Making your own fondant is the way to go. This fondant recipe only takes 4 ingredients, making it less expensive than buying it at the store. Once made, it is easy to use for cakes, cupcakes, or anything else you want to create!
How to Make 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 and cupcakes. This fondant recipe has been used over and over in our family for a variety of 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!
My sister and I made these teacup birthday cakes for my niece’s birthday. She had an “Alice in Wonderland” theme. We made the teacups by baking the cake batter in glass mixing bowls. After the cakes cooled, we removed the cakes from the bowls, and then placed the fondant over the cakes making a flat “bottom” so they wouldn’t tip. We flipped them right side up and made the handles, rings around the top, and the polka dots. Then we frosted the top of the cake. They turned out so cute! The candle you see on it is one of the coolest birthday candles I have ever seen. When you light the top wick, it spins open, lights all the birthday candles and continues to spin and play a song.
Tips for Making Fondant
Fondant is easy to make, and when made correctly, it is also easy to work with when decorating. There are a few tips we recommend for this fondant recipe to be a success:
- Start with fresh marshmallows. 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 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 color and consistency. Recognizing when to stop adding sugar and stop mixing is key when making fondant. The fondant is ready to remove from the mixer when the fondant color is no longer glossy and has a matte appearance, and the consistency is thick (again, think play dough).
- Keep fondant from sticking to hands and surfaces. 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 can turn it an off-white or yellowish color.
- Use an adjustable long rolling pin (dough roller). Most long rolling pins have thickness rings to get a smooth, even finish on the fondant. This 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. This gives you an idea of what they look like.
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Fondant Recipe
There are so many fun things to make with fondant in addition to wedding cakes.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!
How to Make Fondant
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!
- NOTE: When working with fondant, keep all surfaces and hands lightly covered in shortening to prevent sticking.
Echo says
That is the most adorable cake I have ever seen!!! You guys are so creative!!! I'm curious to know if the kids ate the fondant as part of the frosting when you cut the cake… and where did you get the candle?
Di says
I want to try this. Your photo makes it look worth trying. So plese tell the candle? Where on earth did you find such a wonderful singing candle????
Erica says
The candles can be found at: http://www.theamazingcandle.com/en/
VERY CUTE!
Mandy says
That turned out absolutely ADORABLE! We are actually doing an "Alice in Wonderland" 3rd birthday party as well. I have NEVER used or made fondant before. I will have to give it a try. Could you tell me what exact size and kind of mixing bowls you used to bake the cakes and some further directions. I am SO intimidated with making cakes, not good at it. But I would love to give this one a chance. If you could, could you email me some of those directions? Thank you so much. I always love turning to your blog for great recipes 🙂
[email protected]
Kasey says
Just happened upon your blog today and I love it! I want to try everything! I have made my own fondant and use it to make cakes all the time. A lot of people I know don't like the super sweet of the marshmallow fondant, but like you I can't stand the store bought. I add some butter and a little almond extract to my marshmallow fondant. I love the taste you get and have had rave reviews. Thanks for sharing so many yummy recipes!
Erika says
Thanks for sharing your fondant recipe! I’ve never tried to make my own, but I need to now.
Emese says
Seeing all the steps, it looks so easy. Will definitely try it.
Elaine says
This recipe is an absolute keeper. I haven’t seen a fondant recipe in quite a while, so this is quite unique, too!
kim says
Such a great recipe and tutorial! It was way easier than I thought it would be and worked like a charm!
Jenn says
This is a tried and true recipe that actually tastes good to eat, unlike the commercial stuff that tastes like cardboard. Thanks for the recipe!
SHANIKA says
I’ve always been intimidated to try fondant, but I love how easy this is to make! Great recipe!
Natasha says
I loved this recipe, it’s simple but with amazing quality. It didnt crack or even tear apart. It’s very smooth & consistent and the best part, you don’t have to spend so much money on expensive products!
Sara Welch says
I’ve never worked with fondant before now, and I was surprised how easy and fun it was! Going to be making some fun desserts with this recipe, from now on!
Betsy says
Super fun! I’ve always wondered how fondant is made, and of course was too lazy to find out until now! Wonderful! My kids would love to play with (and eat) fondant!
Yides Tornek says
Hi! Thank you! Can’t wait to try this!
Is there a way not to use a microwave for this recipe?
Thanks so much ☺️
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, you can heat the marshmallows up over the stove. Just be careful not to overheat them and keep the temperature low.