As
you may know, I have wanted to be a baker for some time now. I have taken the
Wilton classes and even the commercial baking class at the local community
college. I strive to go to Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island once
I finish my degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University to get a degree in Baking
& Pastry (I’ve already been accepted!). Recently, one of my yoga
instructors had told me I should really try to start selling my cakes or get
the word passed around (we all know that word of mouth advertising can be very
beneficial). I took her advice and have had my first cake sale (and many since
then!)! I must say that I was very pleased with the cake and how it turned out.
So, since I was so pleased, I thought I would give you a few hints as to how to
cover a cake with fondant (since I thought I did that pretty successfully this
time).
This
part can be the most stressful when decorating a cake because you never quite
know how gravity will work and if the fondant will tear. Usually, if there is a
tear or a problem area, that is where the back is or where the decorations
go—it is funny how this is what is used to figure out the front and back of a
cake!
You
can find a video tutorial for covering cakes with fondant here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vecmy4nKT-A
You
can also read the Wilton tutorial: http://www.wilton.com/decorating/fondant/rolled-fondant.cfm
The Wilton way is slightly different than the
demonstration in the video, so I will go into detail about that:
Note: Make sure that the frosting atop your cake is
not fully crusted so that the fondant has something to stick to.
- Roll out fondant on “Fondant Fun” Wilton mat. Cover mat with vegetable shortening (like Crisco) to ensure that fondant does not stick. Make sure you cover more than necessary because I find that I always roll out more than I anticipate (and it is better to roll out a few inches more to give yourself some wiggle room).
- Next, once the fondant is rolled to about a ¼ inch thickness, place your cake on a pedestal of sorts, I usually buy the big jar of Crisco, so this works nicely to set my 8-inch round cake on.
- Place the fondant over your cake—this is the scary part! Gently place it, don’t just plop it down.
- Make sure that all sides of the cake will be covered by fondant. If not, then gently move the fondant around until it fits perfectly.
- As in the video, use a fondant smoother to start smoothing out the sides GENTLY! (With placing the cake on a pedestal of sorts, it is easier for the excess fondant to fall rather than having it get bunched up on the sides or lie flat on a table.
- Start cutting excess fondant off the side of the cake. In Wilton we use a tapered spatula rather than a pizza cutter.
- Continue to smooth the fondant with the fondant smoother to ensure a nice even consistency atop the cake.
- Tada! You have covered your first round cake!
Since it is a bit more tricky to cover a square
cake with fondant, you can view a tutorial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5yrYZgIXr8
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