Fun with fondant

Today I learned why fondant is usually very thick. "Thick" meaning at least 1/8 inch, sometimes as much as 1/2 inch. If you ask me, any fondant on a cake is too much, but that's beside the point.

You make fondant by mixing together shortening, glycerin, gelatin, and a shitload of powdered sugar. Sounds yummy right? Then you roll it out. Then you lay it over the cake and smooth it out. The problem is that the thinner it is, the more difficult it is to work with. If it's less than about 1/8 inch, it rips and wrinkles all over.

Today we practiced rolling out fondant and covering a dummy styrofoam cake. When I rolled the fondant out to less than 1/8 inch, it was impossible. It ripped apart in several places, and it's easier to roll the whole thing out again than to fix the rips. When I rolled it out to more like 1/4 inch, it was easy.

Tomorrow we finish assembling the delicious three-tiered, fondant covered styrofoam "cake." Then we'll attach our purty gum paste flowers on it somehow.