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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.
Featured With This Recipe
My mom made the most beautiful wedding cake for me when I got married. It was around the time when large, fancy, frosted wedding cakes were going out of style, and the smaller, more simple fondant covered wedding cakes were becoming 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 and this recipe is my favorite. It is quick and easy to make with just 4 ingredients.
What is Fondant?
Fondant is a soft, sweet, frosting-like substance 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 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:
Marshmallow Fondant 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 Color and 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.
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.
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!
There are so many fun things to make with fondant. 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!
You can mold fondant into shapes, or use it to cut out shapes for decorating. My sister and I made tea cup cakes for my niece’s birthday (pictured below). She had an “Alice in Wonderland” theme. We made the tea cups 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.
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.
Notes
- 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, How do I attach this fondant to a cookie?
Thanks
I would slice it or cut it with a cookie cutter and then attach it to the cookie with a little bit of buttercream or icing.
Can I replace the shortening with light olive oil?
We haven’t tried that substitution so I can’t say!
Just wondering if this recipe would work for forming critters and creatures ie dinosaurs?
Yes! That would be so cute!
Can I leave out the marshmallows? What would that do?
Sorry, the marshmallows are key ingredient in this recipe. It won’t work if you leave it out.
Do you use gel or food dye?
Gel is the best because it doesn’t mess with the consistency.
I hope this is as easy as it sounds – I am not a baker
How many ounces of fondant does this receipe make? I want to decorate a topsy turvy cake and I think I need about 8 lbs – is this cheaper to make or should I buy already made fondant?
I’m not sure of the exact ounces this makes but it should be enough to cover 2 9″-round cakes. It really depends on how thin you roll it. Hope this helps!
Short sweet and to the point
Hi,
Thanks for the tips on the four ingredient fondant but where is the recipe ingredient amounts please.
Thank you
The amounts are at the bottom of the page in the recipe card. If you click “Jump to Recipe” at the top of the page, it will take you right to it!
This a great recipe for a first-timer. Your tips and suggestions were a lifesaver too. Thank you!
Do you think this recipe would work with vegan/vegetarian marshmallows?
We haven’t tried that, so we can’t say for sure. Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Made this for my granddaughter’s 19th birthday cake. Never made fondant before! I mixed and colored; she cut out and placed it on the cake. It was a great hit. The only modification was I added almond extract. The kids at the party ran up to her and said her fondant tasted like cookies!
Already have requests for more granddaughters’ cakes. Thanks for an easy and great tasting fondant.
How much almond extract was added?
Sorry I just saw this – I think it was about a half teaspoon? I don’t know that I measured – just added and tasted till it seemed to taste good.
How big of a cake can this cover ? How many pounds are in 24 servings ?
This recipe makes enough fondant to cover one 8-inch round cake that’s 4 inches high or one 10-inch round cake that’s 3 inches high. For a 10 x 10-inch square cake or a 9 x 13-inch sheet cake, you will need to double the recipe.
How to make the fondant shiney?
You can brush egg white onto the fondant to make it shiny.
Love it thanks
I want to make a dummy wedding cake for my anniversary. If i wanted to add embellishments (like dog footprints up the side of my cake covered in fondant) could i do the prints with fondant and if so, how would I stick it to the cake?
Yes you can do the dog prints with fondant! You can stick them to the cake with a little bit of regular icing, like buttercream.
Thanks for this receipe!
May I ask what kind of shortening you are using?
I just used regular Crisco!
It’s nice. Keep it up
This was interesting to make for the first time. But it took more than a bag of powdered sugar for it to lose the stickiness.
Love this
Will this recipe cover one whole cake, or should I double it to cover the cake I’m making?
This recipe makes enough fondant to cover one 8-inch round cake that’s 4 inches high or one 10-inch round cake that’s 3 inches high. For a 10 x 10-inch square cake or a 9 x 13-inch sheet cake, you will need to double the recipe.