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Does Fondant Melt in Hot Weather or on Whipped Cream?

Does Fondant Melt in Hot Weather or on Whipped Cream?

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More and more people use fondant to make marvelous cake decorations every day. Whether a multi-tiered wedding cake or a small birthday cake, the sky’s the limit for the possible creations.

However, dealing with fondant can be tricky, especially for beginners. Sometimes it tears, cracks, and forms air bubbles, but does fondant melt?

Fondant is sensitive to high heat. On a hot summer day, fondant cakes can collapse if left outside.

This article is all about handling fondant the right way. So, if you’re struggling with decorating your cakes with it, keep reading.

Does Fondant Melt in Hot Weather?

Sadly, fondant can start melting at 95° F, a typical hot summer day when parties become more popular.

No matter how well you prepare your fondant cake decorations. If left outside in too hot of weather, the fondant melts and sags off the cake.

That’s why cool temperatures are best for working with fondant. When it’s not too hot, the dough remains flexible and easy to work with without getting too soft.

Why Does Fondant Melt?

Basically, fondant is a sugar-based dough that cake decorators use to make masterpieces for various occasions.

Not only does covering cakes in fondant make them look super appealing, but it also preserves and seals the cake underneath.

Due to having high sugar content, the fondant is sensitive to heat and humidity. Humidity means water, and water is the worst enemy of fondant.

When the surrounding environment is humid, the fondant starts to get sticky and shiny.

With continued humidity, the fondant becomes sweaty. At this point, the colors may bleed into each other, and the fondant gets saggy.

Will Fondant Decorations Melt on Whipped Cream?

Fondant dries and hardens with time. That’s how it’s designed to work and why it doesn’t cope well with humidity.

On the other hand, whipped cream contains a ton of moisture. If exposed to heat, it can lose its structure and become runny.

Thus, combining whipped cream frosting with fondant decorations isn’t the best idea. The moisture inside the whipped cream can cause the fondant to become sticky and melt.

To be safe, it’s always better to use other types of frosting that work better with fondant, such as royal icing or buttercream.

Having said that, it’s possible to have fondant decorations over whipped cream frosting. However, you have a couple of options to do that successfully, which are

1 – Using Chocolate

Chocolate ganache can act as a protective layer over the whipped cream. Adding it over the cake before using fondant is a great idea.

Chocolate acts as a waterproof agent so that fondant and whipped cream don’t come into contact.

2 – Keeping the Cake Chilled

Whipped cream hardens and works well with fondant when it gets super cold. Thus, refrigerating the cake may be a fantastic solution.

That said, it might be hard to keep the cake at such a low temperature. Once the cake returns to room temperature, the whipped cream starts to soften again, which is risky.

So, this only works if you plan to decorate the cake moments before serving it or keep it chilled until you need it.

How To Keep Your Fondant Cake From Melting

Many cake experts don’t recommend putting your fondant-decorated cake in the fridge. That’s because the humidity inside can cause the cake to sweat and melt.

So, the best thing is to keep the cake at room temperature until serving time to avoid condensation.

If it’s absolutely necessary to store your fondant cake in the fridge, make sure to put it inside a covered box. Then, wrap that box with cling film, and place it inside a big plastic bag.

When you take the cake out, place it in a cool area (air-conditioned) for at least an hour before unwrapping it. This gives it time to adjust its temperature slowly.

Final Thoughts

Dealing with fondant is a skill that needs time to master. It’s almost impossible to make a perfect fondant cake on the first try.

So, does fondant melt?

Yes, fondant may melt, crack, tear, and form air bulges. For inexperienced bakers, fondant cakes can be disastrous.

However, once you know how to handle this magic dough, it’s all going to be a breeze.

You just need a bit of practice. As people always say: “Practice makes perfect!”

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