cake!

One of my Laurels and I made, or rather, we built a birthday cake for her mom's birthday. I taught her how to make homemade fondant and cover the cake with it. She made 4 layers of cake, two yellow and two chocolate. We frosted it with chocolate butter cream and then covered it with fondant. We added white fondant polka dots and a cute peach bow made of fondant on top. I love spending time with each of the young women. 

 

The Homemade Fondant Recipe is below because I know you want to try it!

 

HOMEMADE FONDANT

16 oz marshmallows

2 pounds powdered sugar

2-5 T water

1/2 cup Crisco

 

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave.  Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 1/2 minutes total. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.

Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY with Crisco, then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle.

Start kneading like you would bread dough. Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant starts sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time and then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.

It is best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water. 

Prepare the fondant for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic-type wrap product and then put it in a Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Fondant will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. 

When using rested fondant, get at room temp (use microwave for 10 seconds at a time) and use cornstarch to prevent sticking to counter.  Add a few drops of food coloring at a time and knead in.  When rolling out, don’t go less than 1/8 in thick and use a non-stick rolling pin if you have one, if not, use cornstarch.  When placing fondant on cake, roll around rolling pin, drape the edge over cake and slowly unroll fondant onto pre-iced cake.  Use hands and a small amount of cornstarch to smooth onto the icing of cake, use a pizza cutter or knife to trim excess fondant. 

Store a fondant cake on the counter in a sealed cake box for up to 3 days (fondant seals in moisture), do not refridgerate!  Moisture will condense and ruin fondant.