fondant icing

ceridwen

Hi Benthosboy

'Course hope you realise that we're all inviting ourselves round for tea to judge for ourselves whether the standard of cooking meets with our approval - once you've passed your virtual O Level in Cookery!:D

dan1979

countrygal wrote: »

. You can prevent the icing from sticking to your counter by dusting the surface with icing sugar.

Yeah right!

I used something like half a pack of icing sugar and it still stuck to the work surface, must have rolled it out about twenty times only to find it sticking (in different places) every time - it was beyond frustrating and I almost sent the rolling pin through the window.

I ended up doing it on top of cling film and putting the icing sugar on that.

I have no idea how people manage to get perfectly smooth cakes out of it, seems impossible.

ravylesley

I used to work in a bakery using fondant and royal icing all the time and its really easy to use if you use the following tips

Make sure you liberally dust the surface you are going to roll it out on with icing sugar and keep moving it round 1/4 turn after a couple of rolls otherwise it will stick.

Cover any unused icing with clingfilm as it dries out incredibly quickly and is unuseable.

Never buy fancy coloured fondant icings just add a few drops of whatever food colouring you want into the middle of the white icing and knead it until it is an even colour

Brush the cake you are about to ice with a thin layer of jam as this will help the icing stick to the cake

Roll the icing around a sugared rolling pin and apply to the cake like you would line a pastry tin.This prevents the icing stretching and tearing when you pick it up

To smooth the top of the cake simply flour your hand and using the flat of your hand gently flatten and smooth the surface out.You will never get a completely flat surface unless the cake underneath is flat and even

Then just trim the edges and decorate

Lesleyxx

melie3

hi all,
im about to make my first birthday cake to order, a ben 10 cake topper and need some advice please. the cake is going to be 15" x 11", and all the previous cakes ive made ive used ready rolled fondant icing, but this only fits a round cake. so i need to know what amount of icing do i need, how i roll it etc. ive tried rolling before and its when you come to lift i have a problem. its not going to be marzipanned. obviously the size of my cak is huge so the icing is going to be even bigger. ive a small (9 inch) fondant rolling pin, i feel this would be inadequate. i am due to start college for cake decorating in september... maybe buttercream would be easier
i would luuurve some advice please ladies
meliex

recovering_spendaholic

I do cake decorating (purely amateur!) and it is possible to roll out a piece big enough for what you want, but you need to start with a good sized piece of regalice. It's best to buy it direct from a cake place as the little blocks in the Supermarket won't be nearly enough. You will need about 1.5 kg but you will have lots left over - you just need the big amount to get the rolling right. I use a normal rolling pin for mine and use icing sugar mixed with a bit of cornflour to roll on. Make sure you knead the regalice well before you start to roll and keep it moving all the time and keep the surface and rolling pin well floured. When it is big enough (start with a brick shaped piece of icing) wrap it around the rolling pin and transfer to the cake. It there is not marzipan then spread a little apricot jam or honey over the cake to make the icing stick.

Good luck!