[harriet15]

Hi, hoping I can get some tips. I have made my DS's cake last 2 or 3 years but I have always used buttercream to cover & decorate. This year I feel ready to have a go at fondant. Even if I still cover the main part of the cake with buttercream and just try some fondant to decorate smaller parts. I also want to practice beforehand on some plain cakes.

So, I have looked online, and went to Spotlight and came away a bit confused and overwhelmed.
I will start with the ready made fondant.... what is a good brand to buy, I saw Satin Ice, & Fondarific.
Is it best to buy white and colour what I need (also is liquid colouring ok).... .

Then I saw lots of different tools, as a beginner what would be the basic tools I would need?

Also recommendations on cheapest places to purchase would be great.

Thanks for your help

[aratiaw]

Brand: more experienced cake people will have more specific advice, but I've been happy with Orchard (the supermarket one) and Bakels white fondants. Haven't tried any others except the Fondarific chocolate fondant, which is nice to work with but I think it has a horrid aftertaste.

Colour: don't use liquid food colouring, except if you're only using a tiny bit to make very pale pastels. The liquid ruins the consistency of the fondant. Use concentrated gel colours (from cake decorating stores, Spotlight or I've also seen a smaller range in King of Knives).

Buy white? Depends what colour/s you need. For red and black, definitely buy pre-coloured fondant. Cake decorating stores also sell fondant in some other colours - personal choice based on what you need it for, time available, the number of colours you need, budget (white is usually cheaper), etc.

Where to buy? You can get pretty much everything you need online, but it may be useful for you to go into a specialty cake decorating store for the fondant and colours - the staff are usually happy to give useful advice about what you'll need.

Tools: Personally, I buy on ebay. Much much cheaper buying from overseas stores for things like specialty cutters.
At a minimum you'll need a suitable working surface (silicone pastry mat if your kitchen benchtop isn't smooth enough) and a large rolling pin. Other tools depend on what kind of decorating you want to do. I buy a few little bits and pieces every time I decorate a cake (max 3x a year) and have a nice little collection now.
Also, make friends with other cake hobbyists . I've borrowed cake tins and fondant tools from friends and am happy to lend in return. It means you don't have to spend as much to have access to the same equipment.

Beginner tips:
- Start with round cakes. I started with square cakes and the corners were very difficult to get right.
- Microwave fondant for a few seconds to soften it. Easier to work with and if you have a stand mixer with a strong motor, you can put the softened fondant in there and use the dough hook to mix colour through it.

[harriet15]

Thank you so much aratiaw, fantastic advice

[YellowKittyGlenn]

I use fondant a lot of cupcakes and use satin ice I find it tastes better then other brands and easier to work with.

Only use gel colours with fondant even if it's for pastel colours, do not put it in the microwave it's ready to roll so only needs about 1-2 mins of kneeding. The Microwaving can destroy it

You need a non stuck surface for fondant get something like those green cutter mats from spotlight, always use a sprinkle of corn flour to make sure it doesn't stick to surfaces whilst rolling, you can buy fondant Rolling pins they are solid while plastic anywhere that has cake decorating supplies should have them and a pizza cutter to trim around the cake for excess, you can get a smoother but the palm of your hand works just as well.

Before doing a real cake practice on poly shapes that you can get from spotlight. Do a light coat of butter cream and practice putting on the fondant. It does take a couple goes but really isn't too difficult.

This post has been edited by YellowKittyGlenn: 18/11/2012, 11:25 AM