Ah… Decorating with Fondant! The beautiful, versatile and smooth FUN FONDANT! I think that once people begin decorating with fondant, they get hooked.

One gal named Janet who loves fondant decorating calls it “Baker’s Play-Doh” – a description I love!

That is because when using fondant, you are using a type of icing that handles somewhat like clay. You can shape it, roll it into a ball – then roll it out flat.

When it comes to decorating with fondant, the sky truly is the limit!

So, are you ready for an EASY rolled fondant recipe?

Try this one – it won’t take you long to do it, and the ingredients are very simple. This recipe will make about 3 pounds of fondant.

MIXER NOTE: If you are using a counter-top or stand mixer, it’s best to use the “dough hook” attachment for ease of mixing since this will be thick.

ROLLING NOTE: A smooth Fondant Roller is an inexpensive but important tool that will make rolling the fondant much easier.

Buttercream Rolled Fondant

I found this recipe – which has EXCELLENT reviews at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of clear vanilla extract (use clear – otherwise regular will give your fondant a brownish tint and/or muddy any colors you want to incorporate)
• 2 pounds of confectioner’s (aka “powdered”) sugar

Method:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the corn syrup and the shortening.
• Add the salt and vanilla, and mix.
• Gradually add the sugar and mix until it becomes a stiff dough (one reader recommends sifting the sugar in to better control how quickly you add it).
• IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A STAND MIXER YOU CAN KNEAD THIS BY HAND.
• If the dough is too sticky, simply knead in additional sugar until you have a smooth dough. But, as one reader suggests – don’t use TOO much – it could crack. The more you actually knead it, the smoother it will be. Practice and have patience. You’ll get it in no time!
• Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container until you are ready to use it.

• Dust a smooth, clean surface with confectioner’s sugar.
• Roll out the dough to a thickness of approx 1/8″ or thinner.
• It is now ready to use – either to drape over your creation or to cut and shape into ribbons and other designs!

TIPS ON USING FONDANT:

• One reader suggests rolling the fondant between 2 pieces of wax paper, and then transferring the sheet to the cake using the wax paper.
• Another reader suggests loosely rolling the fondant onto the rolling pin or Fondant Roller, and lifting it onto the cake that way (which makes a lot of sense to me – that’s how I do my pie crusts). JUST ADDED! Watch Gabrielle Blair in the video BELOW this post… She shows the technique – watch and learn! 🙂
• An important tip that another reader offered was that it is VERY helpful to put a very light “skim coat” of frosting – any frosting EXCEPT whipped (for some reason whipped doesn’t work)- on the cake BEFORE transferring the fondant to the cake. He says that this will help the fondant “stick” to the cake better.

Gradient Cake from Gabriel Rodriguez on Vimeo.

=> READY TO LEARN MORE?  Join the wonderful and friendly online community at Yummy Arts where you can learn more about fondant decorating as well as all other aspects of how to decorate a cake! With hundreds of cake decorating ideas, videos, articles, demonstrations AND an active forum of everyone sharing ideas – you will feel right at home! Check it out now at => Yummy Arts and Learn How to Decorate a Cake and make a whole new group of friends who are also interested in cake decorating!