Fondant...say what?
Fondant is a kind of icing frequently used to decorate & sculpt cakes. There are two kinds of fondant - poured & rolled. Poured fondant is more runny and its usually used to fill cakes. Rolled fondant is more malleable - resembles a dough - and is used to cover & sculpt cakes.
I have used only RTR (ready to roll) or rolled fondant so far.
Rolling the fondant:
- A clean smooth surface is essential while rolling and kneading fondant. Fondant picks up dirt and lint very easily, so make sure your hands and kneading surface is spick and span. I also cover the rolling surface with parchment paper just incase.
- Dust your hands and rolling surface with cornflour before handling fondant to ensure it doesn't stick.
- Knead fondant so that its soft & pliable before rolling
- Kneading icing is a little different from kneading dough. Treat your icing like play dough, keep folding it in until smooth & warm to use but does not stick to the bench.
- Use a rolling pin to roll like you would any normal dough. The ideal thickness is approx. 3mm. You don't want a thick blanket of fondant to over power the cake nor it be so thin that it tears at corners.
Storing Fondant:
- DO NOT store fondant in the fridge or freezer.
- The same goes for cakes that are covered with fondant. Store in a cool dry place, but never in the fridge.
- Store leftover fondant by wrapping it in plastic wrap and then storing in an airtight container.
- Fondant should be stored in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight.
FYI:
- Prior to applying the fondant, ensure your cake is lightly iced with a buttercream or ganache icing. You can also take jam and glaze it. In doing so, you are giving the cake a kinda glue to let the fondant stick.
- Fondant is a very unforgiving meduim. Make sure your cake is perfectly smooth. The fondant will magnify any imperfections.
- The icing dries out very quickly so its important to work quickly and give your cake your undivided attention. Delay will cause your icing to crack.
- If you aren't using the icing even for a minute, put it in a plastic bag or cover to avoid it drying out.
- If your hands are hot or moist, it will make your icing sticky and which in turn will tempt you to over use corn flour that will dry out your icing. Cool your hands under cold water and keep the use of corn flour to a minimum (light sprinkle should do).
- Never cover a cake straight from the fridge. Always cover cakes at room temperature.
Troubleshooting:
- If the fondant gets too sticky or soft, knead in a little icing sugar
- Sometimes when you cover the cake you might find some air bubble on the surface. With a clean pin, pop these gently and then smoothen with your fingers to cover the hole.
- Fondant usually tears when its rolled too thinly. You cannot re-use your fondant if it has touched the cake. My best advice is to cover up the tear with some kind of decoration.
- Fondant cracks if its usually rolled too thick. You can usually smooth away cracks with your hands or a smoother while the fondant is still soft.
