Fondant Frustrations and Fixes

If your fondant is fighting back, you’re not alone. Even the most seasoned decorators (yes, the ones who make it look effortless) run into fondant fails. Let’s break down the most common fondant frustrations and how to get your dough back to smooth, flawless perfection.

One of the most commons problems when working with fondant, is that it's super solid from the get go. This happens if it’s been stored improperly, left out while decorating or simply aged past its prime. Cooler climates and environments can also contribute to fondant firming up quickly.

Here are a few ways you can turn your fondant from solid to soft:

• Knead your fondant back to life until it becomes soft and pliable.
• If the fondant is still too firm, knead in a little bit of vegetable shortening until it reaches your desired softness.
• Pop the fondant in the microwave in super short bursts (5-10 seconds), kneading in between. Be careful not to overheat!

While kneading your fondant makes it ultra soft and pliable, this can cause the colour to fade slightly. This is because you're working air into the fondant and essentially redistributing the pigments. This makes the colour appear lighter and is more noticeable with deeper colours such as black and red.

Smooth or polish the surface of the fondant with either a fondant smoother or the palm of your hand. You can also mist with water (slow drying) or lightly coat with Bakers Booze (fast drying) to remove any excess corn flour and achieve an ultra-glossy finish! 

It is common for fondant to become sticky when it absorbs too much moisture. This can be caused by humidity, over-handling or adding too much liquid food colouring. This can cause trouble when working with moulds as the fondant will stick to it.

Lightly dust your work surface and hands with cornflour to help reduce the stickiness. If it's become too soft from over-handling and the warmth from your hands, let the fondant rest for a few minutes to firm back up. If the fondant is still too soft and sticky, knead in a small amount of icing sugar to adjust the consistency. Start small, you don't want to dry it out!

Fondant dries out when exposed to air, even for short periods! Working in a dry climate, using too much cornflour or leaving pieces uncovered while decorating will speed up this process.

Keep unused fondant tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in an airtight container while you work. Don't get it out until you're ready to work with it! Knead in a tiny amount of shortening to restore its softness and elasticity. To really lock in the moisture, apply a small amount of shortening to your hands when working with the fondant.

Storing fondant correctly is imperative to sustaining its freshness, softness and overall longevity. The best storage practise once opened, is to wrap your fondant tightly in cling wrap and then place in an air tight container. Make sure absolutely no air can reach the fondant as this will cause it to dry out and solidify.

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