Fondant Icing

Hi Jo,

Thanks for the tips & info......

Jo wrote:Hi erica, hoe this helps:

You can, but there is a tendency of fondant figures turning soft. And like what you have exprienced, if colors on figurines or decorations are dark, the buttercream will get stained.

You could opt to put the figures on shortly before serving, if you can. May not be applicable if it is an order as your customers may consume your cake much later.

Hi Jo,

I am new to all the baking and making and learning and baking. I am an errand baker. Favorite hobby. My fondant flower does seemed to soak up the oilyness from the buttercream that the flowers were placed on. They looked soft to the point of melting. **TEARSSSS**. I have used MMF, I have used normal fondant. Unfortunately, I gifted my cake to friends and they don't usually consumed it early which add to my woes. In the end the fondant flowers would stained the buttercream, slid off their perch and look too disgusting to be eaten.

How do I keep my fondant flowers to last days on top of their buttercream in hot Malaysia?

Appreciate your guidance!

Teary Bonnie

Bonnie, what may help is NOT to place the flower directly on the buttercream. Place a layer of fondant on top of the buttercream, then flower on top. That should prevent the flowers from absorbing the oil and moisture from the buttercream.

Mama Min wrote:Bonnie, what may help is NOT to place the flower directly on the buttercream. Place a layer of fondant on top of the buttercream, then flower on top. That should prevent the flowers from absorbing the oil and moisture from the buttercream.

Hi Mama Min,

Won't the fondant cover also absorb in the oil and moist as well? I am desperate to get any enlightenment if any. Really appreciate.

Also, I saw on the web, many people also decorate their fondant flowers directly on the buttercream, on top of cupcakes, etc. Are they using a different buttercream? Or is that buttercream to begin with?

Hopeful!
Bonnie

Hie Bonnie,

I deal with quite a lot of buttercream cupcakes too. What I usually do is place a layer of fondant on the cupcakes, before I place my sugarpaste topping on it.

On the 2nd day, the layer of fondant would have turned softer, and the color slightly darker because it has already absorbed the oil from the buttercream. But the toppers are still ok.

What I enjoy doing is, just to lightly brush some pearl glitter powders on the fondant (for dark colored fondant base). That way, even when the fondant has absorbed the oil from the buttercream, it doesn't look that obvious.

Hope the information helps.

Thanks Isoo!

Great to receive help so fast. That's enlightenment indeed. I will be more prepared the next time.

May I know if what type of buttercream you use? I read about cooked buttercream (umm...as in the egg whites are cooked), could someone enlighten me if this type of cooked buttercream is less oily then?


) bonnie

i always use the internet meringue butter cream - that's the one with the cooked sugar.

the one with cookied egg whites should be the swiss meringue butter cream.

Thanks Isoo!

I have to go research on cooked buttercream. teehee!

Btw, does fondant can be made strong (read : 'tahan") by adding more Gum Tex / other gums in order for it to last on top of buttercream? I saw all the beeyootiful cupcakes where all kind of sugar paste decor are piled on top. They all looked sturdy. Is there anyway to achieve that in Malaysian weather!? Anyway at all?

Hopeful as usual,
bonnie

Hie Bonnie,

For my cupcakes, I used a layer of fondant to cover the cupcakes and to serve as a base to hold the sugarpaste decorations.

For the sugarpaste decor, I added in a tsp of gum tragacanth so that the decorations are capable of standing.

Hi all,

Tried doing my fondant icing today, 2nd trial.

First trial, failure, coz I didn't use powder icing *slaps forehead*

Today, I have confident I'll get a good dough. But until the end, the fondant dough just starting to break! And broke it did into alot of pieces *sob sob*
Very sayang to throw away, I added a little water and started kneading again. But, let's just say the result is kinda disappointing.
Storing it in an air-tight container to see if it could be save later.

I've use the double boiler method and added a little shortening while kneading. What else could go wrong?
Too much powder sugar? *scratch head*

ladydi, when you need to soften the fondant, use shortening and not water. If it's to soft, add icing sugar but in small quantity until it's the right consistency to work with.

Thanks Mama Min, I think my mistake is pouring alot of icing sugar and kneading!

Hello all,

This is my first fondant after many tries of creating the fondant icing itself. *sweat*
Not perfect and definitely amateur.

I realised that when I rolled the fondant, the moment I tried to lift the fondant up, it will slowly cracked. Tried putting icing powder first before rolling but it's still the same.
Any advice from all the experts? Or is there a special tool to scoop the whole fondant up?

WOW! at last u made it, ladydi. Really respect your perseverance.

Thanks applemint_jackie, still not perfect because the fondant teared easily actually.

I'm not too sure if there's such thing as over kneading because sometimes, the more I knead, it will break into pieces. Haha