How to Make Fondant Bows 

 

A fondant bow added to the top of any cake instantly makes the cake look more professional and attractive. Large bows on top of a cake add visual interest and also eliminate the need for many other decorative elements. A fondant bow can work for birthdays, weddings, baby showers and nearly any other occasion. It takes at least two days to prepare the bow, so allow enough time to prepare the bow before assembling and serving the cake.

Step 1

Spinkle corn starch onto a smooth, flat surface. Sprinkle a small amount of corn starch onto the top of the fondant ball. Place the ball onto the cornstarch surface. Roll out your fondant so it is 1/8-inch thick. Make the sheet about 8 inches wide and 15 inches long. Cut the edges off of the sheet with the pizza cutter to make a perfect rectangle.

Step 2

Measure strips of fondant that are 6-inches long and 1-inch wide using a ruler. Cut the strips with a pizza cutter. Cut about 18 strips. This will provide enough extras in case some of the loops break. Sprinkle the strips with shimmer dust, if desired.

Step 3

Fold each strip into a loop shape. Paint a small bit of water at the joining point to help the loops adhere. Pinch the seam between the two sides of the loop slightly to help retain the bow look. Lay the loops on their sides on wax paper to dry. Let the loops dry overnight.

Step 4

Cut two 6-inch-by-1-inch strips from fondant rolled to 1/8-inch thick. Cut a “V” shape in one side of each strip and dust with shimmer dust, if desired, to match the loops.

Step 5

Cover a salad plate with wax paper. Place a small puddle of royal icing in the center of the plate. Lay seven of the loops in a circle around the center of the plate. Turn some of the loops on their sides for a more realistic look. Make sure each loop's pinched end rests in the icing.

Step 6

Place another glob of royal icing in the center of the loops. Place six loops in the second puddle of icing. Arrange the loops so that they sit differently than the layer below for a more realistic look.

Step 7

Place a small glob of royal icing on the last remaining loop. Place it in the middle of the second row of loops, standing straight up. Allow the bow to dry overnight.

Step 8

Place a glob of royal icing on the center of the cake. Arrange the loose strips of fondant on the glob to make bow streamers. Place the bow on top of the strips and icing glob to complete the bow.  Allow the icing to dry before placing the bow onto the cake.

 

Fondant “Icing Friendly” cake

Fondant “Icing Friendly” cake

Fondant Icing Cake’s Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of butter
• 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of milk
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Almonds Extract (I’m using the almonds extract but you can easily replace it with pure vanilla extract or any other flavor you like)
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Fondant Icing Cake’s Preparations:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Mix the butter and sugar in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy
• Add the eggs one at a time, keep mixing until all eggs are added
• Add the almonds flavorings to the mix, followed by the flour with baking powder and salt
• Add flour mixture alternately with milk, starting with the flour
• Spray pans with vegetable pan spray and pour in the mix
• Bake until a wooden skewer comes out clean (I rather use a skewer rather than a toothpick after I burnt my hands several times using a short toothpick…)
• Cool for ten minutes in the pans, and the cake is ready for you to loosen the sides and remove the pans
• Let the cake cool completely before you start the fondant icing

This recipe makes around 8 cups of batter which will give you two 8″ round cakes. (The amount of fondant you get by following my fondant recipe is enough to cover two 8” cakes with a little fondant left for decorations)

Base cake for fondant icing

Marshmallow Fondant

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 pounds confectioners' sugar, divided

Directions

1. Place the butter in a shallow bowl, and set aside.
2. Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff.
3. Rub your hands thoroughly with butter, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with confectioners' sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Marshmallow Fondant

Ingredients:

16 ounces white mini marshmallows (use a good quality brand) 2 -5 tablespoons water 2 lbs icing sugar (please use C&H Cane Powdered Sugar for the best results) 1/2 cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl) Directions: 

1 Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler: 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. 

2 It usually takes about 2 ½ minutes total. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix. 

3 Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY - palms, backs and in between fingers, then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle.

 4 Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. 

5 Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more.

 6 Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant is sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about ½ tablespoon at a time 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. 

7 Its 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. 

8 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 re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.

 9 MM Fondant will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make 2 batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant can be prepared well in advance. Print Recipe

Chocolate fondant

Chocolate fondant 

1. First get your moulds ready. Using upward strokes, heavily brush the melted butter all over the inside of the pudding mould. Place the mould in the fridge or freezer. Brush more melted butter over the chilled butter, then add a good spoonful of cocoa powder into the mould. Tip the mould so the powder completely coats the butter. Tap any excess cocoa back into the jar, then repeat with 1 the next mould.
2. Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 mins.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and yolks together with the sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail; use an electric whisk if you want. Sift the flour into the eggs, then beat together.
4. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture in thirds, beating well between each addition, until all the chocolate is added and the mixture is completely combined to a loose cake batter.
5. Tip the fondant batter into a jug, then evenly divide between the moulds. The fondants can now be frozen for up to a month and cooked from frozen. Chill for at least 20 mins or up to the night before. To bake from frozen, simply carry on as stated, adding 5 mins more to the cooking time.
6. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place the fondants on a baking tray, then cook for 10-12 mins until the tops have formed a crust and they are starting to come away from the sides of their moulds. Remove from the oven, then leave to sit for 1 min before turning out.
7. Loosen the fondants by moving the tops very gently so they come away from the sides, easing them out of the moulds. Tip each fondant slightly onto your hand so you know it has come away, then tip back into the mould ready to plate up.
8. Starting from the middle of each plate, squeeze a spiral of caramel sauce - do all the plates you need before you go on to the next stage.
9. Sit a fondant in the middle of each plate. Using a large spoon dipped in hot water, scoop a 'quenelle' of ice cream.
10. Carefully place the ice cream on top of the fondant, then serve immediately. Repeat with the rest of the fondants.

Basic Fondant

Basic Fondant

This fondant recipe produces a smooth, sweet candy that can be used as the basis for an endless variety of fondant creams and candies. Be sure to check out the photo guide to making homemade fondant!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup

Preparation:

1. Prepare your workstation by setting a large baking sheet on a sturdy counter or table top, and sprinkling it lightly with water.

2. Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then cover the pan and allow the sugar syrup to boil for 2-3 minutes.

3. Remove the lid, and continue to cook the syrup, without stirring, until it reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit (115 C).

4. Pour the sugar syrup onto the prepared baking sheet. Allow it to sit at room temperature for several minutes. After 2-3 minutes, lightly touch the syrup with a fingertip. When it is warm but not hot, it is ready to be worked.

5. Dampen a metal spatula or dough scraper with water, and use the scraper to push the syrup into a pile in the middle of the sheet.

6. Using a dampened plastic spatula or wooden spoon, begin to “cream,” or work, the fondant in a figure-8 pattern. Continually scrape the fondant into the center, draw a figure-8, then scrape it together again. At first the fondant will be very clear and fluid, but it will gradually become more opaque and creamy. After 5-10 minutes, the fondant will become very stiff, crumbly, and hard to manipulate.

7. Once the fondant reaches this state, moisten your hands and begin kneading it into a ball like bread dough. As you knead, the fondant will begin to come together and will get softer and smoother. Stop kneading once your fondant is a smooth ball without lumps.

8. At this point, your fondant can be used for melting and pouring. If you want to make flavored fondant candies, it is best to “ripen” your fondant for at least 12 hours to obtain the best flavor and texture. To ripen the fondant, place it in an airtight plastic container, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the fondant, and seal the lid on tightly. Ripen the fondant at room temperature, or if it is hot, in the refrigerator. After ripening, the fondant can be flavored, rolled, and shaped in whatever manner you wish. If it is stiff, you can always knead it by hand on a surface dusted with powdered sugar, until it is easy to manage. This recipe produces about 3/4 lb fondant.

Fondant Icing - Marshmallow Fondant Recipe - Fondant RecipeMarshmallow Fondant Recipe and Photo Tutorial

 

To many folks, even the pros, covering a cake in fondant icing is scary and avoided at all costs. It has a beautiful satin like finish that is desired by many Brides, but it is extremely difficult to make the traditional fondant icing. So much so, that there are a few companies that are willing to sell you their product for $6 per pound and up. That will cover an 8-inch two-layer cake. If you do the numbers, you will quickly realize that a three-tier cake is going to be a big headache and costly. The worst thing about this problematic and expensive cake icing is the fondant icing doesn’t taste good and is usually peeled off the slice of cake, like an orange rind, and left on the plate. 

So………you have got to ask "Why bother."  Well, this Marshmallow Fondant recipe that I’m sharing with you is easy-to-make, very delicious, and great to work with - plus beautiful on the cake. That’s why you should bother. You will amaze the bride, guests, and family with your skills in the kitchen. This recipe uses a commercial product as the base, so that is why it is a dream to make compared to the traditional recipe.

One of the first things that I learned in cake decorating is to relax and have fun. Try to remember that you are working in a medium that is meant to be eaten. It won’t be around 50 years from now. The memories and pictures might be around, but I can promise you that the important part of all of this is that you went to the effort and everyone was delighted.

Lesson two is that no cake decorator creates a perfect cake; the pros just know how to correct the errors and go on. The cake that I’m going to use today is a dense, moist cake that will hold its shape under the weight of what can be a heavy bit of icing and decorations.

MM (Marshmallow) Fondant Icing Recipe  

Recipe Type: Fondant
Yields: 1 batch fondant icing
Prep time: 60 min

Ingredients:

16 ounces white mini-marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
2 to 5 tablespoons water
2 pounds icing sugar (please use C&H Cane Powdered Sugar for the best results)
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)

Directions:

NOTE:  Please be careful, this first stage can get hot.

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler. To microwave, place 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 (palms, backs, and in between fingers), then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. (By the way, this recipe is also good for your hands. When I’m done, they are baby soft.)

Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. If you have children in the room they will either laugh at you or look at you with a questioning expression. You might even hear a muttered, What are you doing 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 icing 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 re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. MM Fondant icing will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make two (2) batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant icing can be prepared well in advance.

Now it’s time to start. Your cake should be baked, and completely cooled. If you have a shaped cake, you can trim it now and then place the cake on a prepared cake board. In other words, you are assembling the cake puzzle on the board. You can also place the cake on the board first and then trim (you must be extra careful not to damage the covered board). I personally find that shaping first is the easiest and then transferring the cake. 

Give the top and sides of the cake a nice thick 1/4-inch coating of Buttercream Icing (click on the underlined for buttercream icing recipe). NOTE: At first I was wondering why I needed to bother with this step. Well, there are a couple of reasons: The buttercream icing helps the fondant icing to “stick” to the cake and this cushion of undercoating icing helps to give you the beautiful smooth nearly perfect finish that you are looking for.

When you are ready to use the rested fondant icing, the first thing you need to do is decide what size you will need to roll your icing to.

Next, you need to sprinkle a bit of cornstarch on your counter to help prevent sticking (rub it in). Crisco coating. It will be pretty stiff when you try to knead it again, but it can be micro waved for 10 to 20 seconds, if necessary. Start off with 10 seconds (please be careful as items that have high sugar contents can get hot in the microwave very quickly). The fondant icing will soften right up and be perfect for rolling out and playing with. You want the temperature to be close to your body temperature.

Now is the best time to add your food coloring. I prefer to store my fondant icing in it’s natural color of white. Some colors can change the consistency of the icing. If you do need to store colored fondant icing, wrap each color very well in plastic wrap or Saran Wrap. Colors like red and burgundy are notorious for “bleeding” into other colors and ruining them. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Bag everything in Ziploc bags. Remember that food coloring can also stain your hands and nails. I have food-grade plastic gloves that I keep around. Add your food coloring, a little at a time, and knead it in. You can always go darker but it is difficult to go lighter. Red has a tendency to get darker as it sits and “ages”.

Pre-shape your icing into approximately the shape of your cake. For a round cake, make a disk shape. For a rectangular make a log shape.   

OK, here is a point of controversy about the next step. Some instructors tell you to only sprinkle cornstarch on your counter before you put the fondant icing down, sprinkle with more corn starch, and then roll fondant icing out to desired shape. Some teachers advise that you grease the counter, put the fondant icing down, and lightly grease the top of the fondant icing as need to prevent sticking. 

I prefer the cornstarch myself, but during very dry atmospheric conditions, I have been known to use the shortening method. The grease will help to hold in the moisture and keeps the fondant icing pliable. If necessary, add drops of water and knead it in thoroughly before proceeding. You will need to try out both ways in the future and decide what you like the most. A third alternative is a large-sized Roulpat Mat (31 x 23 inches). It really does work well and it can also help you with moving a large piece of rolled out fondant. I’ve never done it, but I was told that you just gently bend the mat edges downward with the icing still on it. Place the edge of mat and the icing next to the edge of the butter-creamed cake and flip the fondant icing over the cake. What was the top of the fondant icing that you rolled out, is now touching the buttercream and what was the bottom side is now the topside that you see.

Most folks do not have a nonstick rolling pin, but if you do, now is the time to use it. If not, lightly rub cornstarch on the surface of the rolling pin and roll out to the desired size. I like to roll my icing at least 1/8-inch thick. It’s thick enough for ease of handling and strength integrity. I wouldn’t go any thinner than 1/8-inch for the cake covering. When I’m making decorations with the fondant icing, I will sometimes roll it thinner. The MM Fondant icing is very forgiving and rarely tears but everything has it limits.

The technique that I use is to gently roll the icing on the nonstick rolling pin like a piece of fabric. DO NOT FOLD! An edge will be hanging down.

Quickly place the fondant icing at one bottom edge of the cake and unroll the rolling pin, holding it about 2 inches over the cake. Your fondant icing will then “fall” into place. You should also have a bit of overhang over the edges. You might need a little cornstarch at this stage, but only use it very sparingly if you have a dark colored icing. I very lightly sprinkle the cornstarch over the surface and use a buffing motion with my hand to move it around and to level the surface. This motion seals the fondant icing to the buttercream, works out the bumps in the icing below the surface, and removes flaws from the joined areas in the cakes surface below. Please use a VERY gentle pressure to rub the surface of the icing. I often have a little pile of the cornstarch on the counter and dip my hands in it as needed. 

Here is an important tip: Watch out for your fingernails as long nails can mark up your surface quickly and it is very difficult to smooth them back out.

If you notice a bubble in the surface, take a thin sharp needle and poke a tiny hole, at an angle, in the bubble. If you poke straight down, you can almost always see the hole even after the most careful smoothing. The angled hole lets the air out of the bubble, and with a tiny bit of rubbing you can reseal the hole.

I keep a clean, soft pastry brush close by, to move the cornstarch around. Do this lightly or you can leave brush marks on the surface that are almost impossible to remove. A number of companies make fondant smoothers for around $10. I have one, but I’ve used it only once and I’ve used my hands ever since. For me, it is easier and quicker. If you don’t handle the smoother correctly, you can damage the fondant’s finish.

Gently, with the side of your hand, push the fondant into the sides of the cake against the cake board. 

To trim the excess fondant icing, you can use a sharp knife. I find that the easiest and neatest way is to use a Pizza Cutter. Hold it at a 45 degree angle from the cake board and the side of the cake. Go slow and follow the shape of the cake. If you hold the cutter at the correct angle, you will have an almost perfect bottom edge. Gently, with your finger tips, push any little leftovers in against the cake for the neatest appearance.  If the edge isn’t as nice as you want, you can always add a fondant rope or pearls. Buttercream shells, stars, or flowers look wonderful also. 

If your cake needs a bit of shaping, do it now. I used the outside edge of my hand to make the indents to define certain areas of the cake.

Well, you have finished the covering of your cake. 

Many professional decorators feel that a fondant covered cake will hold the moisture in the cake for 3 to 5 days, depending on your atmosphere. I personally don’t want to go beyond 3 days. I like the cake to have a fresh taste.

Do not refrigerate your covered cake! When you take the cake out of the refrigerator, moisture will condense and destroy your beautiful surface. Your best option is to store the cake in a sealed bakery box. The cardboard sides of a box will keep the dust in the air off the cake, but allows the Fondant to breath.