Decorating with Fondant is SO MUCH FUN!

It’s time to talk about Fondant ! I think people love this stuff because of how absolutely beautiful you can make almost any cake (or cupcake!).

I have devoted an entire section here to introduce the concept of fondant decorating, which I’ll bring you to in just a moment.

First, I need to mention a friend of mine, CJ, who makes some of the most gorgeous cakes I’ve seen in my neck of the woods.

If you happen to be in New Hampshire and want a specialty cake and don’t feel like learning how to decorate a cake yourself, then please contact CJ at Sweet Wishes Cakes. She’ll set you right up! 🙂

Anyway, one of the interesting things CJ says that I did not know about decorating with fondant is that fondant helps the cake remain moist.

And that makes a lot of sense considering that it provides an almost solid-looking “cover” in sense. It’s almost like “wrapping paper” for your cakes! Take a look at the photo here and you’ll see what I mean.

Anyway… does the word “fondant” sound familiar to you (outside of cake decorating designs, that is)? It may once you hear its origin.

In French, the word means “melting.” If you think of “fondue” – where we dip foods in yummy melted cheese (or chocolate!), you’ll see the relationship. Also, a “foundry” (part of the root of the word “fondant”) is where metals are melted and cast into shape (such as an iron or aluminum foundry).

So, when you think about decorating with fondant, think about fondant as one big lovely sheet of molten frosting. Actually, there are a couple of different types of fondant used in fondant decorating.

You may have seen the luscious little snacks called “petits fours” – or more specifically, “petits fours glaces” which are those lovely small desserts that are iced. They have a delicate, shiny appearance to them. The type of fondant decorating typically seen on petits fours would be considered a “Poured Fondant.” As the name suggests, the poured fondant is a fondant icing that has been thinned.

The type of fondant we’ll discuss here is “Rolled Fondant.” The photo of one of CJ’s cakes (above) shows an example of Rolled Fondant.

It is not difficult to learn how to make a rolled fondant. If you hop over to my “Decorating with Fondant” page HERE, you’ll learn more about it, including some tips I’ve gathered from various experts on this.

YUMMY ARTS: By the way, if you REALLY want to learn from experts, and also have a lot of fun while you’re doing it, please visit Yummy Arts where you can join a group of creative and giving individuals who take great joy and pleasure in sharing and learning the art of how to decorate a cake (as well as fondant decorating). CLICK HERE NOW TO CHECK IT OUT!

(PS: I just found a WONDERFUL Video of Gabrielle Blair demonstrating how she made a very lovely “Gradient Cake” w/ fondant. I just added it to the “Decorating with Fondant” page. I think you’ll find her technique VERY helpful if you’re looking to learn by watching someone else do it. 🙂 )