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
July 4th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Hi
can i follow this fondant recipe without it?
The fondant recipe calls for glycerin so I went to the store to buy it but it was not in the baking section. We ended up finding it in the medicine section but the bottle says that it is for external use only and if ingested we should call poison control. I don’t know wether or not to use it because we were not looking forward to poisoning our guests tonight
July 4th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Hi Robyn
I agree that when you buy fondant from a store it sometimes tastes gross, but not when you make your own fondant.
You can read some of the comments readers left after trying this fondant recipe, you’ll see that it tastes just GREAT!
Looking forward to read your comment after you tried my fondant recipe
Happy Cooking
July 4th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Hi Honey
This fondant recipe is enough to cover two 10” round cakes, with enough leftovers for decorations.
Happy Cooking
July 4th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Hi Mashelle
I’m sure the fondant recipe is going to work great, looking forward to pictures of the cakes you made using it.
Happy Cooking
July 4th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Hi Katelyn
This fondant recipe is enough to cover two 10” round cakes, with enough leftovers for decorations.
(And yes, those cakes were made using my fondant recipe, I hope to post pictures of the cakes you made using this fondant recipe soon)
Happy Cooking
July 4th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Hi Chris
As you suspected, you shouldn’t use body oil glycerin for this fondant recipe
You should look for “edible glycerin”, it should be available in any baking supply shop.
Many readers said it took them a while to find the glycerin, but it has a great impact on the fondant recipe so I wouldn’t do it without it.
As for the “icing coloring gel”, it might sound fancier than it really is.
It’s simply a food coloring gel, same as the food coloring liquid you can find everywhere, but in gel.
If you can’t find it near you can order it on amazon, but unlike the glycerin, you can use regular coloring liquid and still get good results.
When you finish following this fondant recipe please send me pictures of the cakes you made.
Happy Cooking
July 4th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Hi Jessica
Fondant is the best solution to get a smooth, “fancy” cake icing.
If you follow this fondant recipe, you’ll find that the taste is much better than any fondant you’ve tested before.
Please feel free to contact me with any question,
Happy Cooking
July 4th, 2009 at 4:15 am
Thanks so much for such a delicious fondant recipe! I tried it for the first time and though the cake was time consuming, I loved how it turned out! I’m not going to post a pic, simply b/c my “red” was more pink and it was a fourth of July cake!! Little embarassing, but it was my first try making and coloring fondant. I did have a problem with stickiness but saw someone else’s post about cornstarch and that worked great! I’m going to keep practicing and hopefully I’ll improve with time. Thanks for posting this, i hate bland fondant and this tasted really great! Your pics of your cakes are gorgeous, hopefully I’ll get there one day, thanks again
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Hi
I was wondering how much Foundant this recipe makes because i am making a 3 tier cake and i need to know because i need to know how much ingredients. AND ARE THE PICTURES WITH THE HOMEMADE FOUNDANT??
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Hello, I’m kind of new at making cakes and I wanted to learn how to make the smooth (wedding like cakes). So what I was wondering if this is the thing I am thinking about, like instead of using icing I would use this to cover my cake right? To give it that nice smooth fancy look?
Thanks
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Glycerin??? Obviously I’m a first timer… I went to the store to buy glycerin and the only thing they had was a topical skin glycerin oil; is that what you mean?
Also, you wrote that it is better to use “icing color gel”… is there a “bakers specialty store” to get all of this stuff?
Please respond soon I’m so excited to get started.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:53 am
I will be trying your fondant recipe tonight.. I have tried two recipes previously that were no good.. but then again I am not a great cook,so it could just be me. Anyway I will be very happy if this one works as well for me as it has for every other “poster” and I will let you know
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:29 pm
this fondant recipe makes good cakes but i’ve seen better
July 1st, 2009 at 9:57 pm
how much fondant does this make?
July 1st, 2009 at 3:30 am
I’ve been wanting to try and make fondant for quite sometime now and I do have a question.
Does it taste any good? I’ve never ever tried it before and I’m worried that it will taste gross.
June 29th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Can you explain exactly what is the 10X confectioner’s sugar in your fondant recipe. Thank you.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Help - can you adapt your fondant recipe for chocolate fondant?
June 28th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
just wondering about this fondant recipe…… again how much is 1 tbls. equal to in oz.????
June 28th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Is the glycerin that you can get at the pharmacy the same as you use for this fondant recipe?
June 27th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Hi Vasavi
I sent you the answers to your fondant recipe questions by mail, hope you got it.
Happy Cooking
June 27th, 2009 at 7:04 am
Hi Marisa
Comments like yours truly makes my day!
Thank you for your kind words and very detailed reply, I’ll be more than happy to post pictures of the cakes you made using my fondant recipe.
I hope that comments like yours will encourage more readers to follow this fondant recipe and learn how to make fondant easily.
Happy Cooking
June 25th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Hi! I tried your fondant recipe making my first fondant cake last week and it was so much fun! Thanks so much for the fondant recipe! I looooove this blog! It was amateur work but my bar was low so my friends were still very impressed! =)
I had enough fondant left over that I decided to make a second mini cake. Question: while I was rolling the fondant, not only was it cracking, but it started to crumble. I tried to revive it by putting it in the microwave and adding shortening but I had trouble kneading it as the fondant just lost it’s elasticity and kept crumbling away! The second cake did not turn out as well. Can you think of why that happened and if there is an easy fix for situations like that?
June 25th, 2009 at 6:08 am
Hey! I used your fondant recipe. and it worked fantastically. No one believed that I had never made fondant. it turned out pretty well, it kept drying out a little but otherwise much easier then I thought. I’ll try and get some pictures of the cake I made and send it to you. thank you so much! your site was so helpful.
June 24th, 2009 at 3:25 am
hi, i.ve seen several people make fondant out of marshmellows….will it still come out as your fondant recipe??? Do you think i can still use it on my cakes and would you suggest MM fondant to someone whos looking to save time? which fondant recipe is better?
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:08 pm
just wondering were do u find non flavored geliten and glycerin??????????????? Some one help me plz!
im so excited to make this fondant recipe for my b day or like a holiday or party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
im definetly gonna make this fondant recipe i love art and cakes and i watch the shows all the time and they r amazing if ne one has tips for a new caker like me that would be great if u told me!!!!!
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I am making an baseball 1/2 cake. I can’t get a big enough piece of fondant to cover the cake. If I do half and then the other 1/2 how to I hide the seam?
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:27 pm
i need more explanation on how to make fondant.
June 20th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I am here looking for a fondant recipe to use on my daughter’s wedding cake. The last post I read here was from a 13 year old girl named Serenity. It just so happens that my 32 year old daughter is also named Serenity! I think I found the fondant recipe I need. I’ll let you know how ours turns out!
June 20th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Hi Lola
You can easily substitute the almond extract with vanilla extract, the only impact is on the taste.
Happy Cooking
June 20th, 2009 at 4:25 am
I’ve tried this fondant recipe twice now the first I couldn’t get it off the table without using alot of shortening. The second I couldn’t get it off the table at all. What am I doing wrong? I really like the taste and am determined to get this fondant recipe right.
June 20th, 2009 at 3:46 am
Can someone please help me? what is glycerin? where can I get it? what does 2 lbs 10X confectioners’ sugar?
How to make fondant???
June 20th, 2009 at 12:24 am
I just tried the fondant recipie today! I was making a cake for my brother’s 12th birthday party and he wanted a character from a popular video game called “Disgea”. It was harder then I thought to make fondant, though the next time I make it I think the results will turn out much better(I shouldn’t have started using fondant on such a hard job ^-^”) My mom also got candle wax for home made candles for the glycerin, it worked but it took much longer making the liquids transparent because the wax didn’t want to melt for me -.- it was also really hard combining the liquids and the powdered suger. here’s a link to the finished cake (don’t look to closely or you’ll see all the mistakes) : rainhorse.deviantart.com/art/Prinny-Cake-for-Bros-Birthday-126526112
June 19th, 2009 at 4:50 am
my cake came out awsome it was 3 cakes and was white fondent with blue hearts made out of fondent i saved and a figurine of my dad since it was his birthday my mom was really surprised now when someone calls to order a cake she knows how to make fondant thanks a lot bye
June 19th, 2009 at 2:33 am
I love your cakes, they are amazing! I’m going to try this fondant recipe tomorrow for my niece. But I was wondering..how do you get the decorations to stay on the sides? Does it just stick or do you need something for it to stay? Thanks!
June 19th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Today was my second attempt at making fondant using your recipe. The first was very unsuccessful for two reasons, first, I used bakers sugar instead of powdered sugar, second I didn’t springle the gelating over the water I did it vice versa. Today, I was nervous, but I had all the ingredients on hand and have a special Quinceanera cake to make in two weeks. So I started going through the steps exactly as you wrote them. Except, I believe the powdered sugar should be sifted first in the bowl. Also, I used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer:) This made the fondant a breeze. I scraped the bowl with a wooden spoon onto my Wilton roll and cut mat and it came out PERFECT!! I tasted it and I loved the flavor the Almond extract gives. I can’t wait to use it!! Thank you so much!!
June 18th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
hey i was wondering if the almond exctract was just the flavoring because i just have vanilla extract and all the other recipes i have been looking at just have flavoring and no almond extract?
June 18th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Good day!
i’m planning to use marshmallow fondant for my cake. what’s is best frosting to use before covering the cake with fondant. can boiled icing be used also?
thanks a lot!
June 18th, 2009 at 6:51 am
wow thank you so much for the fondant recipe im only 12 but i watch cake channels all the time like ace of cakes and challenge and amazing weding cakes they really inspire me i allways watched them kneed the fondant but i never knew how to make it my mom makes cakes but she covers the in icing i cant wait to surprise her with a cake that has fondant. the only thing i want to know is ho to make figurines like your monkeys do you use fondant to?well thank you so much for the recipee ill right you and tell you how it came out. thanks a lot bye.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Hello,
I watched the new TLC show called “cake boss” a couple of nights ago. I had never even known about fondant!! Being from a small town, cake decorators often use icing for decoration. I am truly amazed at your photos of fondant cakes. I am inspired to create my very own, very soon. I first have to find the ingredients that you have listed for your recipe. Thank You for your inspiration. I am sure that you are popular with the party planners out there. Great job on the cakes!!!
June 17th, 2009 at 2:57 am
how much fondant do u need for an x-large cake???????????
June 16th, 2009 at 1:03 am
hi again,
i want to send you some photos of my fondant white choc mudcake. the fondant recipe was from your website
i made the fondant cake as a gift for my friend who had her baby shower party last saturday, 14th june 2009. everyone wanted to taste the cake before the main meal. i was very happy and proud of the outcome of the fondant and the decorations i have on the cake. friends and families thought the cake was bought from a cake shop
i could not believe how everyone really liked the cake. it gives me more inspiration to continue making fondant cake. i have another cake to bake for my sister’s friend. she’s having a baby shower party also at the end of june.
could i please get your email so i could send you the photos.
by the way, how do you do the squiggly design on the fondant wedding cake photos you had? the photo had a 4 tier white cake. what did you use?
also, when i was googling for more fondant ideas online on cake decoration, there’s this particular design which is a lattice and you can either put beads or small diamante at the top and bottom tip. is that a special embossed tool for the lattice. i’m just really curious and i want to try and use that design.
thank you
June 15th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I attempted, for the first time, to make your fondant recipe. I DID change a couple of things, b/c I was told by several different sources that one of the changes was best. The first change was using oil instead of glycerine. The second was, of course, using Vanilla Extract (I could NOT, for the life of me, find the almond extract that I bought for this!). Now, when I finished, my fondant was still sticky. I used all the sugar. I’m wondering if it was because I was overworking it. I know that when sugar gets too warm, it does that. It gets sticky and… wet. Was I kneading it too much? When I go to color it, it will have had a day or so to set. Should it be fine by then? Or will I need to add more sugar? Is it too late to add more?
or is it because i played with this fondant recipe, must i follow this fondant recipe to the letter?
June 15th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
In this fondant recipe, can I substitute the almond extract with vanilla extract?
June 15th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
hi! i am going to try your fondant recipe for making fondant. i am making a cake for my cousins 16th birthday. i am not totally sure as to what design i am going to put on the cake and i was wondering if you could give me some ideas. aslo i was wondering would your fondant recipe be enough to cover 3 tiered cakes with the measurments of 10, 8 and 4?
Thank you!
June 14th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
I have been looking all over for this fondant recipe… This is mouldable right? Kind of like playdough, but tasty? LOL! I just want to be sure I have found the right icing… Also, can I use cookie cutters to cut out shapes from this icing as decorations? I am making my neices 2 year borthday cake, and want it to look GREAT!
June 13th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Hi Jaleesa
Yes, you should put butter cream paste around the cake before covering it with fondant.
(And you’re welcome to send me pictures of the cake you made, I’ll post the pictures in my blog)
Happy Cooking
June 12th, 2009 at 1:22 am
good day!
do i need to put buttercream paste around the cake before covering it with fondant? i’m going to try your fondant recipe tomorrow.
thanks.
June 11th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I CAN`T WAIT TO MAKE THIS FONDANT RECIPE!
I’ll update you with my experience on How to make fondant!
i want to be a paystry chef or cake decorator so badly when i am older! all i watch is Ace Of Cakes and Cake Boss and stuff like that and that started me on it
June 11th, 2009 at 1:34 am
I used this fondant recipe to make a martini cake for my sisters 30th birthday and the cake turned out amazing! I was more impressed with the flavor of the fondant recipe and I used lemon extract insted of almond! My only problem was how long it took to make because the fondant kept sticking to my working surface. I tried more powdered sugar, doing it on wax paper, without wax paper, and just couldn’t get it right! Am I still not using enough powdered sugar or is there something I might have missed? Please help, I am getting ready to make some kind of 4th of July cake