Cake week: homemade fondant

It's cake week again! Another birthday was celebrated in our house, and another funny fantastic cake was had! I've got some great tips and some funky, yet droolworthy, cake coming up! Today we start with the fondant.

The last time I made cakes I bought pre-made fondant to decorate it. I wanted to try making my own and after a bit of research decided on marshmallow fondant. It was super simple, and following a few basic fondant rules, made for great decorations.

The recipes I found called for 1 pound of mini marshmallows, and since I already had a bag of full size ones, I cut them into 3 pieces each. I melted the marshmallow in the microwave with 3 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, in 30 second spurts on half power. In the mixing bowl I put a 2 pound bag of powdered sugar, mixed on low for a minute or two just to get the lumps out, then added the melted mallow mixture. Mixing on low (with the dough hook) until it was incorporated, I then turned the mixer to medium and ran it for about 3 to 4 minutes. I did have to stop and scrape the sides down once or twice, and I also added a splash of milk to help it absorb the last of the powdered sugar.

Mixing until it was all incorporated and no longer sticky, I plopped it onto the counter (dusted with equal parts corn starch and powdered sugar) to knead it into a loaf. Tightly wrapped in plastic, I let it cool for an hour or two before using it. The secret to keeping your fondant pliable is to keep it well wrapped in plastic wrap, and then in a ziplock bag. Store it in the fridge for long term use. When I am working with a chunk I keep most of it under a moist towel and just pull off bits as I need them.

This was very simple to make, and I estimate I made this for about $3.50. To buy the same size at the store would have been about $17, so it was worth a bit of my time. It made much more than I needed, but I have another cake to make in a few weeks, so it will be a good test to see how it stores in the fridge.