fondant cracking

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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on July 8, 2013 at 10:15am

I use Satin Ice all the time Faith. That is VERY strange. Once I have covered my cake, I have moved it, like you, a couple of times. No problem.  The only thing I can think of is perhaps the fondant was rolled too thin??

I do know tho, that if you don't knead your fondant really well before rolling it out, and that includes homemade mmf, the liquids have separated, and they need to be re-incorporated back into the fondant.  I do remember a time I was rolling some satin ice in a hurry and it started to separate. Then in researching, got the tip to knead your fondant well before you start. You can tell as fondant becomes, soft, pliable, but not gooey, if that makes sense.

Hope this helps.   :o)

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Permalink Reply by Katy Nott on July 9, 2013 at 1:35pm

Well Faith, I have never seen fondant crack after it has been on the cake for a while, that is so weird.  Was the Satin Ice close to being out of date and maybe a bit dry?  Have they changed their recipe lately?  Was the room the cake was in too cold?  Was it a tiered cake, if so which tier cracked?  One with some weight on it?

All shots in the dark, I have to say..............

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Permalink Reply by faith brandstetter on July 9, 2013 at 7:28pm

thank you June and Katy, thought I had kneaded my fondant enough (at least my forearms and biceps say I did).  My fondant had over 6 months before the expiration date.  I kept the tiers apart until I delivered the cake so weight should not have been an issue.  I rolled the fondant out to about 1/8 in.  It's been rather warm in Southern california so cold room should not have been an issue.  I am perplexed.  I am so frustrated.  I am going to contact satin ice and see if they have ideas. 

thanks again for your assistance.  grrr I am worried about using satin ice to cover another cake and I have a ton left over.  Oh well, thanks again,

faith

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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on July 9, 2013 at 7:32pm

Good idea to contact Satin Ice Faith. Perhaps you got a bad batch???  Since you kneaded it well, I, like Katy, am perplexed.  I have never had fondant crack on a cake. Maybe Satin Ice will give you some helpful advice.  :o) 

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Permalink Reply by Shrey Patel on July 10, 2013 at 7:22am

Hi,

Tip 1: Start with the right fondant
I originally used marshmallow fondant. While it's easy to make and I've seen other people achieve professional-looking results with it, I found it sticky and hard to work with and I had issues getting it the right consistency. I started making fondant from scratch and the best recipe and the one I use all the time is Michele Foster's Fondant recipe. A half batch (what I usually make) will cover up to one 10-inch round and it's actually not all that hard to make.

One thing I found that really helped me was to buy a package of pre-made, high quality fondant to see what the consistency was like. That way I could better achieve the correct consistency when making it at home. I bought a container of Satin Ice, but I've heard good things about FondeX. Just avoid the Wilton stuff, okay? (Ick!)

Tip 2: Get your icing as smooth as possible
The icing on your cake (under the fondant) should be as smooth and hard as possible. For this reason, many people really like working with ganache under fondant. You can get it as smooth as glass and it sets up as hard as a rock. I like ganache, but it's really rich and expensive so I mostly work with meringue buttercreams under my fondant which also provide a nice smooth surface. I use metal bench scraper and an icing spatula to get my buttercream smooth before I apply my fondant.

Tip 3: Knead your fondant in pieces
I divide my fondant into several pieces to knead it. Then I zap each piece in the microwave for two 5-second increments to soften it slighty (no more than 5 seconds per zap or you'll melt it!) and then I work it on the counter. I keep the other chunks wrapped in plastic wrap so that they don't get dry and crusty while I work. While I'm kneading each section, I add a dollop of shortening and a dollop of glycerine to soften the fondant and make it smoother and more pliable. The shortening also helps the fondant to be less sticky. That way, you can use less corn starch (or powdered sugar) when you're rolling. Corn starch and powdered sugar leave white stuff everywhere and can dry out your fondant. Once you've gotten all the chunks kneaded individually, put them together and knead the fondant until it's warm, soft, smooth and pliable. Remember silly putty? It should be a lot like that in consistency.

Tip 4: Put away the spray bottle
I had always read that you should spray the cake with water (after frosting) before putting the fondant on. This never worked properly for me. The coverage was always uneven, with some spots too wet and some too dry, and the fondant was always slipping around and gooey. What a mess!

Then I watched someone apply piping gel with a pastry brush on youtube. Ding! I don't generally have piping gel on hand, but the pastry brush works perfectly. I generally use water with a small amount of tylose powder dissolved in it (which is what I use to adhere pieces of fondant or gumpaste together when making my figures or applying them to the cake). But water works, too. The coverage is nice and even and you can apply it pretty thinly. It also helps do some final smoothing on your cake. Win!

Tip 5: Use your corn starch or powered sugar sparingly
Less is more. My preferred anti-stick is corn starch. Really, you don't need much corn starch to keep the fondant from sticking to your counter and rolling pin. I dust just a slight amount on my slightly flattened disc of fondant, rub it around, flip and do the same on the other side. Then I sprinkle a small amount around the countertop where I'll be rolling.

Tip 6: Roll it out bigger than you think it needs to be
Measure your cake across the top and sides. Got that added up? Great, add another 2 inches to the dimension. So if you measured 10 inches across the top and your cake is 3 inches tall, that's 16 inches of cake total. Roll out the fondant to at least 18 inches. I actually like a little more. More fondant along the bottom means you have more to work with when it comes to lifting and smoothing around the bottom and less opportunity for pleating and folding along the bottom.

Tip 7: Roll it up
When you're ready to put it onto the cake, roll the whole thing back onto your rolling pin. Don't try to lift it with your arms or your hands and put it onto the cake. You'll get more air bubbles if you try to do it like that. The rolling pin method allows you to roll it slowly over the top of the cake.

Tip 8: Secure the top edges first
Once you've rolled it onto the cake, secure all around the very top first. This will prevent the weight of the fondant from pulling away from the edge and tearing your fondant. The other thing that helps prevent fondant from tearing and breaking is the glycerine and shortening you added when you kneaded the fondant earlier as well as using a scant amount of corn starch (or powdered sugar).

Tip 9: Lift up and in
Now you're going to work your way down from the top, smoothing out the fondant. Work your way around the cake, smoothing a half inch to an inch at a time all the way around, then keep going around until you get to the bottom. Sounds easy, no? This is the moment of truth. The trick? As you smooth with one hand, use your other hand to lift up the excess fondant on the bottom and push in towards the cake just slightly. It sounds completely counterintuitive, but just try it. Up and in. All that excess will help you with this. Keep lifting as you smooth down.

Tip 10: Cut, smooth, cut
Once you've smoothed it all out with your hands all the way around, cut off all the excess with a pizza or pastry cutter.Then use a fondant smoother to smooth it all down. Push in and move it up and down all around the cake. You'll end up with a little bit more along the bottom edge. Use your cutting wheel to cut it again as close as you can to the bottom edge.

Tip 11: Use a butter knife to get a clean edge
Are you always putting something around the bottom of your cake to hide that ragged edge? I take a butter knife and work my way around, using it to gently remove and/or tuck in any excess underneath and create a nice smooth edge.If there's still a lot you didn't get, use the pizza cutter again. If it's just a tiny bit stuck to the cake board, you can scrape it off the cake board with the butter knife. If there's some that is uneven, use the butter knife to press it gently up into the cake.

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Permalink Reply by Katy Nott on July 10, 2013 at 1:17pm

Wow Shrey - what a  bundle of useful information!  Thank you from me as covering cakes in fondant is my worst nightmare!

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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on July 10, 2013 at 3:38pm

Yes

I must say Shrey. A lot of useful information.  You seemed have covered everything.  I may even print this out as a handy guide. I checked your home page Shrey, and have seen no cakes posted yet. Looking forward to seeing some of your work.   :o )

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Permalink Reply by faith brandstetter on July 10, 2013 at 10:24pm

thank you all so much for your assistance.  Shrey I can't thank you enough for the in depth information.  I can't wait to try this again (kind of, still reeling from 4 cakes and a wedding cake all due within 2 days of each other).  I am taking the week off from caking.  anyway, thanks again and once again LOVE this site.

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Permalink Reply by Shrey Patel on July 15, 2013 at 7:09am

Hi June Kowalczyk,

If you are waiting for my Recipe then Visit my Profile..

I Posted Recipe "Easy Chocolate Cake" try to read it you will like it.

Or try to make it...Recipe is Simple but the taste is awesome.

You will Definitely like it.

Thank You.

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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on July 15, 2013 at 10:49am

I don't need a chocolate cake recipe Shrey. Thanks. Will ck yours out. I have several winning chocolate recipes. One a old family favorite. I was more interested in seeing photos of your actual cakes. :o)

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