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Fondant is a thick icing used to cover and decorate cakes. Our fondant recipe uses only four ingredients and is easy to work with and color. It also tastes much better than store-bought!
My mom made the most beautiful wedding cake for me when I got married. It was around the time when large, fancy, buttercream-frosted wedding cakes were going out of style, and the smaller, more simple fondant covered wedding cakes were becoming more popular. My wedding cake was covered with a smooth white fondant and then decorated with fresh flowers. Since then, I have loved decorating with fondant, especially for my kids’ birthdays, and this recipe is my favorite. It is quick and easy to make with just 4 ingredients!
What is Fondant?
Fondant is a soft, thick icing that is used to coat and decorate cakes. It is pliable, similar to the texture and consistency of play dough, which makes it easy to work with and shape. This recipe is made by combining marshmallows and powdered sugar. It has way better flavor than store bought fondant and it’s easy to color with food coloring.
Ingredients
Surprisingly, there are only 4 ingredients to make this fondant!
- Mini marshmallows
- Powdered sugar
- Shortening
- Water
How to Make Fondant
Fondant is simple to make, and when made correctly, it is also easy to work with when decorating. Here are the steps we recommend to beginners for this easy recipe to be a success:
Start With the Marshmallow Mixture
- Start with white mini marshmallows. The mini marshmallows work best for melting and mixing. Do not use the colored and flavored mini marshmallows. Coloring and flavoring can be added later.
- Make sure the marshmallows are fresh! Marshmallows that have been in an opened bag or are past the freshness date will be stale and/or sticky, and the fondant won’t turn out as well. When you purchase the marshmallows, check the expiration date and shake the bag a little to make sure they aren’t all clumped together.
- Use a glass bowl to melt the marshmallows in the microwave and stir, stir, stir! If the melted marshmallows are still a little lumpy, they will smooth out completely in the mixture.
Use a Mixer with a Dough Hook
As you reach the needed consistency for the fondant, it becomes thick and more stiff. It is still pliable, but a hand mixer just won’t cut it. Think freshly opened play dough. The dough hook is a life saver! Most standard mixers like Bosch (pictured) and KitchenAid have a dough hook accessory.
Watch for Consistency
Recognizing when to stop adding sugar and stop mixing is key when making fondant. It is ready to remove from the mixer when the color is no longer glossy and has a matte appearance, and the consistency is thick (again, think play dough).
Kneading the Fondant
Once the fondant is ready to knead and color, be sure to keep your hands and all surfaces lightly covered with shortening. Flour or powdered sugar will make it too stiff. Make sure it is pure white shortening. Butter-flavored shortening or cooking spray has a yellow tint, consequently turning fondant an off-white or yellowish color.
Rolling the Fondant
Use an adjustable long rolling pin or dough roller to roll fondant. Most long rolling pins have thickness rings to get a smooth, even finish. A regular rolling pin works for most projects, however the long rolling pin is an essential tool for projects like wedding cakes, making it possible to roll the fondant into a large enough circle to cover a large cake. It may be worth the investment if you plan to make fondant often. Adjustable long rolling pins can be found at bakery supply stores or on Amazon. This gives you an idea of what they look like.
Covering and Decorating Cakes
Once you have the fondant rolled out and the cake frosted with a layer of buttercream frosting (to help the fondant stick to the cake), covering the cake is easy! First, gently lift the fondant using the rolling pin and lay it evenly over the frosted cake. Next, press the fondant gently around the cake so it sticks evenly to the frosting. Cut off the excess using a fondant cutter or knife. Smooth out the fondant with a flat spatula or a fondant smoothing tool. Shape and smooth as needed. Finally, decorate the cake with fondant designs, ribbons, or flowers. This recipe makes enough to cover three 8″ round (2″ deep) cakes.
Decorating with Fondant
Fondant is a lot of fun to work and play with when it comes to decorating. It works beautifully on wedding cakes with fresh flowers, and it is easy to color for bright and fun birthday cakes, like the Barbie Cake pictured below. This easy recipe has been used over and over in our family to decorate cakes for special events. Don’t be intimidated – it’s very simple to make! Once you get it down, you will see that the possibilities are endless. Be ready for birthday cake requests, you are about to become a cake boss!
This Hamburger Cake is a fun cake to make for the hamburger lovers out there. The cheese, lettuce, and onions are all made out of fondant. It’s perfect for BBQ’s, potlucks, or birthday parties. I recently made this with my sons for a Cub Scout cake decorating contest. The scouts loved it!
Storage
Fondant can be made ahead and stored for later use. However, it will dry out, so it is important to keep it in an airtight container. It can also be wrapped completely in plastic wrap. It is not necessary to refrigerate fondant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fondant is edible. It is also very sweet. Some people love it and some prefer to remove it before eating their cake.
It is always a good idea to practice laying fondant on a cake. As I was learning, I found an extra set of hands was helpful. Practice on single layer cakes and work on getting all the bubbles and bumps out. Once you are comfortable with it, move onto layers.
Fondant tastes like a dense marshmallow, or kind of like the cream filling in an Oreo.
Fondant Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces mini marshmallows
- 32 ounces powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- Put marshmallows, water, and shortening in a glass microwavable bowl.
- Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir. Repeat 4 times.
- Pour into a mixer and mix well using the dough attachment. Add in powdered sugar a cup at a time. Mix until the shine is completely gone. You may not need to use all the sugar, just keep adding until it has the consistency of play dough. The final result should not be sticky to the touch.
- When the fondant becomes too stiff to mix in the mixer, pull the fondant out and knead it on the counter, adding more sugar if needed. Knead in food coloring, if desired.
- From this point, you can roll the fondant out to place on a cake, cupcakes, or to create something amazing! When working with fondant, keep all surfaces and hands lightly covered in shortening to prevent sticking. Makes enough fondant to cover approximately three round 8" (2" deep) cakes.
Notes
- This recipe makes enough to cover three 8-inch cakes (2″ deep).
- Fondant can be made ahead and stored for later. Wrap it well in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Practice placing your on single-layer cakes before attempting layer cakes. Placing fondant and smoothing it out takes practice!
Hi. I want to attempt to make this. I was wondering if I could use coconut oil? And how much should I make to cover a sheet cake?
We have not tried it with coconut oil, so I can say how that would turn out. How big of a sheet cake are you making?
amazing a bit thick but amazing my granddaughter used this for her moms baby shower it looked great
it was a little bit thick but still great i loved it
Just wondering if you put icing on before you put the fondant on the cake? I’m trying to make a Bluey cake for my daughters first birthday. I just got done with chemo so ordering a cake isn’t in the budget! But I have been making my own homemade cakes and icing lately but having really gotten the taste amazing yet. Although I have tried quite a few different recipes that claim they’re the best.. 😂 I’m going to see what your cakes taste like though. Thank you!
Yes you coat the cake with a thin layer of icing before adding fondant! Good luck with your cake!
as far as taste it is like really sweet marshmallow but my sons like to torch their frosting because it has a roasted marshmallow flavor. It smells great torched. You may have trouble with the flavor because of the chemo tho. That can be a side effect.
This worked amazing! First time success at fondant and such a simple recipe! Used less sugar than called for and microwaved shorter amount time (did it by the book and it was overdone a bit, so added in a teeny bit more to loosen it up). Making North Pole stamps with the fondant! Merry Christmas!