Do-ahead fondant decorations?
How far in advance can you make fondant decorations? I have a jungle-themed birthday cake coming up and it has so many elements that I can't possibly leave til the last minute (animals, mostly. They are going to be realistic, not flat 2 dimensional types). I've heard that you shouldn't freeze fondant, but can I make the critters ahead and still keep them from drying out and getting rock-hard ? (My grandkids and all their friends love to eat the decorations) And where should I store them ..in fridge...or tupperware containers in a cool dry place? Any info would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Patricia Soto on
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I am also doing a animal cake for this weekend. I made my decorations Wednesday so that they can air dry a couple of days. Then I will cover them just to keep them clean. Hope this helps you. To keep them soft I dont know..I do know you dont put them in the fridge. I hope someone else comes on and says something...Good luck with your cake..
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Permalink Reply by shuswapcakes on
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I wouldn't put them in a fridge, or in tupperware because they might get soggy (I've had this happen!) Fondant always ""sweats" and this will probably happen if you put them in the fridge too. I always store mine in cardboard boxes, and then use saran wrap over the box and this has worked great. As for making them in advance, you can make them quite a few days ahead of time and if you store them properly they won't be rock hard :) Hope this helps!
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Permalink Reply by Linda Wolff on
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Just as your fondant does not get soggy or mushy in the plastic bag or bucket of fondant that it originated in, neither will it do that once you make your figures. As Patricia said above, I would let them air dry a bit to stiffen them up on the outside, but if you want them so that they are edible, finish them up and place them in a plastic bag either loose, if you don't mind them getting stiffer, or sealed to keep them very soft-your choice. My point, nothing you do in making the figures is going to alter the fondant, so if it doesn't sweat in your tub or bag, it will be fine storing them exactly as your original fondant came. I prefer to have mine like Patricia does hers. I air dry them for a few days then wrap them up in tissue paper or baggy and place them in a box to keep them clean until ready to use.
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Permalink Reply by Marilyn Arseneau on
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Thanks so much, ladies, for your kind and generous input. I will proceed with my project with confidence now: lions and tigers and bears...oh, my!
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Permalink Reply by Laney Cowan on
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Marilyn, I'm not sure if you saw the photos of my jungle theme baby shower cake. I made those a week ahead. I used a gumpaste/fondant mix of about 50/50. I live in a humid climate (South Carolina) so they didn't get completely hard. They were just hard enough to hold shape but not harm any teeth. I was able to just keep them on my work table.
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Laney, I think climate is a big factor too when using fondant/gum paste. I live in Iowa, which is humid as all get out in the summer, but dry in the winter. So my fondant would be almost completely dry overnight right now, buyt not so much in the summer time.
Laney Cowan said:Marilyn, I'm not sure if you saw the photos of my jungle theme baby shower cake. I made those a week ahead. I used a gumpaste/fondant mix of about 50/50. I live in a humid climate (South Carolina) so they didn't get completely hard. They were just hard enough to hold shape but not harm any teeth. I was able to just keep them on my work table.
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You do lovely work, Laney! Yes, here in N.H. (that's New Hampshire...it's amazing how many people have never heard about us!) we get a humid spell in the summer. I made the tree-stump cake in Debby Browne's Enchanted Cakes for Children book for my grandson's birth homecoming ('Welcome to our Family Tree' theme). It was late July, and I don't know if it was the chocolate powder I put in the fondant or the humidity, but the fondant got real gooey. It was one of those no-win situations...the fridge was just as humid, so there was literally no good place to let the darned thing "cure". Now I just use more cornstarch when I know it's going to be muggy and that seems to be working.
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And Linda...I just watched (for the 5th time) 'Bridges of Madison County'. Iowa must be beautiful. I absolutely loved that farmhouse kitchen.
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Marilyne.....(head hung in shame) I have never seen the entire movie, just bits and pieces! I've never been in that direction where those bridges are. We actually live closer to Omaha, Nebraska since we live right on the border of Iowa/Nebraska. But in our states defense, it is the most beautiful in the fall. You see those corn fields row by row by row blowing in the wind, soy bean fields in patches, hay bales, and pumpkins out in the fields while out driving and the colors literally look like a patchwork quilt just like out of a Grant Woods painting. The hay bales always remind me of shredded wheat cereal! haha
I was also going to add, Marilyn, if you do have issues with something drying, you can use a little table fan on low speed to help the process. On low it won't crack your gum paste/fondant because of over drying.
Marilyn Arseneau said:And Linda...I just watched (for the 5th time) 'Bridges of Madison County'. Iowa must be beautiful. I absolutely loved that farmhouse kitchen.
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WOW! It's so neat to "meet" so many people from all over the world. We sure do adapt to our environments!
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Permalink Reply by jeri c on
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You can make them several weeks ahead! I have made things that my daughter is still saving 3 years later! She saved all the decorations from Tucker's shower cakes... from his first birthday cake... the second birthday I cheated and used plastic decos... and this year I made all the cars from Cars 2 and he has them.... So by all means make them way in advance and enjoy the week of making the cake and putting it all together!!!
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Wow...you girls are awesome! SO much good info here...my cake production comes in fits and spurts, and this is getting on to my "busy" season. I'll be checking in on the forums frequently. Thanks again for all your help.
jeri c said:You can make them several weeks ahead! I have made things that my daughter is still saving 3 years later! She saved all the decorations from Tucker's shower cakes... from his first birthday cake... the second birthday I cheated and used plastic decos... and this year I made all the cars from Cars 2 and he has them.... So by all means make them way in advance and enjoy the week of making the cake and putting it all together!!!
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