Homemade Fondant

Fondant is a type of icing which is most commonly seen on wedding cakes. It is actually available in two forms, one is poured the other is rolled. It is basically made of sugar, mixed with glucose, gelatin, etc., which can be rolled easily and can be given different shapes, because it has the consistency of a dough.

The reason for which it is used to decorate cakes for special occasions is because, it gives them a smooth and flawless finish. Most people prefer to buy it ready-made, which is easily available at stores.

Though ready-made fondant can make your work easy, but you will definitely achieve better results if you use the homemade ones. So, let us take a look at some of the recipes that you can prepare on your own.

The reason due to which people avoid making it at home, is that it takes a lot of patience and concentration to get the correct consistency. So, the first time you make it, you may not do it correctly. But, with practice, you will surely be able to make it easily. Here are some recipes that you can try.

Ingredients

• Solid vegetable shortening, 3tsp.
• Unflavored gelatin, 2tsp.
• Flavoring, 1 tsp.
• Cold water, ¼ cup
• Glycerin, 3 tsp.
• 2 Powdered sugar, (sifted) 2 lb.
• Glucose 4 oz.

Preparation
Take water in a small saucepan and spread the gelatin over it, so that it gets distributed evenly. Allow the gelatin to rest in the water for five minutes to soften. Once the gelatin becomes soft, place the saucepan on the stove and heat it on a very low flame.

Stir continuously till the gelatin gets completely dissolved in water. When this is done, add glucose followed by glycerin into the saucepan. After this, fold in the shortening and when these ingredients are fully blended, remove the pan from the stove.

Add a teaspoon of flavoring to the pan and stir till it is absorbed. Take a large sized mixing bowl and sift the powdered sugar in it. Make a hole in the center of the powdered sugar and pour the mixture in the saucepan.

Take a wooden spatula and mix till it becomes firm. When the mixture cools a little, start kneading it with your hands. Do not forget to grease your hands with oil lightly before beginning the kneading process.

The end result should be a smooth icing which has an elastic texture. If it is too sticky, then you can alter its consistency by adding a little more powdered sugar and if it is too dry, you can add little shortening to make it elastic.

Once you get the desired result, mold it into a thick disk and wrap it in as many layers as possible. Place this wrapped dough in a ziploc bag, and allow it to stay at room temperature for twelve hours before using it to decorate the cake.

Ingredients

• Powdered sugar, 2 lb.
• Vegetable shortening
• Marshmallows, 8 oz.
• Water, 2 tbsp.

Preparation
To make this recipe, take marshmallows and water in a microwave friendly bowl and heat it at a high temperature for two minutes. After two minutes, the marshmallows will retain their shapes, but look puffy. To make them smooth, stir continuously. Once this is done, add 1½ lb. of sugar to the marshmallows and mix.

Remember that you have to use a spoon which is heavily coated with vegetable shortening. When you do this, you will make a dough which is very sticky to touch.

Now, grease your work surface, as well as your hands thoroughly with the shortening and start kneading the fondant. To ensure that it is not sticky, add sugar till it reaches the right consistency. However, if it becomes dry, knead it by adding some water or shortening.

When you get a smooth fondant, you can either use it to decorate the cake or store it in the refrigerator by wrapping it well for later use.

Apart from the above given recipes, you can make flavored varieties including buttercream, chocolate, vanilla, etc. These can not only be used to decorate cakes, but also to decorate cupcakes, cookies, etc. So mold it according to your wish and enjoy its delicious flavor.