In the past decade, fondant has gained notoriety in the culinary world.
The cake acclaimed its popularity from its appearance in wedding, birthday, and themed party pastries, cakes, and candies.
As a baker, using fondant offers you lots of creative freedom. As you lay down a blank rolled fondant canvas, you can paint a pattern, create a design, or sculpt shapes and figures.
Overall, the icing provides convenience thanks to its stability. Its endless design possibilities appeal to various cake decorator enthusiasts.
Stick around to learn more about fondant uses, its types, and how to use it for your next baking project.
Fondant Overview
Fondant is a type of icing that consists of sugar, syrup, and water. Nevertheless, the topping has multiple other recipes that contain butter, glycerin, and shortening.
The term fondant comes from the French term “fondre,” meaning to melt. Bakers use the topping for their intricately designed cake decorations.
The icing’s texture is often compared to play dough due to its malleability, which makes it easier to work with.
Uses of Fondants
One of the most prominent uses of fondant is for cake decorating. It offers a versatile option for elevating your themed event and adding vibrancy.
Besides that, fondant is also conveniently used to seal your cake. In addition, you can use the topping to take your cupcakes to the next level.
Decorating Cake
You may have seen the impressive details of a wedding cake or marveled at a hyper-realistic edible work of art. These sorts of cakes are usually covered in fondant.
Bakers usually roll out the fondant and cover the cake with a thin layer. It creates a blank canvas for them to unleash their creativity.
Besides that, you can also mold all kinds of shapes using cake sculpting tools.
For example, if your child requests a car-themed birthday cake, the baker will likely create a car on top using fondant and food coloring.
Meanwhile, wedding cake makers design more delicate molds of roses, patterns, and elegant drapes that hug the smooth surface.
Sealing a Cake
Cake decorators may use fondant to seal the cake by rolling and smoothing a layer over it. If the fondant starts forming cracks, you can rub vegetable shortening on them to rehydrate them.
The cake can remain at room temperature for about three to four days. Ensure that the filling doesn’t require refrigeration.
That said, bakers may avoid the refrigerator because fondant tends to come out soft and sticky once cold.
Decorating Cupcakes
You may be hosting a themed party, or it could be Halloween, and you’re looking for a special dessert. Fondant decorated cupcakes might be your best bet.
You can shape the fondant into anything to match your theme or event. For example, ask your baker for cupcakes topped with a disco ball for your 70s-themed party.
Decorating cupcakes with fondant is simpler than covering a whole cake and smoothening the kinks.
Types of Fondants and Their Uses
When you picture fondant, a rolled-out icing sheet might come to mind. Nonetheless, the topping comes in various forms.
Each form has multiple uses as well. You can make rolled, poured, gum paste, and sculpting fondant.
Rolled Fondant
Rolled fondant is one of the most used options. You can use it to roll over and seal your cake. As its name suggests, it usually looks like a rolled-out pie dough.
You can decorate your cake with this fondant by cutting the layer into strips and creating patterns.
Poured Fondant
Unlike rolled fondant, its poured variation is more of a liquid consistency. You can use it as a filling or coating.
It offers a sheer gloss ideal for several desserts, from cupcakes and cakes to candies and pastries. The result is a slightly crunchy and sleek outer shell.
There are two types of poured fondant, namely cooked and quick-poured. The cooked version heats its ingredients, creating a more refined texture.
Meanwhile, the quick-poured fondant is beaten. Subsequently, it’s easier to make and uses cheaper ingredients.
Gum Paste Fondant
Gum paste fondant is firmer compared to other types of fondant. Consequently, bakers prefer using it to create shapes and characters to adorn the cake.
For instance, bakers may use the icing to create flowers and sculptures. As the paste dries, it turns hard, keeping the mold in shape longer than other icings.
You can also use gum paste fondant to roll out thinner layers than rolled fondant since it’s more tear resistant.
Sculpting Fondant
Sculpting fondant is similarly hard to its gum paste counterpart. It’s usually used for large and tiered cakes like wedding ones.
You can also use the fondant type to sculpt figures and shapes on a cake or cupcake.
It’s highly versatile in color, where you can dust some edible glitter for a shimmery effect or add food coloring to display petals with vibrant shades.
How to Use Fondant
After learning about the uses of fondant, here’s how you can use the icing to decorate your next cake.
Step 1: Roll It Out
Firstly, prepare your work surface by dusting a generous amount of powdered sugar. Pull out your fondant on the powdered countertop.
Pop any bubbles using a pin and polish any residue. Roll the fondant to the size of your cake. Move it as you roll to prevent it from sticking to your work surface.
Step 2: Position It
Place the roller in the middle of your fondant layer, drape it on your rolling pin, and carefully lay it on top of your cake.
Move from the back of the cake to the front. You’ll want to complete this step promptly after rolling it to avoid dryness.
Step 3: Smoothen It
Smoothen the layer starting from the cake’s center using a smoother tool. Move from in to out and go over the edges. Cut off the extra using a pizza cutter.
Step 4: Add Final Touches
Using fondant shaping tools, create all sorts of shapes, designs, patterns, and molds to suit your cake’s theme.
Final Thoughts
Historians traced fondant’s presence back in 19th century France. The icing was also believed to have origins in the Ottoman Empire in Turkey as a filling.
That said, fondant gained its fame through the past years thanks to bakers’ and artists’ marvelous creations.
You can use the topping to create a smooth surface, pattern, shape, or figure on a cake, cupcake, or pastry.
Fondant also comes in several forms, whether on the firm sculpted or gum paste end or softer rolled out and glaze-poured side. Each type offers its unique uses.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.