Tips for Working with Fondant by DoughEZ

Using DoughEZ Non-Stick Rolling Mat for Evenly Rolled Fondant Every Time

Whipping up fun cakes for special occasions is always an exciting project, but competing with some of the professional cake decorators these days could turn that excitement down a bit. Luckily, decorating the perfect cake with fondant is not as hard as it looks, especially when you use the Dough E-Z Precision Dough Rolling System. Here are a few tips to help you decorate a cake no one will forget!

The Surface:

One of the most important things about working with fondant is the surface you use to knead and roll out the pastry. Dough E-Z provides the perfect non-stick working surface for the extremely sticky mess it’s known to make. Before you get started, roll up a small piece of fondant (to throw away) and wipe the Dough E-Z surface to remove any dust or lint.

Thickness:

Typically, it’s best to go as thin as possible when it comes to rolling out your fondant. It’s said to use between ¼” to ⅛” after rolling so it’s not too thick and overpowering, yet not too thin where it could tear when decorating. You can purchase a special fondant rolling pin with different sized rubber bands to get the correct thickness. By using this tool, you can tell when the whole pastry is the same thickness when the rubber bands touch your working surface. You can also use a ruler for this.

Stickiness:

If the fondant seems to be sticking to your hands, try putting a sprinkle of cornstarch on the surface and your hands. A lot of people like to use powdered sugar, but since it’s one of the ingredients in fondant, it will just absorb it and not help with the sticking.

Kneading:

This is the big secret: The more you knead it the more pliable it will be an the less cracks it will have. Knead it with your palm with small folds to avoid air bubbles.

Covering Cakes:

Many people are intimidated by covering a cake with fondant, but it really isn’t as hard as it looks. First, determine the diameter you’ll need the fondant to be by adding the height of your cake (times two) to the diameter of it. For example, if you have a cake with a 6 inch diameter and 4 inch height, your fondant will need to be 14 inches in diameter. Drape it across the cake, then smooth out the top to get rid of air bubbles. Next, using the skirt to guide you, start from the top of the cake and gently smooth the sides to form sharp edges.

Cutting the Skirt:

Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice along the bottom edge of the cake to remove excess fondant then continue to smooth it out to get rid of any last air bubbles.

Fun Decorations:

After you roll out the rest of your fondant, use cookie cutters for any desired shapes. Apply the decorations to your cake by simply brushing a small amount of water to the backside of your decoration with a paintbrush.

Quick Tip:

If you find more air bubbles after already finishing your cake, simply poke the bubble with a pin or needle and push the air out.
Happy baking!