Cake Decorating Community - Cakes We Bake

I would like to create a nice organized chart to upload on the site indicating all the pluses and minuses of different store-bought fondant brands.

 

Anyone care to chime in? I'm going to wait until we have lots and lots of feedback on this before I put it together.

 

Please include details like:

 

taste

easy or difficult to work with

price per pound

does it dry out

and anything else you can think of

 

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How is the Fondx as far as workability - does it dry out quickly or start cracking at all while you are trying to smooth it on a large cake or does it give you enough time to work out any wrinkles etc.?

One other question...does it sweat if you put the cake in the fridge and then take it out to work on.  That is one thing that drives me crazy about homemade fondants like MMF and Michele Foster's (not sure if I am the only one that happens to with these recipes).

Rosemary Galpin said:

I absolutely love Fondx Elite! It tastes wonderful, hints of white chocolate & raspberry. (I have to watch my stock when my grown sons help. They think it tastes like candy!) It is very soft and pliable and can be rolled to 1/8" easily with the new Mat System from Caljava. It smoothes beautifully and comes in a host of wonderful colors. I use it with fondant stabilizer to make my gum paste flowers. The purple orchid cake I posted is covered in Elite and the orchids are made from it as well.

Sorry, Lisa, I can't answer the fondx question.  I don't refridgerate my fondant cakes, although I know from my cake club, that our leader & several members do it. What I understand Lisa it isn't so much the brand or type, but that the cake is wrapped properly so the fondant doesn't absorb condensation. If you want the "know how" I could always find out the info for you. Because the info didn't pertain to me, I didn't write it down.

Well, I have had compliments from my family members who have ate it. I actually like it myself. Why don't you buy a small 5 k and try it out??

Shari, What color did you have trouble with?  I was thinking of buying the purple one because my niece wants me to make her sweet sixteen bday cake and wants purple.  She wants it pretty dark so I was thinking of buying it but now I'm not so sure.  

Shari said:

Certain colors for Duff work good but oh my goodness!  Some of their colors are heavy, gummy and fall apart. :-(  I like the taste but not the texture.

Be fore warned Goreti. I believe Shari was speaking about Duff's fondant. I have the red and is way to soft to work with. Takes forever to dry!!!!  I had to add tylose/cmc powder to help roll it out, and so it would dry.

Yup, pretty much all the colors, the yellow one smells just like play doh. I have been using Massa and although its expensive, it tastes awesome.

Tx for the heads up ladies.  I guess I will stick to mmf

I would like to try mmf, do you have a recipe you wouldnt mind sharing?

I might have to break down and order some.  I do like Satin Ice better than Wilton or Fondarific as far as overall taste and workability, but it seems to dry out too fast when I am doing things like carved cakes - it doesn't allow enough time to do the blending I want to do.  I just hate to pay between $17 and $20 for shipping for a little 5# bucket, which seems to be the going rate for shipping to Wyoming.

June Kowalczyk said:

Well, I have had compliments from my family members who have ate it. I actually like it myself. Why don't you buy a small 5 k and try it out??

Here is the recipe I use Shari:

Courtesy of Sugar Sweet Cakes & Treats on FB

Marshmallow Fondant (MMF)

- 16 oz Bag Generic Mini Marshmallow’s (not Jet Puffed)

- 2 lbs C&H Powdered Sugar, Shifted to remove any lumps (abbreviated "PS")

- 2 Tsp Water

- Shortening or Crisco (keeps the MMF from sticking to surfaces)

- 1 tsp Light Corn Syrup (optional, makes it more pliable when adding color)

Directions:

1)  Coat a microwave safe bowl with 2 Tbsp shortening, add marshmallows, sprinkle with water.

2)  Coat a spatula really well with shortening.

3)  Microwave for 30 sec intervals, stirring really well with the   spatula in between each interval.  DO NOT microwave for more than 3   intervals (it will break down the marshmallows and you end up with a ton   of air bubbles in your finished product).  Stirring really well will   help distribute the heat and melt the marshmallows thoroughly.

4)  If needed, add any flavoring or color to the melted marshmallows   (see Hints below).  You can always add more coloring to it as you are   kneading in the PS so don’t worry if you don’t get the color you want   initially.

5)  Grease a table or counter top really well with shortening and add ½   of the PS onto it.  Create a well in the PS and pour the melted   marshmallows into it.  Grease your hands with a thick coating of   shortening and knead the powdered sugar into the melted marshmallows   (work fast, you don’t want the marshmallow to cool and see Hint #1   below).

6)  Keep rubbing more shortening into your hands as needed.  Add more   powdered sugar and keep kneading until it forms a smooth ball of dough   and is no longer sticky (feels a lot like play dough).  Coat the dough   really well with a thick coating of shortening, cover in saran wrap   tightly, cover again in a 2nd layer of saran wrap and store in an air   tight container or Zip Lock Bag overnight (sugar incorporates and any   lumps melt away).

7)  Knead again until soft before using it:  If too dry, add a few drops of water or if sticky, add more PS.

Notes:

1)  I have never used the entire 2 lbs of Powdered Sugar.  Depending on   the weather and humidity, I use anywhere from 1-1/2 lbs to 1-3/4 lbs.

2)  Optional:  When making colored MMF, add a tsp of Corn Syrup to the   MMF as you are kneading in the PS.  It makes it more pliable especially   if you make darker colors.  When I make white, I don’t find a need to   add the Corn Syrup.

3)  You can store the MMF at room temperate for about 3 months, in the   fridge for a couple months or in the freezer for a very long time.  Just   keep it wrapped and let it come to room temperature before using it.    If really hard, zap in microwave for about 10 secs to soften it  slightly  then knead by hand.

4)  You can make the MMF by using a powerful Kitchen Aide (KA) with a  dough  hook, coat bowl and hook really well with shortening.  I  personally like doing it by hand; you can feel if the dough  is the  right consistency.  When I've used the KA, the PS gets compacted along  the bottom and sides of the bowl which I have to scrap off leaving large  lumps of PS in the MMF...not good, plus more dishes to wash after  wards.

5)  If the MMF is too stretchy, let it sit uncovered for about 5 minutes   to cool down and settle a bit, you may have overworked it and got it  too  warm.  Also, MMF will take more PS if too  warm so don't add more than the 2 lbs or else you'll end up with a big,  lumpy, crumbly ball once completely cooled.

Hints:

1)  Don’t dig your hands into the melted marshmallows or else you will   get a big, sticky mess on thy fingers.  You want to FOLD the PS into the   melted marshmallows and after doing this a couple times, you will be   able to handle the marshmallows without it sticking like glue to your   fingers.  If you do get a sticky mess on the hands, rub them with PS and   it will peel right off.

2)  Use flavored jello’s to flavor and color you MMF. Add a large, 6 oz   box, of Jell-O Mix into the melted marshmallow and stir it really well and quickly to melt it all in.  Or you can also use  Candy Melts.  I  haven't used the melts yet I am eager to give it a try  soon.

3)  Dark colors become darker over time, so be sure to give yourself 2-3   days to get the shade you need and to allow the colors to mature   completely.

4) Red MMF:  As difficult as everyone  says it is to make red, I  am glad to say that I have succeeded (see  Ferrari Cake).  How?  When the  marshmallows are melted, add 1 large box  (6 oz) of Strawberry Jello and  stir really well (work fast, you don’t  want the marshmallow’s to cool  down before adding the PS).  This gives  the MMF a pink base to start  with.  Then added a ½ oz of the Wilton No  Taste Red to it.  Kneed in the  PS and add more of the red coloring a  little at a time.  Don’t worry if  it is not very red; Dark colors  darken over time.  Coat the dough with  shortening, wrap tightly and  store in an airtight container.  Let it sit  overnight.  On the  following day, knead the dough more and add more red  as needed.  For  the red on the Ferrari Cake, I made the MMF 3 days  ahead, kneaded more  red into it on day 2 and let it just sit and rest  until I used it on  day 3.  It smelled and tasted deliciously like  strawberry jello!

Shari,

I never use the same recipe.  I like to experiment.  This is one of the recipes I have used

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 pounds confectioners' sugar, divided

Directions

  1. Place the butter in a shallow bowl, and set aside.
  2. Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff.
  3. Rub your hands thoroughly with butter, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with confectioners' sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners' sugar.

I have used different flavors on this besides vanilla.  As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever used just vanilla.  I really like to use a mix of lemon, orange, butter, almond & vanilla extracts.  

Don't know if you saw the comment Lisa, but someone here posted that if you add Satin Ice to the Wilton, you get the best of both worlds. Better taste, workability, better texture.  Maybe worth a try?????
 
Lisa Seidling said:

I might have to break down and order some.  I do like Satin Ice better than Wilton or Fondarific as far as overall taste and workability, but it seems to dry out too fast when I am doing things like carved cakes - it doesn't allow enough time to do the blending I want to do.  I just hate to pay between $17 and $20 for shipping for a little 5# bucket, which seems to be the going rate for shipping to Wyoming.

June Kowalczyk said:

Well, I have had compliments from my family members who have ate it. I actually like it myself. Why don't you buy a small 5 k and try it out??

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