Question for Darlene?

I saw the beautiful cake you made and I am a big cake maker for all family and friends. I have heard of fondant and seen it used on TV and have been wanting to try it but not sure where to buy it, and my sisters birthday is coming up and wanted to do something extra special for her. Could you let me know where you got your fondant and did you mix it yourself to create the colors you wanted? Thank you Hailey 245/176/135

I'm not Darlene but I do know you can get fondant at Hobby Lobby in the Cake aisle or even sometimes Walmart or MIchael's. I use Wilton Cake fondant. You can also make your own fondant. I imagine that the Wilton website would have a recipe for this. The Wilon fondant is basic white and you use candy gel colors to mix in the color you want. When you kneed it into the fondant it changes the color. I'm sure there must be other ways as well. Fondant has a differnt taste and texture thatn traditonal buttercream so make sure you like it if you cover a whole cake with it. You will always have a traditional icing under the fondant to ensure even coverage. Fondant will warm up and stretch witht he heat of your hands so using a fondant tool to help smooth the fondant on the cake with help it retain its shape the best. Taking a dishtowel (THe kinds with lots of holes made of a polyester) and doubleing it, then adding a mound of cornstartch in the center and gathering the ends and securing with a rubber band with make a great "dusting" tool so the fondant doesn't stick to anything. and mixing in extra cornstarch can make your fondant stiffer for bows and such. (Please double check all this with a cake book. Its been a year since I did fondant and cakes.) I did a beautiful 3 tier wedding cake in white fondant and made my own gum paste lillies for the tops for a friend. I will try to post pics some time when hubby helps me. (I hate being computer illeterate!) I'm sure Darlene will have soem more tips too. -Jen

Thank you so much I'll have to do some trials before her birthday to see what i can do with it?

ICK!!! Wilton Fondant is nasty! LOL Did you see my recipe below, its sooo easy and a very tasty fondant, MUCH cheaper too!

Alas, all I've ever had was Wilton fondant. I thought it was good and so did the bride so I guess its all good. But I bet marshmellow fondant is better. But I'll never know cause I'll probably never be eating it again! Glad yours worked out so well for you.

Hailey, You can buy pre-rolled fondant @ craft stores like Michaels, Joanns etc in the cake decorating section..they are Wilton brand... however it's pretty nasty tasting or so Ive heard. I made my own fondant, it was VERY easy! It's called Marshmellow Fondant.. It is so easy, and tastes great. The recipe is as follows: ------------------------------------------ 16 oz white marshmallows (I used a 16oz bag of the mini ones) 2 tb water 2 lb icing sugar (approx. 8 cups confectioners' or powdered sugar) 1. Melt marshmallows and water in a double boiler or microwave. Heat until melted. (I did it in the microwave-- took about 60-90 sec's) 2. Place half of the sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the middle. Pour melted marshmallow in and mix. 3. Add remaining sugar and continue kneading. (add more powedered sugar in tablespoons as you are kneading. Mixture should not be sticky) *** Note: It does NOT need all the powdered sugar, works best if you don't ass the whole 2lb bag-- I left about 1-2 Cups in the bag. TIPS ---Grease your hands and the bowl (Used vegetable shortening- Crisco) -- this also keeps the fondant workable-- if its a little dry just work some Crisco into it. Also, let this stuff rest overnight. It will be pretty stiff when you try to knead it again, but it can be microwaved for five to ten seconds (start off with 5) and it will soften right up and be perfect for rolling out and playing with. Discard all the crusty residues. ----------------------------------------------- To colour it we used cake colour... you can also buy at craft stores in the cake decoarting section... you add a little at a time, use a toothpick and knead it into the fondant until it's the desired colour. We made the MMF recipe, coated the outside with a thin layer of Crisco, wrapped it with saran wrap so it's airtight, and then put in a zip lock bag--- don't put it in the fridge! In the morning we cut it into 3 sections, microwaved and kneaded it well and added the colour... then rolled it out (Use cornstarch so it doesnt stick to the surface your rolling on)... and we decorated. It was so much fun The forums at http://www.cakecentral.com are very valueable!!!!

LOL I said "ass" hahahaha... I meant "ADD" hehehe

Hey darlene - I missed the picture of the cake. Where can I find it? I was anxious to see your masterpiece...

I posted the link yesterday in my "What Did Ya Eat" thread... tisk tisk, if you had gone in you would have seen! LOL