Recipes

Homemade Fondant Recipe 

("Marshmallow Fondant")

* This recipe is fairly easy, but messy.  Please read all instructions carefully before starting.

16 ounces of White Mini-Marshmallows

3-6 Tablespoons of Water

2 pounds of Powdered Sugar

1/2 cup of Vegetable Shortening (i.e. Crisco) in a Shallow Bowl (does not need to be exact as it is used for greasing, not as an actual ingredient)

Large Microwaveable Bowl

Food Coloring (optional)

Plastic Gloves (optional)

Mix all the marshmallows and 3 tablespoons of water in the large bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted (only takes 2 minutes or so).

Add half the powdered sugar and mix it with the melted marshmallows.  It will start getting REALLY sticky at this point.  Add a little more powdered sugar (and water if necessary - 1 tablespoon at a time) and continue to mix (it should get pretty thick and hard to stir at this point).

Now, GENEROUSLY GREASE your counter and hands with the vegetable shortening.  Pour/scoop the sugar and marshmallow mixture onto the counter.  Put any remaining sugar  on top of the mixture (I usually have about 1/4 a bag left).  Mix and knead the mixture with your hands until all the powdered sugar is mixed in.  If (and when) the fondant starts sticking, simply re-grease your hands and counter and continue blending until all clumps are gone. 

Coloring:  If you wish to color your fondant, now is the time to do it.  Begin adding your food coloring.  If you need a lot of food coloring (i.e. for a dark black or vibrant red), don't add as much water in the beginning since you will be adding so much moisture with the food coloring.  Making the fondant a few days in advance can also help the color since they will often darken some over time (especially reds).

*Note: if you need a true black, or want more coloring options than the generic 4 colors found in most grocery stores; craft stores (i.e. Hobby Lobby and Micheal's) carry a large assortment of individual colors, as do many Walmarts in their craft or wedding section. 

Servings: This recipe makes enough to cover one 9X13" sheet cake or 8" double stacked round cake.  As a guidance tool, I use a 1:1 ratio with my cake recipe/fondant recipe (i.e. If I make 2 boxes of cake mix for a cake design, I will make double the fondant recipe, or make 2 fondants).

Storage: Coat the fondant with shortening and wrap in plastic wrap then place in a Ziploc bag (squeeze the air out), and place in the refrigerator.  I've found that mine can keep well for several weeks - I simply let it sit out on the counter and warm slightly to a malleable state before using.

Tips: 

*Make sure to put a thick 1/4" covering of Buttercream frosting on your cake before placing the fondant. This helps the fondant to stick, makes it a smooth covering, and improves the taste (since not everyone likes the taste of fondant).

*When rolling, you can use cornstarch or vegetable shortening to avoid sticking, but use the cornstarch sparingly if you have a dark color because it will alter the color some.

*Roll to about 1/8" thick when using to cover a cake.