My neighbors Cynthia and Trent asked me to make a cake for their mom’s birthday party. Of course I wanted to do it, but as they described the style of cake she wanted I got downright giddy about it. “Something bright, colorful and wildly whimsical” were the words they used to describe her taste. Immediately I thought fondant! It isn’t my favorite thing in the world to eat, but it allows so much creativity with color, shapes and dimensions that you can’t always get with buttercream or other icings. Not to mention they were driving this cake about an hour away and in the heat of summer fondant is a great traveler.
There are a few things to know about fondant, but it really isn’t difficult to work with. I’m going to show you step by step how I put this cake together. You may want to start with something slightly less over-the-top, but maybe not!
What you will need:
Wilton Pure White Rolled Fondant, 24oz (Wilton is easy to work with, but you DO NOT want to eat it. I only use this if the person I’m making the cake for intends to peel off the fondant. Yes, you just peel the entire layer of fondant off and reveal some delicious icing underneath. I’m suggesting you start with Wilton’s product just because it is so easy to use.)
Food Color Soft Gel Paste (Use the gels, not the water based kind you get at the grocery store.)
Food Service Grade Disposable Latex Glove (This will protect your hands from the food coloring.)
Heavy Gauge Clear Vinyl (This is the clear sheet that I roll out the fondant on. Nothing sticks to it and you can lift it up easily and move it around. you can also use a Roll’Pat Pastry Mat, but it is much more expensive.)
Rolling Pin
Pastry Wheel (For trimming the fondant around the base of the cake.)
Wooden Dowel Rods 12 Pk (Support the cake if it is more than one layer high.)
Spatula
Corn Starch
This is the drawing I did as a guide for the cake. It is helpful to have a plan, even if you don’t end up sticking to it through to the end.
Claudia wanted a chocolate extravaganza, so I made my Devil’s Food with layers of chocolate ganache. I also trimmed the cake so that it was tapered at the bottom, just for a bit more whimsy.
I coated the outside in a thick layer of the ganache. This is what the guests will eat after the fondant is pulled away so you want to make sure there is a nice layer of it.
Smooth the icing out as much as possible before covering with the fondant. Then I cut the cardboard rounds to exactly match the size fo the bottom of the cake. You don’t want cardboard showing.
Mix the fondant with the food coloring to achieve the right color. knead the fondant to distribute the color evenly.
Stretching and turning the dough also helps to mix in the color. I first saw this done on the Jersey shore where they were making taffy, it seems to work equally well for fondant.
Once it is the color you want then dust your vinyl sheet with corn starch. Keep the fondant well covered if not using right away.
Roll the fondant out to about 1/8-inch thick and round.
Pick up the fondant carefully and drape it over the cake.
Carefully stretch the fondant, by gently rubbing and pulling it until it is flat up against the cake. You will now have a large skirt of excess fondant around the base.
Using the pastry cutter, trim off the excess fondant until it is flush with the bottom of the cake.
Smooth the cake with the palms of your hands or a paddle.
If you are stacking the cake you will need to cut wooden dowels that will stand up in the bottom layer and support the top layer. Cut the dowels so they are flush with the fondant, as I did in this picture.
Stack the two layers together and now you are ready to decorate. Next I will show you how to make the flowers.
Hi Alienman,
It is an odd moment when you rip the fondant off a cake that is intensely visual. I had a bride leave the cake in tact until the end of the end of the evening before she had had enough champagne to tear into the cake.
Just take lots of pictures and go for it. The best part is underneath!
Thanks! Zoë
O my goodness, this is SO BEAUTIFUL. I’m sure your “clients” told you it was much too beautiful to eat.
Amazing tutorial! I wish I would have had this when I was stumbling through trying to teach myself how to deal with fondant. And I LOVE the color of the cake. Beautiful work!
that is delightfully festive! nice work.
What a gorgeous cake!! I just love the pretty and vibrate color of the cake. Thanks for showing us the step by step
Hi Hillary,
Start with something smaller and just try covering it with the fondant. When I was in school we practiced on dummy cakes made of Styrofoam. That way we could cover it and take it off and cover it again. After a couple of tries it will feel like second nature.
Enjoy! Zoë
I don’t think I could ever make a cake as neat as this one! I’d be clumsy with my fondant. Nice job! I love the colors.
Amazing!
Hi My sweet and Saucy,
Your cakes are fantastic, just goes to show how versatile fondant can be. Thanks for telling me about it and everyone else should go check out her cakes:
http://www.mysweetandsaucy.com/
Zoë
Lovey cake! I just did a colorful, whimsy cake too this past week!
Hi Maggie,
Your cake looks great, how creative you are!
Chez Us, enjoy the crackers and cheesecake?
Thanks Big Boys Oven!
Zoë
I needed these directions last night! Thanks for posting images for all of the steps. I think I need to work on getting the buttercream smoother before I add the fondant.
WoW! this is so awesomely desirable!
WOW, this looks beautiful! Love it!
I am making your graham crackers tonight – can’t wait to try out that recipe!
Hey everyone,
Thanks for the kind words about the cake! Claudia was the inspiration.
Clumbsy Cookie, I can’t wait to hear about all the bread you bake from the book.
Thanks, Zoë
It’s absolutely beautiful! I love the colors you chose and by the way the cake inside looks delicious. Oh and I just received your book that I orded online, can’t wait to try it.
that cake is gorgeous!!
Cool cake, very pretty!
Hi Gizmar,
The latex and the vinyl are key to keeping my hands and kitchen from turning all sorts of colors!
Have fun! Zoë
Hi Amanda,
Thanks, it is a bright and playful cake. You can do things that are much more subtle and down right sophisticated with fondant as well. It is amazing what you can do with it.
Try it sometime and let me know what you think.
Zoë
Hi Rachel,
Have fun in the class. Once you’ve tried it a couple of times it is easy!
Let me know how it goes.
Zoë
What a gorgeous cake – you definitely achieved wild and whimsical – so fun to look at. Wish I would have thought of latex disposables before I put red colouring into my icing – but I must admit my fingers look .. well…unusual.
The play by play was very interesting.
that is a gorgeous cake!
what a cool cake! the colors really catch your eye. I’ve never used fondant as most of my cakes are more rustic and not too fancy so your info is really helpful for any future endeavors I might have.
I am taking a fondant class right now. Your cake is wonderful! Thanks for the step by step pictures, that is helpful for a beginner like me.