For many people, the thought of having to make and decorate a cake, especially made with fondant, can be very intimidating. When you are cake fondant decorating it is always best to get the facts before you get started so that you have an idea about what you will do with the cake. First of all, you should know that generally speaking, people don't usually eat the fondant from the cake. The layer of fondant is peeled off and laid aside before eaten. So, if you are already stressing about the taste, don't worry.
Remember not to take it too seriously. You need to relax while making the cake and just let your creative self have fun. You should know that even professional cake decorators do make mistakes, and sometimes very often. The difference is that they have learned ways to correct their mistakes. A good cake decorator will expect these mistakes. It is important that the actual cake mix that you choose or make is very moist and dense in order to support the weight of the fondant. The fondant can be quite heavy.
An important tip about actually making the fondant is to keep your hands greased while kneading the fondant. This is a very sticky process and your hands should be coating generously with grease. After the fondant is done being kneaded and put onto the cake, it works best if you double wrap it and then let it sit untouched throughout the entire night. A nice tip to know is that the fondant can keep for several weeks in the refrigerator so if you need to you can always make the fondant well in advance.
In the next step - applying the fondant - it is helpful to trim the cake yourself to make sure you are working with level surfaces. A lot of cake decorators prefer to put a layer of butter-cream icing on the surface of the cake before applying the fondant. This helps the fondant stick to the cake better.
I like to use cornstarch to sprinkle on the counter when I begin. Then I lay the fondant over the cornstarch and roll it out to a smooth surface. It shouldn't be rolled too terribly thin. Try to keep it as close to an 1/8th of an inch as you possibly can. After this step is achieved, I gently lay the layer of fondant onto my cake, and with just a few sprinkles of cornstarch, I smooth it over the cake, leaving plenty to hang over the sides of the cake.
You can gently push the fondant onto the sides of the board the cake is sitting on, just make sure to not try to bend or fold the fondant. Just let the excess spill to the board. Later you can go back and cut the extra fondant off from around the cake. After this step, it is downhill from there. You can begin the coloring process. Cake fondant decorating can be a new and exciting part of your culinary art.
