Buttercream or royal icing can easily be stiffened by mixing in sugar, or made runnier by adding a drop or two of water. Slightly soft mixtures are best for the first, smooth layer, and stiffer mixtures are best for the decorations on top.
Divide the icing into batches and use several colors for more options. Alternatively, sugar icing or royal icing can be added to the cake plain, then have food color painted on them in fine designs using a small paintbrush, barely dampened in food coloring.
For white icing, use a pastry scraper or other wide, flat edge to scrape off the excess icing to a flat surface. Between each scrape, wipe off the scraper’s edge on the icing bowl, then with a paper towel. [3] X Research source Colored icing can look spotted after being scraped, so it’s best to use a bit less icing so there’s less to remove after spreading. To smooth it out, wait until it is dry to the touch, then place a paper towel over the cake, rub it gently back and forth for thirty seconds, then repeat along the side. Note that most paper towels are textured, which will add a pleasing pattern.
Use a simple round tip for dots and writing. A star tip can make rosettes with a short squeeze, or classic swirls if you move as you squeeze the bag. A “closed star” tip will give the swirl more pronounced ridges. A petal tip is used for making ruffles, ribbons, scallops, or flowers.
For most purposes, hold the pastry bag tip at a 90º angle to the surface you’re decorating, and about 1/2 inch (2. 5 cm) above it. Try to squeeze the bag as evenly as possible, and move the bag at a constant rate, or the decoration will have uneven width. When you are finished with a swirl, line, or other decoration, stop squeezing, then lift the pastry bag straight upward to prevent smearing.
For most purposes, hold the pastry bag tip at a 90º angle to the surface you’re decorating, and about 1/2 inch (2. 5 cm) above it. Try to squeeze the bag as evenly as possible, and move the bag at a constant rate, or the decoration will have uneven width. When you are finished with a swirl, line, or other decoration, stop squeezing, then lift the pastry bag straight upward to prevent smearing.
Hold the tip at a 45º angle just above the surface, with the thin end of the petal tip pointing upward. Squeeze briefly while moving the tip in a tiny circle, to form a cylinder. Squeeze again, this time moving the tip quickly in a teardrop or U shape, starting and ending against the edge of the cylinder. Move the tip up as you reach the bend of the U and down again when you return to the cylinder. This makes a single petal. Repeat around the cylinder, then add additional layers of petals until your flower is complete.
Some brands of fondant tear more easily than others. Fondarific, Duff, and FondX are good beginner options. [7] X Research source Fondant dries quickly, so keep any portions you are not currently using wrapped in plastic or in the original container. [8] X Research source
Ganache can be used instead. It may be more difficult to smooth, but will provide a more stable base.
Skip this step if you purchased ready-to-use rolled fondant.
If you plan on covering a circular cake with fondant, you’ll need a circle as wide as your cake’s diameter plus twice the cake’s height.
If you are covering a cake with an unusual shape, put the fondant in the same mold you used for the cake, let it harden slightly, then place it over the cake. Large cakes may need to be covered piece by piece, then repaired as described below.
Put a small amount of new fondant into a bowl and mix in water ¼ tsp (1 mL) at a time until you get a toothpaste consistency. Spread this with a flat spatula over cracks or dents to make them smooth, then wait for them to dry. If the fondant cracks before you’ve started decorating, knead in some shortening or glycerin. Hairline cracks can sometimes be smoothed out with your fingertips, or disguised with a brush of shortening. A bulge is usually an air bubble. Try pricking it with a pin, then smoothing out the fondant.
