My niece's mother ordered a ridiculous sized birthday cake to feed the huge crowd of people - it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! Gorgeous shades of purple and teal with the "owl" theme that has been so popular...and if you judge a cake by looks, this one was going to be tasty!
I took my son over to get his piece of cake and went to sit down with my nephews. Everyone of them had pulled the layer of fondant off of their cake and moved it to the side. I asked them why they weren't eating that part of the cake and my son replies "Mommy, why would anyone put rubber on a cake - it's gross!"
As I tried the cake I realized that although it was beautiful - it tasted horrible. So now that I am into cake decorating I completely understand the need for fondant but how could I make it taste good enough for the kids to eat???
I have messed with a couple different options and have finally come up with a child approved fondant that I use on all my cakes - no matter the color!
Ingredients
16 ounces (454 g) mini marshmallows 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
1/4 teaspoon (1.2 ml) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1.2 ml) lemon extract
2 tablespoons (30 ml) light corn syrup (helps with pliability)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla - clear
2 pounds (approx. 7 cups, 907 g) confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (100 g) vegetable shortening
Gel colors if tinting fondant or white food coloring to create a true white
Directions
Grease microwave proof bowl and spatula with vegetable
shortening. Pour marshmallows and water into bowl then microwave on high for
approximately one minute. Stir well for about one minute. Continue to microwave
on high in 30 second intervals until all the marshmallows are melted.
Take out of microwave and add remaining ingredients except
powdered sugar. At this point you can add any gel colors to your fondant in
order to create uniform color, including white coloring to get a true white
color. Add half the bag of powdered sugar and mix until you can't mix anymore! Turn the mixture out onto the other half bag of powdered sugar you mounded on your counter.
Slowly knead the dough working from the outside in. Knead until you incorporate most all the powdered sugar.
Rub your hands with a generous amount of vegetable shortening and begin kneading the fondant until it's not coated in powdered sugar anymore and it becomes smooth. Continue to add a little vegetable shortening until it's pliable and smooth.
Coat again with vegetable shortening and wrap up in two
layers of plastic wrap and then place in a zip lock bag overnight to rest.
That is an awesome recipe. I know when my wife and I were shopping around for wedding cakes we wanted a fondant cake. One baker we visited flat out refused to do a cake covered in fondant. We wanted the aesthetic aspect of the fondant because the cakes covered in it look great for pictures. We then found a baker that would do it but she used a different kind of fondant. As you stated many fondants are bland and gross. The one we used for our wedding cake was a candy fondant and it was fantastic. Your recipe reminded me of that and how good it was. I do not think anyone picked it off because it blended well with the cake and had flavor. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
ReplyDeleteKendra I love the recipe. It is something I think i may try. I am just like your nephews, Who would put rubber on a cake. I have yet to find a fondant that I like (icing either) because of all the animal products and by products that are used. if I eat cake and can taste the egg I am grossed out too. That fondant recipe also seems like a way to build motor skills with small children. I like it.
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