Tips and Tutorials

Very cold weather will make your fondant hard, while humid weather makes it very sticky. Keep this in mind when making a special occasion cake without much time to spare. Try to prepare fondant in air conditioning, cool/warmer conditions or run your hands under cold/hot water and dry thoroughly before preparing.

Kneading: Knead fondant gently to ensure it is smooth and a little warm. Be careful not to over-knead as it will become very sticky and unmanageable. Start Small: Knead fondant in batches – this will make it easier on your wrists and potentially less work if you don’t need to use the entire packet. Icing Sugar: Be careful not to over knead or add too much icing sugar or cornflour to your fondant as this will result in dryness and cracking. You might find your fondant becomes a lighter colour as well. Work Quickly: Work as quickly as possible when kneading and decorating with fondant. It dries quickly, which can lead to cracking when trying to decorate.

Allow cakes to come to room temperature before applying fondant. Do not decorate cakes that have come straight from the fridge or freezer. Planning to decorate further after covering with a fondant base layer? Be patient and allow the fondant to firm up a little. This will prevent nail marks, dents and tears occurring.

To help your cakes stay fresh, brush them with sugar syrup or buttercream icing before covering with fondant. This helps seal in moisture and allows a little more time between baking and decorating.

Use Queen Food Colour liquids or gels to tint fondant to your desired colour, or mix pre-coloured fondant by gently kneading them together until you achieve the shade you’re after. To make dark colours, use gel food colours. You will need a lot of colour, which will make the fondant sticky. Start a day ahead and allow it to rest overnight to firm up again. When ready to use, spray fondant with a little vegetable cooking spray instead of icing sugar so that the colour doesn’t fade and the fondant isn’t sticky.