fondant is nice and pliable then start rolling out.
Step 2
I always use a cornflour/icing sugar mixture on my bench to stop the fondant sticking. Keep rolling and turning your fondant at 90 degree angles to get a nice even thickness all over. I like my fondant to be between 3mm and 5mm depending on the design of the cake. Once you have your fondant to the right size, drape it over your cake.
Lightly brush your cake with cooled boiled water before you start so the fondant sticks to the cake. Once your fondant is nice and pliable then start rolling out.
Step 2
I always use a cornflour/icing sugar mixture on my bench to stop the fondant sticking. Keep rolling and turning your fondant at 90 degree angles to get a nice even thickness all over. I like my fondant to be between 3mm and 5mm depending on the design of the cake. Once you have your fondant to the right size, drape it over your cake.
Step 3
Work quickly and secure your edges by running your hands along the top of your cake. Carefully work with the sides by smoothing down the fondant. You may need to ‘fan’ it out a little to get it to the right shape and to sit nicely on your cake.
Step 4
Use your smoother as you keep turning the cake and smoothing it down. Keep working our way around until the cake is covered. To get those super sharp edges use both of your smoothers kept at 90 degrees and run them along in a back and forth motion. This part takes the longest but if you persist your edges will be super smooth. Once you are happy with your cake you can trim the bottom.
Work quickly and secure your edges by running your hands along the top of your cake. Carefully work with the sides by smoothing down the fondant. You may need to ‘fan’ it out a little to get it to the right shape and to sit nicely on your cake.
Step 4
Use your smoother as you keep turning the cake and smoothing it down. Keep working our way around until the cake is covered. To get those super sharp edges use both of your smoothers kept at 90 degrees and run them along in a back and forth motion. This part takes the longest but if you persist your edges will be super smooth. Once you are happy with your cake you can trim the bottom.
If you loved this tutorial then you will LOVE my cake decorating book! You can grab it for free here when you sign up to my newsletter. Happy baking lovers xxx
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