Guest Post: Beginner Fondant by Sarah Hoffman

The dreaded Friday the 13th. Fitting that for today’s guest post Sarah Hoffman is here to discuss fondant, which is dreaded by many bakers mostly due to inexperience. I fall into that category. When she offered to do a guest post about fondant I thought it was a great idea because I am sure there are others out there who could use some help.

On her food blog, Winged Snail, you will find recipes such as a Multigrain Sourdough Bread and a Volcano – which is basically an alcoholic slushy served with ice cream! Yes please and I’ll have another.

One year ago: Sweet Potato Breakfast Biscuits

Two years ago: Chicken Pot Pie Wellington

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Hey guys. My name is Sarah E. Hoffman and I’m a pamphleteer, blogger, academic and gastronomist. I like picnics, the smell of freshly baked bread and bobo tea. When I’m stressed I bake until the flour runs out. I am married to a very understanding non-foodie, whom I am in the process of converting. Find me @Sarah999 or www.sarahhoffman99.blogspot.com.

Beginner Fondant: All you need is Creativity

Cake lore maintains that fondant is frustrating to work and best left to the professionals. This attitude towards fondant results in amateur cake decorators being afraid of fondant. However, all you really need to work with fondant is creativity! Fondant responds in much the same way that play-dough does and every child (and child at heart) can create beautiful things with play-dough!

The best way to learn about fondant is to play with it. Purchase some fondant (ugly sale colors are perfect), bake up some cupcakes, and get busy! If you are hesitant about working with fondant the additional stress of deadline and expectations regarding the finished product will impede your creativity. Aim to decorate some ‘just because’ cupcakes and any amount of success will be celebrated!

Supplies:

Fondant

Small cookie cutters

Rolling Pin

Paint brush

Cupcakes

Icing

Basic Technique:

Pinch off a walnut sized piece of fondant and squish with your hands until warm and pliable. Dust work surface with a small amount of cornstarch or icing sugar and roll out the fondant. Cut shapes with small cookie cutters.

Slightly More Advanced Techniques:

– Pieces can be layered by applying a ‘glue’ of water with a paintbrush. The fondant pieces will stick together when the water dries.

– A marbling effect can be achieved by rolling out two colors of fondant at the same time or by rolling out one color and then applying bumps of another and rolling out again.

Finalizing Your Decorations:

Larger round designs can be applied to the cupcake surface by ‘gluing’ them on with a regular butter cream icing.

Smaller designs can become the focal point of the cupcake. This is accomplished by icing in the regular manner (fancy icing tip swirls are awesome here) and then sticking the fondant decorations on or in the icing.

Tips:

Lightly dust with cornstarch or icing sugar so fondant doesn’t stick to rolling pin.

Clean work surface between colors as light colors are very susceptible to the presence of darker colors.

The techniques described in this post will take you from scared noob to creative amateur but if you are craving more fondant fun check out this angry bird cake. The techniques used for this cake are very similar to what I’ve described above (with the addition of covering a cake) but the finished product is very chic!

I hope I’ve inspired y’all to get creative with fondant!