Read on for our tips on repairing and preventing fondant disasters!
- Focus on structure. One of the first — and possibly most important — tips we can offer to avoid any fondant mishaps is to get your actual cake structure ...
- Find your favorite fondant. Different decorators prefer different qualities in their fondant, so test out lots of different brands and recipes.
- Fix those cracks. A common fondant annoyance is finding your otherwise perfectly covered cake has unsightly cracks around the edges.
- Rub it in. If your fondant has small cracks and you cannot recover your cake, try lightly rubbing the cracks in the opposite direction of the rifts.
- Use more fondant than you need. Bumpy and awkward pleats creeping around the cake’s bottom can totally ruin a design. ...
How do you fix a tear in fondant?
Tears and cracks can be repaired by filling them in with a fresh piece of fondant. Smooth edges with your fingertips coated in shortening. Cracks can also be smoothed out with an icing smoother or your fingertips.
Can you put fondant on a cracked cake?
A cracked fondant can mar a beautiful cake, but don’t worry. Learning a few tricks to fix up cracks will help make your cakes come out perfect every time. Frost the cake with buttercream or marzipan first. Putting fondant directly on the cake can lead to air bubbles, premature drying, and cracks.
What happens if fondant is too thin?
Torn or Cracked. Fondant that is rolled too thin or too thick can cause issues such as tearing and cracking. If the fondant is too damaged to repair, it is best to take it off and use a new piece. The damaged fondant often has bits of icing and cake in it so reusing it can cause further issues. Don't reuse it.
How long does fondant need to dry before it cracks?
Fondant is meant to be used as soon as it’s rolled, so letting it sit for even a few minutes can have a drying effect that leads to cracked surfaces. To prevent cracks, use your fondant as soon as it’s rolled out.
How do you fix broken fondant?
Tears and cracks can be repaired by filling them in with a fresh piece of fondant. Smooth edges with your fingertips coated in shortening. Cracks can also be smoothed out with an icing smoother or your fingertips. Do not wet your fingers with water, as this will cause the fondant to melt and tear further.
How do I fix fondant icing on fondant?
To patch a big crack, first, roll out a small piece of fondant that's big enough to cover the crack. Then, coat your fingers in a little vegetable oil and rub the fondant patch onto the cake until the edges of the patch blend in. Dust the patch with a tiny bit of confectioner's sugar to help it dry and blend in better.
How do you stick fondant back together?
Water can be a great “glue” for fondant. It dissolves a little of the sugar in the fondant, making it sticky, and therefore, well, makes it stick to stuff. Best for: Sticking flat pieces of soft fondant decorating to other soft fondant. Also pretty good for: Sticking flat pieces of soft fondant to dry fondant.
How do you fix fondant icing on a cake?
Dust liberally with cornflour or icing sugar. Knead fondant icing for a couple of minutes to soften, or pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Flip the smooth side to the top, then roll it out to fit the cake, using the string for guidance.
How do you smooth fondant joins?
1:313:05How To Repair Fondant Tears by www SweetWise com - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut just kind of wet your fingertips. So that slides over it you're going to kind of spackle thatMoreBut just kind of wet your fingertips. So that slides over it you're going to kind of spackle that into place and it's really going to hide that tear. Nicely.
What causes fondant to break?
Your fondant may be cracking for several reasons, including that the fondant may be old, the climate you live in may be drying the fondant out quickly, causing cracks, you may have rolled the fondant too thin, or your timing was slightly off, and the fondant was left out for too long.
Can you super glue fondant?
1:393:39How to Make Fondant Glue to Repair and Attach Fondant Pieces - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then we will just put them together here then i'm going to take my paintbrush. And thin this outMoreAnd then we will just put them together here then i'm going to take my paintbrush. And thin this out so that we don't have you know a large glob of our glue on top of the fondant.
How do you stick rolled icing together?
0:141:13How to Stick Things to Fondant : Fondant Ideas - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI have water in a shot glass you can use piping gel you can even use buttercream. I am going to useMoreI have water in a shot glass you can use piping gel you can even use buttercream. I am going to use my brush. I'm going to take one of my dots that I have already cut and rolled with fondant.
How do you make edible glue?
0:151:55How to Make Edible Glue - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipUntil these lumps dissolve the gum glue will turn into a syrupy consistency. And that's when it'sMoreUntil these lumps dissolve the gum glue will turn into a syrupy consistency. And that's when it's optimal to use so I'm going to put some saran wrap over this to put it in the refrigerator.
How do you get icing to stick to icing?
0:041:13How to Stick Things to Fondant : Fondant Ideas - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThere are three different ways that you can stick things to fondant. I have water in a shot glassMoreThere are three different ways that you can stick things to fondant. I have water in a shot glass you can use piping gel you can even use buttercream. I am going to use my brush.
Why is my fondant not coming together?
Try to purchase small packs or wrap any unused fondant in cling wrap and then a zip lock bag. If it's not too dry, you can try kneading in a bit of Crisco or modelling chocolate to bring it back to working consistency. If you live in a dry climate, you will struggle with the lack of humidity.
How do you stick ready to roll icing together?
Prepare the surface of the cake and use jam or buttercream as an adhesive so that your icing will sit evenly on it. Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin with icing sugar so that the ready to roll icing doesn't stick. Don't dust icing sugar onto the top of the icing!
Not Smooth
If your fondant layer is thin, it can show existing imperfections on the surface of the cake such as lumps in the icing or uneven layers. This issue has to be fixed before you drape the cake with fondant. You must make sure your cake is very smooth with no holes, protruding edges, or creases.
Bulging
Fondant can be smooth and perfect and then with no warning suddenly develop an unsightly bulge. This can be a result of trapped air between the cake and fondant or fondant that is not adhering properly to the surface of the cake.
Torn or Cracked
Fondant that is rolled too thin or too thick can cause issues such as tearing and cracking. If the fondant is too damaged to repair, it is best to take it off and use a new piece. The damaged fondant often has bits of icing and cake in it so reusing it can cause further issues. Don't reuse it.
Sweating
This can happen when your fondant-covered cake is stored in the fridge. Try storing your finished cake in cardboard boxes big enough to totally encase the cake on all sides and the top. If the cake has visible sweat marks, you can apply a little icing sugar on the damp spots with a clean paintbrush.
Did you make this recipe?
Prepare a small piece of fondant. Take some of the fondant scraps left over from covering your cake and size them to the crack. The scrap you choose should cover the crack completely, with at least 1⁄4 inch (6.4 mm) of space surrounding the entire crack.
Did you make this recipe?
Put your fondant scraps into a bowl. If you’re piping in new fondant to cover a large crack in your cake, you’ll need to use all your fondant scraps so your piping bag works properly. Put all of them in a bowl. If you already threw out your fondant, make a quarter recipe of new fondant.
Did you make this recipe?
See if you can adjust your cake design to cover the crack. If you have a crack that can’t be fixed or is in a part of the cake meant to be decorated, you can cover it with a design. If you were planning to decorate your cake anyways, take a look at your design plans and see how they line up with the crack in your fondant.
Tips
Small wrinkles or cracks near the edges are called elephant skin. To fix these, you just need to gently rub some vegetable oil or shortening into the surface with your fingers.
Warnings
If the fondant is cracked all across the cake, you may need to start over with a new batch of fondant.
About This Article
This article was co-authored by Mathew Rice. Mathew Rice has worked in restaurant pastry kitchens across the country since the late 1990's, and currently owns Pink Door Cookies in Nashville. His creations have been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Weddings.
