Jonathan ([info]bluemotion) wrote in [info]kitchenfaq,
@ 2009-01-05 20:29:00
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Entry tags:decorating

Using marshmallow fondant for detailed figures?
Despite having no experience with this sort of thing at all, I'm hoping to do a bit of cake decorating for a friend's belated wedding reception (the wedding was family-only). The plan is to do a chocolate sheet cake with chocolate buttercream, covered in grass (green frosting), with a gravel road (ground almonds) leading up to a chapel (butter cake covered in fondant) with a motorcycle sitting outside.

My question is about the chapel and the motorcycle. Is marshmallow fondant sturdy enough to make a church steeple, and is it firm enough to do pretty detailed work with? The chapel will probably be 4 inches square, and the motorcycle no more than 2 inches long. Would white chocolate clay work better? I made a huge number of 1/2-inch chocolate roses a couple of years back with individually shaped petals, so I know it's good for small stuff.

Also, can I use paste food coloring to paint the fondant/clay after molding it, or do I need to mix the coloring in for best results?


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[info]hardboiledblond
2009-01-06 05:16 am UTC (link)
I think you should ask this over at the community cake_decorating. They know all about this stuff.

Here's my 2 cents. It depends on how long you have to dry it. Fondant will eventually dry and harden if it sits out for a few days, maybe a week. It depends when you need it I guess and if you have time to let it dry like that.
I can't speak to chocolate, because I've never used it for this type of thing before, but I have used gum paste and I like it for molding figures. It dries hard quicker than fondant, and it's easy to work with. So, I'd use gumpaste, but the fondant I think will work if it has time to dry. I'd also put the coloring in the fondant or gumpaste first instead of painting it on, (although that works too) I just think it looks better, and since you are going to let it dry out, you'll know exactly what it looks like first. Also make the color a little darker than you plan because it will dry lighter. FYI.

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[info]bluemotion
2009-01-06 05:41 am UTC (link)
I looked at a recipe for gumpaste, but the page kept mentioning how quickly it dries. How quick are we talking? Minutes? Because I want to be able to take my time on the details. Best case scenario, I'll be able to do the figures two days in advance.

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[info]hardboiledblond
2009-01-06 05:52 am UTC (link)
I don't think 2 days is enough drying time for fondant. It doesn't mean you can't use it, it just means it won't be fully dry by then.

I've only used ready made gumpaste and yeah, you have to be working on some, and then keep the rest covered in plastic or else it will dry out. Another option is that some people mix fondant and gumpaste so they have benefits of both.

I've only made flowers and simple figures, nothing too fancy so the drying wasn't a problem, so it's hard for me to say.

You might just want to go with fondant. I think you will have a better idea once you make it whether or not it's stable enough to hold up and not fall over.

Sorry I'm not that much help. I'd still ask in the cake decorating community.

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[info]bluemotion
2009-01-12 02:19 pm UTC (link)
Thanks for your help. I used fondant. It was a lot of fun. The figures didn't have time to dry hard, but they were firm and the motorcycle was able to stand on its own. The chapel was a big success.

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[info]hardboiledblond
2009-01-12 06:02 pm UTC (link)
Oh, that's awesome! I'm glad it worked out for you.

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