Light Icing Recipe Cake Decorating

The Fondant Recipe Guide on
How to Make Fondant Icing & Rolled Fondant.

Here are two different recipes:
A fondant icing recipe and a rolled fondant recipe.

If your looking for a fondant recipe or just plain curious on how to make fondant, here are a couple of recipes I've found for two kinds of fondant depending on your needs.

A fondant icing recipe and a rolled fondant recipe. The two are quite different and used for different purposes.

Fondant icing is used to glaze petit four frais. It is kneaded then flavoured and coloured as desired. You can roll it out, cut and dip in chocolate or roll and dip in garnishes or chocolate.

Rolled fondant can be rolled over a large work surface and placed over cakes and fruitcakes and coloured fondant is often shaped to make fondant flowers.

If you're not experienced with working with fondant, experiment with the recipes to see where they lead you.

Making fondant is a little like playing with playdough. Fondant making can be fun and fondant frosting can be a new artform - especially if you are new to it.

If you're planning to make your own wedding cake, both these fondant recipes may come in handy.

1. Fondant Icing Recipe

This Fondant icing is used to glaze petit four frais. It can be flavored and coloured. Knead then flavour and colour as desired, roll out, cut and dip in chocolate or roll and dip in garnishes or in chocolate.

2 c sugar
2/3 c water
1 T glucose (no substitutions)

Prep: Sprinkle a large slab of marble or a large, heavy, smooth surfaced baking sheet with cold water.

Over medium heat, stir very gently sugar, water and glucose in heavy saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Increase temperature and bring to boil. Cover pot and boil for three minutes.

Remove lid and place in candy thermometer. Continue to boil until the temperature reaches 240°F, soft ball stage. Remove from heat and immediately dip the bottom into cold water to stop cooking.

Pour this hot syrup onto the prepared marble and leave to cool for a couple of minutes. Using a damp metal spatula or metal scraper, lift the edges of the syrup and fold back into the center.

Keep doing this until the mixture turns glossy, and is pale yellow in color. Then use a heavy wooden spoon to work the mixture in a continous figure eight for about 5 to 10 mintues.

Keep doing this action until the mixture turns white, is crumbly and stirring with the spoon is extremely difficult. Moisten hands and knead the fondant for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture feels moist and is perfectly free of lumps.

Use the metal scraper to lift the fondant if it sticks to the surface. Form the fondant into a ball and place in on a moistened plate. Cover with damp cloth, and leave it in a cool place for 12 hours to ripen.

Dust your work surface with sifted powdered sugar, and place the fondant on that. Press it out flat. If coloring, make slits in the fondant and drop the colouring into those slits. Knead well and use as desired.

2. Rolled Fondant Recipe

Rolled fondant is the fondant that can be rolled over a large work surface and placed over cakes and fruitcakes. It can be shaped and can be coloured.

1 1/2 t plain gelatin
1/8 c water
4 c powdered sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup

1 1/2 t glycerine

Vegetable oil, for oiling hands and spatula

Sprinkle gelatin over water in small saucepan. Let sit for 5 minutes, then over low heat stirring frequently, stir to dissolve gelatin. Cover saucepan to keep warm.

Place the sugar in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add corn syrup and glycerine; do not mix in. Pour the warmed, dissolved gelatin into the well over the top and mix in with a lightly oiled rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

Mix until the dough is too stiff to stir. Because the dough will be very sticky, oil hands with a small amount of oil. Knead dough until of the sugar is incorporated.

Transfer to a lightly oiled surface and continue to knead until smooth and satiny. This will be the texture of clay. If the fondant is too dry, add in a few drops of water and if it is too dry, add in a bit of powdered sugar.

Shape the fondant into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap well in plastic wrap. Let rest for 20 minutes before rolling and using.

If you're making a fondant wedding cake, either fondant recipe will be suitable. The fondant icing recipe is perfect for sculpting and decorating with fondant, while the rolled fondant recipe is perfect to cover the wedding cake.

Now we all know how to make fondant, don't we?

References used:

The first fondant recipe is by Renee Shelton Beach Cuisine™ Inc www.pastrysampler.com

Hirsheimer, Christopher. Saveur. "Fruitcake Weather: 'Tis the season for a taste of memory, intimacy, and pure sensual pleasure."
Nov./Dec. issue, 1996. No. 15. P.124.

* Partial article and these fondant recipes are credited to Renee Shelton, Beach Cuisine™ Inc www.pastrysampler.com

Video Tutorials for
making your own cake, frosting & icing

Making your own Cake

Make a Wedding fruit cake:

If you're looking for a dark fruit wedding cake recipe that will blow your socks off, here's one I regard as the perfect fruit cocktail cake. Tried and tested! This easy-to-follow recipe has step by step instructions, it will take the guesswork out of making your wedding cake.

Make a two tiered wedding cake:

If you think you would enjoy making a wedding cake, here you'll find a step by step video tutorial with easy to follow instructions that any novice can follow. A two tiered wedding cake is easier than you think.

Make cupcake wedding cakes:

Wedding cupcakes are a piece of cake, right? Well obviously - but if nobody's ever shown you how to make wedding cupcakes, follow this video tutorial, the wedding cupcake recipes are included.

Cake Decorating Ideas

Make a decorative bow out of fondant:

make your own wedding cake Wouldn't it be fantastic to be able to make expert wedding cake decorations using rolled fondant icing? You'll learn how to make a decorative white bow to place on top of your finished wedding cake.

3 Cup cake decorating design ideas:

make your own wedding cake Cupcake decorating isn't merely a skill, it is an artform, but with the right cake decorating tools and the right cake decorating instructions, any cake decorating neophyte can turn her hand to cake decorating for weddings.

Make a buttercream flower bouquet for wedding cupcakes:

This cupcake decorating video tutorial has easy to follow cake decorating instructions. You'll learn to make perfect yellow Begonia and pink Carnation buttercream flower cake decorations and other simple cake decorations. Create and execute your own cake decorating design ideas.

Wedding cake decorations - learn to make sugar flowers:

Learn the fine art of cake decorating for weddings. This video tutorial will show you how to make sugar flowers to decorate you own wedding cake. It's a step by step cake decorating instructions on how to make expert wedding cake decorations.

Cake Frosting & Cake Icing

How to cover a cake with rolled fondant:

make your own wedding cake Here you'll learn how to cover your wedding cake with rolled fondant icing. Making it so easy to decorate. You can either decorate your cake with silk or fresh flowers, swirls of buttercream frosting and or decorative scuptured sugar decorations. The sky's the limit.

How to cover a cake with buttercream frosting:

make your own wedding cake Do you want to know the best and most efficient way to cover your cake with buttercream frosting? In this video tutorial you will learn how to achieve a perfectly smooth finish and prepare it for some simple cake decorations.

How to make marshmallow fondant:

This marshmallow fondant recipe is complete with instructions with a mini video with pictures. Marshmallow fondant is not so difficult to make. It's easy to work with, is deliciously tasty and the beautifully smooth white finish is the perfect base for wedding cake decorating.

How to make Swiss buttercream icing:

This delicious Swiss buttercream icing recipe is gorgeous and yummy and so easy to make, you'll wonder why you don't eat Swiss buttercream everyday. Psst! Too much of a good thing is a little naughty, that's why.

Vanilla buttercream icing recipe:

This traditional vanilla buttercream frosting recipe is commonly used for icing wedding cakes as well as making decorative buttercream flowers. For piping, you need a slightly thicker butter icing mixture, so you'ld use a little less of the heavy cream or corn syrup in the recipe provided.