Fondant Recipe for the best Fondant Icing
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:
- 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
- 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
- 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
June 10th, 2009 at 10:16 am
thnx for the fondant recipe it’s really easy,i did it twice but when the dough is rolled it cracks although it’s soft and homogenous.i used glycerin and gelatin and vanilla extract but i used the corn syrup substitute.is this why it cracks?plz help i want to use this fondant recipe for my daughter’s birthday cake next month.
thnx a lot
June 10th, 2009 at 3:11 am
Hey
I am have been watching baking shows and they have always used fondant. i am going to use this fondant recipe for my 10 birthday
June 9th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
thnx for this recipe, i’ve been searching for corn syrup alternative till i found you recipe.i tryed it but i found it cracking and tearing when being rolled.and i feel that it dough is supersaturated with sugar.have i done any thing wrong?
June 9th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Hi Serenity (love your nickname)
To color your fondant with Neon colors, simply buy Neon coloring gel in any baking shop near your place, or just order it on Amazon.
After reading this post you know how to make fondant, I suggest you read my post regarding how to color fondant at http://www.thecookduke.com/howtocolorfondant
I envy you for already knowing what you be when you grow up , I look forward to the pics of your great fondant cake!
Happy Cooking
June 9th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Hi Kevin
This fondant recipe is enough to cover two 10” round cakes, with enough leftovers for decorations
Happy Cooking
June 9th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Where would I go to buy the glycerin?
June 9th, 2009 at 3:42 am
I used the fondant recipe recently and was almost happy with the recipe, however as the cake sat out the fondant began to become extremely sticky. I’m making another cake and don’t want the fondant to start looking bad over time, is there anything that would have caused this that I can try and prevent this time. Will humidity be a problem? And my final question is the cake, my last cake proved to be a bit too unsturdy, should I do anything to make it more firm?
June 9th, 2009 at 3:03 am
How much fondant does this recipe actually make? About how much cake will it cover?
June 7th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
I am only 13 too but I wanted to try this cuz when I grow up I want to be a pastry chef… I’m gonna use this recipe to make my 14th birthday cake all by myself…I just need to know how to make neon colors………help me=]
P.S.
I will definately send you my finished cake pics.
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:28 am
I was wondering if you could create things out of the fondant ahead of time - and how long you could keep them in fridge/freeze - not sure which one would be best to use.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:50 pm
How far in advanced can you make the figures - if you make them ahead of time do you refridgerate them or freeze them?
Thanks!
May 30th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
hi,
i have to make a cake for my mother’s birthday and i wanted to decorate it using fondant
how do i make a ribbon using fondant? also.. the glycerin that you are using..
is it a special kind of glycerin or the one which is available in all general stores?
May 29th, 2009 at 4:40 am
Hello Mr.CookDuke,
I really need some help… I was ask to make 2 wedding cakes coming up in August in Southern California and gets very hot… what is the best icing to apply for these cakes…my reputation will be on the line. Also, thank you for your recipe on how to make fondant.
Excited to hear from you.
May 28th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Love the fondant recipe. Would you have one for a poured fondant?
May 28th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Thanks for your fondant recipe. what is the best way to store fondant? Should you put it in the refrigerator or just keep it at room temperature, and can you use it right away or should you wait? One more question, when should you apply it to the cake? I dont want it to get hard. Thanks, Leslie
May 27th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I just came across your fondant recipe and definitely want to give it a try. I really don’t know anything about baking (all of my attempts have been failures) but I’m willing to try to make a cake for my son’s baseball team party this weekend (instead of paying $50 to have one made). But here’s an important question….the party will be an outdoor pool party in Florida (anticipate lots of heat and humidity). Does fondant hold up in this weather? Or is this a strictly indoors, air conditioned type of decoration?
May 26th, 2009 at 6:37 am
hi i know this may sound a little dumb but what kind of cake do you need to use for this fondant recipe.
for example if you wanted to make a cake that was stacked on top each other. like that awesome baby cake.
also do you have to put icing on the cake before you apply the fondant.
ha i might have a new hobby thanks for this fondant recipe
May 25th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
by glycerin in this fondant recipe do you mean the soap base? do you buy it somewhere?
May 23rd, 2009 at 3:46 pm
How much does this fondant recipe yield?
Also, am I able to use food dye to color it instead of icing color?
May 21st, 2009 at 5:39 pm
I almost forgot… Your suggestion about using oil on the counter verses powdered sugar really saved my fondant while trying to kneed all the color in…. it was sticking to the counter and the sugar was drying it out….after I colored it I then used some sugar to keep it from being too sticky…
Thanks again
Marisa
May 21st, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I just want to THANK you for this very easy fondant receipe….. My daughter was having a pre-school graduation party at school… It was called the hungry worm party… everybody was asked to bring food A through Z that the hungry worm will eat through… (children singing the song)… well I was asked to bring an upside down cake…BORING… so what I did was not only make the cake, but make the hungry worm out of fondant….. I used your receipe to make and color the worm…. I must say… IT WAS GREAT…(picture to follow soon)…thank you soooooo much for making me look like a I knew what I was doing….. It also was a trial for my daughters birthday… I’ll be making a snake cake with fondant covering….I made the mistake of buying fondant before finding your receipe… lets just say…. well, I’ve never tasted anything like it before…Thanks again
Marisa
May 20th, 2009 at 2:03 am
What is glycerine and where do I buy it? What does 2 lb. 10x confectioner sugar mean?
May 19th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
hi i am only 13 and i am used this recipe to make a guitar cake for my grandpa and i put fondant on it and it was so pretty and it was a fast recipe thank you so much
May 18th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
I’m going to give it a try even though I think some ingredients are not easy to find here in Venezuela
Keep all of your fingers crossed for me 
May 18th, 2009 at 4:24 am
This article is so helpful and I can’t wait to try it out. I recently decided I want to try my hand at cake making as a summer hobby this year. I would like to make a two layer gift box cake so I have just a couple questions. The first being, how much fondant does this recipe end up creating and secondly, how would you best go about making fondant ribbons for the cake. Your’s are just beautiful!
May 16th, 2009 at 10:02 am
HI IM PLANNING TO MAKE A FONDANT FOR THE FIRST TIME BUT IM A LITTLE CONFUSED. WHAT KIND OF GELATIN SHOULD I USE, IS IT POWDERED OR ANYTHING ELSE? THANKS HOPE TO READ YOUR REPLY SOON. :))
May 16th, 2009 at 12:40 am
can I make the fondant a day ahead? If so…how do I sore it? Thanks!
May 14th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
where do you find the glycerin? Every place I look for it online shows it to be something you put in soap. Thanks
May 13th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
how much fondant will the above recipe make??
May 9th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
What happens if the dought is too sticky? What should I add. Also, what should I do if the icing startd to crack on the cake?
May 9th, 2009 at 2:36 am
I’m sooo happy I found you site! I’ve been to try fondant and I can’t wait to try your recipe
I’m an amateur baker, so what cake would go well with a fondant icing? I’ve asked some of our local bakers and they’ve told me that ordinary cakes don’t go well with fondant icing because they’re just too soft. :c
May 7th, 2009 at 2:29 am
Hi Cook Duke,
I want to try your fondant recipe. Is there a substitute for the vegetable shortening, I really do not like to use it.
Many thanks,
Cindy
May 2nd, 2009 at 10:35 pm
How much fondant does this make?
April 29th, 2009 at 2:49 am
I was just wondering if the fondant needed to rest between making it and placing it on the cake? Can I just roll it out right after making it? And how much cake will your recipe cover?
April 28th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
so after i’ve made the fondant and i have some left over how long can i save it before i would have to throw it out and how would i store it? fridge or freezer??
April 28th, 2009 at 3:18 am
Hi, I was wondering, are there certain brands of some of the ingrediants that would be best?
April 24th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Where do I find glycerin at? I spent 45 minutes searching all over wal mart and then started a 5 man search at krogers and no body has a clue what it is or where to find it.
April 24th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Hi, I would like to know if I can make the fondant using your recipe and add candy clay with it?
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:54 pm
do you have any pictures of safari cakes
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:04 am
The extract you add contributed to the flavoring of the fondant (my fondant recipe says almonds extract, you can easily replace it with other extracts such as vanilla)
As for adding color, I rather do it after the fondant is made, although some people add the color in the process of making the fondant.
You’re welcome to read my post “How to color fondant”
Happy Cooking
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:05 am
can you add flavoring or color to this recipe at all?
April 21st, 2009 at 4:16 pm
how do you roll out the fondant, without it sticking to your conuter?
April 21st, 2009 at 1:56 pm
where can I find glycerin, these recipe looks easy and great
thank you
April 15th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Where can i get glycerin???
April 13th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Hi Vicki
You can easily use any kind of extract, I use Vanilla extract many times.
Happy Cooking
April 13th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Hi Tonya
I have a post just about that.
Please read my post “how to color fondant” at http://thecookduke.com/howtocolorfondant/
Happy Cooking
April 13th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Hi Paige
Just follow this fondant recipe and you’ll be surprised how easy it really is.
Feel free to contact me with any question, and more important – send pictures of the cakes you covered using this fondant recipe.
Happy Cooking
April 13th, 2009 at 4:32 am
iam just 13 but i wanted to make some kool stuff to play with and i thought of fondant…i no iam a dum blone
April 12th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Maybe I missed it somewhere, but just how much Fondant does your recipe make? Approximately how many sheet cakes will it cover?
April 10th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
How do can I add coloring to the fondant to make a pink one. I mean I am sure it would be some sort of food coloring but how much? By the way this was the best tasting recipe I have found and it was quick thanks!