Fondant recipe is the most popular recipe on my blog, and although many times I feel that many good recipes goes overlooked, at least I’m happy my fondant recipe is a success.

My fondant recipe post is also the post i get most comments about, and when the reader is as generous as Amy J I also get a respond letter with pictures describing the reader’s fondant recipe experience.

Here’s what Amy wrote:

Dear Cook Duke, It was my son’s second birthday this November and I decided I’d try my hand at fondant recipe since I’ve seen it used so much on TV and admired how it looked.
I consider myself to a very apt baker and decorator for just doing it in my spare time so I wanted to try something new this year as well.

His favorite TV show is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so that was the theme I chose for the party.
I scoured the internet for what seemed to be the easiest and best fondant recipe since I didn’t really want to buy it from a store.
Yours seemed to need the least amount of effort and from reading other reader reviews, also the best tasting fondant recipe.

This was my first time using fondant, let alone making it from scratch, and also my first time attempting a 3-D cake (I used a dense chocolate cake for all the base elements and rice krispie cake for everything else).

I made two batches of fondant not knowing how much I’d use and not wanting to run out.
The first batch seemed to turn out ok but when trying to work with it seemed very dry compared to the second batch I made that didn’t crack at all.
For the most part it, I was very pleased with how everything turned out (considering it was my first time) and would definitely try it again.
My only concern was when I was adding color the fondant seemed to get kinda sticky and also, when rolling it out I assumed I was supposed to roll it out on a smooth surface lightly dusted with the confectioners sugar, only that altered the smoothness of my fondant and kind of took away from the original color.

Since I’m not sure what the consistency or texture of fondant should be, is there a better description you could give so I have a better idea (because I thought I had a smooth pliable mass but it cracked when laying it over the cake (this was the ‘grass’ part of the cake)).
And possibly any other tips you might have for rolling it out so that it looks as good as yours does in the pictures??

Thanks! I’ve attached a picture of my cake although I know it could look a bit better.
Thanks again for the great fondant recipe and I’ll keep trying ’til I get it right!

Sincerely, Amy Johnson Canada 

As you can read, even when she encountered some difficulties, the fondant recipe experience is still a success.

And here are the pictures she sent, I bet her next cake will look better, but for a first attempt it’s a GREAT success!

Fondant recipe Micky mouse cake

Fondant recipe MM cake 2

Well Amy, I’m happy you enjoyed my fondant recipe and thank you for your mail and pics.

For better understanding on how to color fondant you can view my post named “how to color fondant”
and for all of you who hadn’t try yet – You’re welcome to try my fondant recipe, and more welcome to send me pictures of cakes you made using my fondant recipe to theduke@thecookduke.com

Happy Cooking

Pirate Ship Cake – Readers Experience

My Pirate Ship Cake recipe is online for almost 2 years now, and finally I got mail with pictures from someone who actually used it.

Caroline J sent me this lovely 2 Pirate ship cake pictures and I think the cake she made looks GREAT!

Caroline’s Pirate Ship Cake pictures: 

Pirate Ship Cake

Pirate ship cake

After mastering the Pirate Ship Cake, I hope her next step is to learn how to make fondant, following my fondant recipe.

As always, it’s a great pleasure getting responds from my readers, and if you send pictures of cakes you made using my recipes it’s best, as other readers can see that the recipes are not impossible.

Caroline – Many thanks for the pirate ship cake pictures, I hope you’ll try more recipes and send more pictures J

Happy Cooking

Fondant Recipe – how to make fondant, is it difficult to follow the fondant recipe?

Like most things in life, practice gets perfection, but to make fondant is not too complicated, and given the upgrade it gives to the cake, I would sure give it a try.

Fondant recipe – How to make fondant

When you come to make fondant it’s important to use the right fondant recipe and follow it to the letter.

I know many people who tried some shortcuts on my fondant recipe and ended up with a fondant they just couldn’t take off of the table.
The fondant gets greasy, sticky or just resembles the taste of a commercial fondant, which is bad enough J

Three important tips before we move to the actual “how to make fondant” instructions and the fondant recipe:

1. When you make fondant, both the dough and the icing, make sure to make it in room temperature – Too cold or too warm room will hurt the dough
2. When you calculate the quantity of fondant icing required, it’s better to have too much fondant icing rather than too little, as leftover icing can be stored and used at a later date, or used for extra decorations
3. Make sure you make fondant on a clean and smooth working surface.
   Jewelry on your fingers or wrists or fluffy clothing could hurt the fondant’s surface

Ingredients required to make the fondant recipe:

• 1 Tbsp of unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup of cold water
• 1 tsp of almond extract
• 1/2 cup of light corn syrup (If a corn syrup is not available, you can substitute it with a sugar syrup made with 1-1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup water, boiled together until syrupy)
• 1 Tbsp of glycerin (some recipes say it’s optional, believe me, it’s a must)
• 2 lbs 10X confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 tsp of white vegetable shortening

Directions how to make the fondant recipe:

• Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let it rest for 2 minutes to soften
• Place the bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds on High, until the gelatin dissolves
• Add the Almond extract
• Add the corn syrup and the glycerin and stir until the mixture is smooth and clear (if the mixture is not turning smooth and clear, microwave it for an additional 15 to 20 seconds on high and stir again)
• Sift 1 1/2 pounds of the sugar into a large bowl
• Make a hole in the sugar and pour the liquid mixture to it
• Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes sticky
• Sift some of the remaining 1/2 pound of sugar onto a smooth work surface and add as much of the remaining sugar as the mixture will take
• Knead the fondant, adding a little more sugar if necessary, to form a smooth, pliable mass
• Rub the vegetable shortening on your thumbs and knead it into the fondant
• Wrap the fondant in plastic wrap and place it in a tightly sealed container to prevent it from drying out
  If the icing dries out and harden it can often be revived by popping it into a microwave oven for a few seconds and then kneading it back to life

Now you know how to make fondant, I hope the following pictures will inspire you to give this easy, tasty Fondant Recipe

But first, if you want to take your fondant recipe to the next level, you’re welcome to visit my post How to Color Fondant

And one update (11/02/09) – A few of my readers sent me pictures of cakes they made following the instructions on this post.

I advice you to go and check it out, to see what to expect when you learn how to make fondant

An update from January 15 2008:

About 6 month ago I got a mail from one of my readers asking me how to make fondant.
I never thought it’d be the most popular post on my blog…
Anyway, from the comments I get I see that many people finds it easy to make, it makes me so happy as that’s the purpose of this blog.
Now that you see that how to make fondant is very easy you can go to the next level by trying to color it (see “how to color fondant”) or get inspired with baby cake decoration ideas at my previous posts “baby shower cakes” , “children’s birthday cakes” and “more children’s birthday cakes”

I’d appreciate if you could recommend this fondant recipe using one of the social networks below.

Happy Cooking

Baby Shower Cakes

A baby shower is a milestone event in the lives of expectant parents, and one of the centerpieces of the event is the Baby Shower Cake.
Baby shower cakes are made to celebrate both the mom and the future, or newly delivered, little life, so they should be lovely to look, good to eat and should match the baby shower’s theme.

Baby Shower Cakes are spectacular- some are fancier than the others, but all Baby Shower cakes are cakes that makes you WOW.

In this post I’m presenting a series of baby shower cakes pictures, to get you inspired and help you find a cake to suit your party’s theme.

Having a predefined theme to the baby’s shower is most important.
A baby shower is an opportunity to pamper the exhausted mother-to-be.
If planned well, it will distract her from third trimester discomforts, and good planning is the different between a doll evening to a night to remember! After facing some failures with planning and hosting a baby shower, I used a book that became my number one guide for planning a baby shower.
It takes you through the teeth-grinding first steps of planning your budget, learn how to come up with funds and find helpful co-hosts – while holding onto your serenity and even having fun!

You are welcome to use the baby shower NUMBER ONE planning guide; you are more than welcome to enjoy my Baby Shower Cakes Gallery.

And no baby’s shower is complete without a Diaper Cake

Happy Cooking

Related Posts:

How to make a Diaper Cake

Childrens Birthday Cakes

Childrens Birthday Cakes 2

Birthday Pirate Ship Cake

No Bake Cookie Recipe

How to Make a Diaper Cake – Part 3

How to Make a Diaper Cake is one of the hottest topics on my blog.

It all started with the first article, where you can find the “recipe” for making a diaper cake.
As you might guess, the first article is called How to Make a Diaper Cake.

As I mentioned in my last post, many readers who followed my advice and took the How to Make a Diaper Cake Video Tutorial actually sent mail and thanked me for the tip.Although I still believe that the How to Make a Diaper Cake Video Tutorial is the easiest way, I’m adding a new Diaper Cakes gallery, as I believe that when you see the final product, getting there is much easier.

So, I hope you’ll enjoy this gallery and find inspiration for your diaper cake.

For me, the “How to make a diaper cake video tutorial” made all the difference, and after watching it I can make the kind of diaper cakes you see above.

Happy Cooking