Covering Cakes with Rolled Fondant

Rolling Fondant

Kneading and rolling fondant is an important part of cake decorating. We use old-fashioned elbow grease and rolling pins to roll our fondant out to the perfect consistency and thickness. A clean, smooth surface is ideal for rolling.

Constantly add CORN FLOUR to your surface to ensure the fondant doesn’t stick, but only add this to the surface of the table, not the top of the fondant. The ideal thickness of fondant to cover a cake is 3mm, because let’s face it, no one wants a thick blanket of fondant to overpower the delicious cake inside. A pasta machine can be used to roll out even sheets of fondant if you are adding decorations and details to your covered cake.

TIP: Kneading icing is not like kneading dough. If you keep pummeling it will stick to the board and become unmanageable. Treat your icing a bit like play dough, keeping folding it in until it is smooth and warm to use but does not stick to the bench.

How do you cover a cake with fondant that's perfectly smooth, without wrinkles or air bubbles? The flexibility of fondant is your secret weapon. Just follow our instructions for the right ways to knead, roll out and lift the fondant, and you'll find that covering a cake is easy.

Steps

Step 1 Prepare cake by lightly covering with buttercream icing.

Step 2

Before rolling out fondant, knead it until it is a workable consistency. If fondant is sticky, knead in a little confectioners' sugar. Lightly dust your smooth work surface or the Roll & Cut Mat and your rolling pin with confectioners' sugar to prevent sticking. Roll out fondant sized to your cake. To keep fondant from sticking, lift and move as you roll. Add more confectioners' sugar if needed.

Step 3

Gently lift fondant over rolling pin or slip cake circle under fondant to move; position on cake.

Step 4

Shape fondant to sides of cake with Easy-Glide Smoother. We recommend using the Smoother because the pressure of your hands may leave impressions on the fondant. Beginning in the middle of the cake top, move the Smoother outward and down the sides to smooth and shape fondant to the cake and remove air bubbles. If an air bubble appears, insert a pin on an angle, release air and smooth the area again. Use the straight edge of the Smoother to mark fondant at the base of cake. Trim off excess fondant using a spatula or sharp knife.

Step 5

Your cake is now ready to decorate.

Please remember that practice makes perfect, by the time you have covered three cakes they will start to look better than most of the cakes you can buy commercially. Don’t be put off by a bumpy first attempt.