This past weekend I made fondant. I've been obsessing over these small
cutting cakes that are so artfully decorated to be the showcase for all my
cupcakes.
The closer I get to doing my first wedding (which is beyond exciting in
itself) the more pressure I'm putting on myself to make the best cutting cake
ever...and the more I start to freak out over transporting this cake. I don't
care how laid back of a bride someone may be...pretty sure a cake that is a
frosting crumbly mess will not be ok.
So that brings me back to fondant. It definitely isn't a magic safety
belt...and the little decorations can be extremely fragile, or so I've heard.
I've never used it before this weekend. And I still haven't transported them.
Nonetheless, I still love the look which is where my obsession begins. But
anyone who has every purchased a fondant cake should know it is pricey.
Before that lets start with what it even is. Fondant is basically edible
sugar play dough. People can love it or hate it...or know nothing about it, or
think they love it or hate it without even trying it. Bakers can buy it- which
a lot do. But you can also make it- which of course is what I did. Why buy
anything when you can make it yourself? This is pretty much my motto for life and
sometimes the worst thing about myself (I'm just thinking about all the
unneeded stress I put on myself planning for my wedding..ahhhh)
But back to Fondant...(again) If you buy it from a store it is expensive
and every baking forum I'm been in looks down on store bought fondant (well
most of it) and brags about how much everyone loves their MMF. Marshmallow
Fondant. It is very sweet...but fondant is sugar dough so that made sense and
sounded way better than the tasteless dough the stores sell.
It is actually very easy to make, but very time consuming. I read
through a bunch of different recipes and tutorials before I started. Then I
read through all the comments on the tutorials and recipes. They were all
different in some slightly way but I just went with my gut and trusted one.
Seeing the comments I was prepared for a disaster and after an hour of melting
and mixing and kneading I crossed my fingers and let it rest for the required
24 hours.
Then I baked some cupcakes- and got busy with my decorations. With the
full intention of giving them out with a little flyer to let people know I want
to make cupcakes for you!!
But I got busy coloring and molding and trying to cut out without the
hundreds of cutters and embossers that the professionals have. And my cupcakes
spent an extra 20 minutes baking (not good) So I definitely was not going to
share those. But I already had one bird done so here he is..perched on a
burnt cupcake with his little flower. And a little quilted fondant cupcake in
case he decides he wants to move around. :)
So here they are.
I loved the whole process and can't wait to have a couple free hours to
actually bake cupcakes and decorate a whole set to give away. I promise those
pictures will be in focus...but I only had a couple seconds to snap this
picture before rushing off to a meeting so please forgive me for this fuzzy
shot.
