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
August 6th, 2009 at 12:14 am
Hello! I am eager to try your recipe….especially for my very first cake decorating experience. My question is…what is 10X confectioners sugar? How is it different from powered sugar?? Sorry if it is a silly question, I do bake a lot, but am still learning. Thanks in Advance!
PS…LOVE your cakes pictured above!!
August 5th, 2009 at 12:51 am
I was wondering if there is an alternative to the almond extract… I’m extremely allergic to nuts, but need to make this particular cake GORGEOUS!!!!
August 4th, 2009 at 6:07 am
I REALLY don’t like the flavour of almond essence. Would an alternate essence work? (Something else that’s clear, e.g. condensed milk, or ice-cream essence, etc.?)
This recipe sounds do-able; I think I’ll try it soon!
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Im am turning 16 soon and In order to save money I am making my own 2 layer cake using fondant. I was just wondering how long would you think it woul dtake for me to make a two layer cake? Also is their anything special I should do to the cake before laying the fondant in othe rthen letting the cake cool?
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:58 pm
This, by far, was the easiest and tastiest Fondant I’ve ever made, worked with or eaten. And the baby shower guests thought it was beyond wonderful too… thanks for supplying us with such an outstanding recipe. I’ll send a picture, when I find out how.. thanks again!
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:27 pm
where is the best place to pick up glycerin for the fondant recipe. I live in a small town and i may not be able to get it
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
cool i never knew you can make fondant i always thought you needed to buy it at the store. thanks im planning on making a cake for my grandmas birthday u know thanks mary
August 1st, 2009 at 4:01 pm
I have a daughter who is allergic to nuts and corn. I am trying to convert your receipt to be “Hanna” friendly. I found out a natural powdered sugar recipe and I see who to make a corn syrup equivalent. Can I substitute vanilla for the almond? This would be awesome to be able to give her something so awesome that won’t hurt her.
July 31st, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Im trying to find glycerin- should i get vegetable glycerin( is it the same thing) or something else? and where would i find it?
July 30th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
how do get the fondent thin
July 30th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Where should I store the extra fondant that I do not use right away?
July 30th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I was wondering if you could use something else, in place of the almond extract…My house is nut-free, my husband is deathly allergic to them, and I fear my son is too. Please, I hate replacing ingredients but this is a must, and I really want to try it out…:) Thanks!
July 30th, 2009 at 12:04 am
hey TheCookDuke,
Is it okay if I make it with kosher gelatin and use that to substitute for the glycerin and gelatin?
is there a significant difference between the gelatin and glycerin that i would need to use both?
Also approximately, how many cups is 1 1/2 pounds?
July 29th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I am excited to try your recipe for fondant. Will I need an adhesive before I lay the fondant down?
July 29th, 2009 at 3:00 am
I really enjoyed your website and so glad I found your recipe! One issue I am having though is that when I use the sugar on the countertop while kneading out the fondant it is causing it to dry out too much and it’s still sticking to the countertop! I read in another post where someone said to use oil instead of the sugar…what kind of oil? How much is ok? How much is too much? Thank you so much for providing this service! If I am able to get this practice cake made the way I want I will send you pictures!
July 27th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
I was just curious if this fondant is easy to cut through. I have had my share of marshmallow fondant catastrophies and I need a good fondant recipe to cut easily and taste great. Is this what I am looking for? If it doesn’t cut well, I will just go to my last resort and buy some from a local cake store.
July 27th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Hi!
so i tried your fondant recipe this weekend, and followed every instructions to the letter! the only problem is, it was so sticky, even after kneading in as much sugar as I could. As long as i had sugar on my hands, i didn’t stick. But when I tried rolling it in order to put it on my cake (with sugar on the rolling surface), it would stick to the surface (whether it was my clean counter or even parchment paper!)
So I was wondering if you had a little trick for that!.
thank you
July 27th, 2009 at 2:47 am
Hi,
I want to make the fondant but i have no idea where to find the glycerin.
Do you know where to find it? Thanks
July 26th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
I used the Fondant recipe on this site and it was great! I don’t bake much so I never heard of glycerin and couldn’t find it at grocery store so I left it out and it still came out fine but I found it at an arts & craft store so when I make a cake this week I will make it with the glycerin! Very easy recipe to follow and I had sore arms and hands from rolling and rolling and re-rolling but in the end I had fun and I colored it too!! I received many compliments on the cake …should have a taken a picture of it?! Thanks for your website!!
July 26th, 2009 at 2:13 am
I have a little girl who is severely allergic to peanuts and for this reason will typically stay away from almond extract due to possible cross contamination during the processing of the extract. It’s just a precaution but basic school of thought in kids with anaphylaxis with pn is to also avoid the extract. Soooooo, can i leave the A.E. out or substitute something else? I make allof my daughters cakes because I can control everything that goes into them. But this year I wanted to try something cuter, prettier, take it a step up. Should I even bother? Thanks for you advice! I am looking forward to your answer!!
July 25th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
I tried the fondant recipe for a cake (my parents 63rd wedding anniversary). The flavor of it reminded me of the Necco candy
it was a lot of fun to work with but I should of made a double batch as it wasn’t enough to cover the entire cake (that was my mistake). I used a recipe for Butter cream/cream cheese frosting since the family hates butter cream and I kept the cake refrigerated until I was ready to cover it with the fondant and flowers that I made. This was a major achievement as I never used fondant before and I have a neurological issue (Dystonia) if I can do it, anyone can 
I would send a pic but don’t know where to send it to. Want to thank you for the fondant recipe, it really came out nice and my Mom was thrilled with it (as was my Grandsons as they got the flowers)! Thanks again!
July 25th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Hey cookduke
i tried your recipe last night but had some trouble.
My fondant mixture wont go past the 7th step. It wont turn into the dough it just stays as a mixture. Why is that happening? And can i still fix it?
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:53 pm
The fondant recipe was great!
July 23rd, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Hi,
I’ve never used fondant before but I wanted to try your fondant to make a juicy couture luggage bag.
Instead of using almond extract I wanted to try vanilla extract, but I was wondering will I need to buy the no color vanilla extract or can I just use regular vanilla extract.
THANK YOU
July 23rd, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Hey my name is Kate and i’m not sure if it’s on here and I’m just not looking hard enough or what…but approximately how much fondant does this fondant recipe make? can i simply multipy the amounts in this fondant recipe if i want to make more fondant?
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:54 pm
do u cook fondant or do u put it on after u make the cake?
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Is there anything that we can substitute for vegetable shortening in this fondant recipe?
July 23rd, 2009 at 1:16 am
How much faudant will this fondant recipe Make? thanks
July 21st, 2009 at 11:35 pm
im ready to make a cake using this fondant recipe right now!!!!
July 21st, 2009 at 3:36 am
Didn’t you have a chocolate fondant recipe on here at one time? I can’t find it.
July 19th, 2009 at 2:40 am
You can also get glycerin for your fondant recipe at wilton.com
July 18th, 2009 at 7:16 am
It’s freakin awsome I just looked to see what it was but when I saw the fondant recipe I felt like making it it’s freakin awsome
July 17th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Hi I’m making a cake for my little brother and I want to use this recipe but I can’t seem to find glycerin? where can I buy it
July 13th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Hello,
I found this recipe and was very excited to try it. For those who are having trouble finding glycerin check Hobby Lobby. You can get a small bottle for about $2. I made the fondant according to the recipe, but found that it was very hard. I tried adding a touch more of glycerin and a little more shortening. It softened, but was pretty crumbly and not easy to nead or roll. I wasn’t able to use the fondant to cover the entire cake, but was able to make a few decorations for the top. I was very disappointed, but am determined to get this right. Any suggestions for when I try this again? Please help!
July 13th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Hi,
I havent exactly looked around for the ingredients yet to make the fondant but I was wondering,is glycerin an easy thing to find in the food market?
July 11th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Thanks for the fondant recipe, but what is 10X confectioners sugar mean? Thanks.
July 11th, 2009 at 12:13 am
How much dose this fondant recipe make ? i’m makeing me a b~day .^^ awsome cakes!
July 10th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
I want to thank you for the recipe and thank you to all of the posters! I read through every question and found answers so i don’t need to ask repeat questions.
I do have one question that I did not see posted. Everyone in my family detests Butter cream frosting. I had planned on using a cream cheese/heavy whipping cream frosting. Will this cause a problem? I intend on smoothing out the base frosting before covering it with fondant.
Intended to cover the cake with the fondant the night before the event with the cake already frosted. The event (my parents 63rd) wedding anniversary is the next morning, this coming Saturday.
I have yet to make the fondant (going to do that shortly, like in a few minutes) as I intend on making flowers for the top out of fondant. I am no expert when it comes to cakes thought the family always gives me thumbs up when it comes to my cakes. I wanted to do something extra special for my parents (keeping fingers crossed)!
Thank you for posting your recipe!
July 10th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Hi CookDuke-
I loved the “how to make fondant” posts VERY much. I saw that you added a “how to color” fondant, that was also quite nice, however I was wondering if you could do a “how to flavor fondant” post. Is Chocolate, or Peanut Butter, or Strawberry fondant even possible?
Thanks
Brian
July 9th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Hi Mary
I’m in favor of trying adding / subtracting ingredients when practicing recipes, but when it comes to a fondant recipe, I truly suggest you to follow my recipe to the letter.
This fondant recipe is great, after trying the fondant you won’t understand the people that buy pre-made fondant.
Trust me – follow this fondant recipe, add/subtract nothing, and you’ll be amazed with the results.
In exchange you can always send me pictures of the cakes you made using this fondant recipe
Happy Cooking
July 9th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Hi it’s me again….do you use the same fondant to ice your cake and make your decorations? How do you make a bow with fondant?
Thank you so much!!!!
July 8th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I’m really excited about trying this fondant recipe since Fondant is so expensive. I’m taking a cake decorating class and they suggest adding gum tex to the store bought Fondant to stabilize it. Would that have any effect on this kind of Fondant recipe? Or would it make no difference?
Thanks
July 8th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
So… your fondant recipe worked great.. I had no problems with it… but the cake I made was really really ugly so I don’t want to send it to you haha.. but at least now it is not a problem with the fondant, it is just me and now i have something to practice with
July 8th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Hi
I am trying to make your fondant recipe and I am having trouble. Do I put it in the fridge when I’m done….and why is it so stickY? Help!!!
Thanks
July 8th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Hi,
I was looking for the fondant recipe and found yours which is great, thank you. The only thing is that a friend of mine told me to add to this recipe a tsp of Tylose, do you know what it is? and what is for? and if it’s really necessary
Thank you in advanced
July 8th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
great advise on how to make fondant thanks
July 7th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
I have been looking for glycerin for your fondant recipe and the only thing I come up with is stuff used for soap or enemas. Is this the same thing I need to purchase? Where is a good place to buy it? Where do you get yours? Please help this newbie who wants to make fondant!
Stacy
July 7th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Hello.
I Want To Make This Cake For Myy Friend For Her Birthday.
I Was Wondering If Your Fondant Recipe Will Work For Thee Making Of This Cake.
Thanks.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:29 am
I am sooo excited!!!
I said I was going to make a cake and put your fondant on it a few days ago, well turns out I was missing an ingrediant (glycerin) and like most of the other “posters” on here I could only find glycerin for your skin and glycerin for constipation and I was sure neither of those could be the right kind.. so I was sad that I did not get to make the fondant recipe then, but today I went to Michaels and picked up the glycerin, which is in the cake making section :D, and i made some fondant. with the other fondant recipes I tried.. it said to wrap it and let it sit over night in the fridge, but yours did not say to do that and I was to anxious to see if it was going to work so I let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours and just took it out and i did not have a cake to put it on because I was sure I would fale again, but i was able to cover the bottom of a baking pan no problem.. it didn’t rip, it wasn’t too sticky, it didnt crack when i rolled it… I am going to bake a cake right now so that i can get started decorating.. haha sorry this is such a long post… I am just sooo super excite..
YAY
July 6th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Hey there!
Thanks SO much for posting this fondant recipe.
He’s a huge Nintendo nut, and I’ve decided to make a Mario Mushroom shaped cake of his own, and what better way to make it look polished than to smooth it over with fondant.
For my fiance’s birthday, I wanted to make him a personalized cake as part of his presents.
I’m using your fondant recipe, wish me luck, though I’m sure it will taste as well as LOOK amazing!