Fondant Recipe: Easy Vanilla Buttercream Fondant

by -TheBestMoms

So you want to decorate a cake using fondant? While it is available at most stores, you can make it at home for less and it tastes so much better when it is homemade. Below is a fondant recipe that will make your cake decorating project a snap!

Here’s What You’ll Need to make fondant at home:

* 1 c light corn syrup
* 1 c shortening (not butter flavored)
* 1/2 tsp salt (sea salt is okay)
* 1 tsp clear vanilla extract (regular will change the color)
* 2 lbs confectioners’ sugar (sifted)

Optional:

* Gel food coloring if you plan on coloring your fondant (the gel that is made for coloring frosting-NOT the gel that is made for writing on cakes)

How To Make Fondant:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the shortening, salt, vanilla and corn syrup.

2. Little by little, mix in the sifted confectioners’ sugar until it is a stiff dough.

3. Knead your dough by hand or you can use your kitchenaid or other strong stand mixer with a dough hook. If you find that your dough is still sticky, knead in more of the confectioners’ sugar but don’t get too carried away or you will end up with crumbly, dry fondant that is difficult to work with.

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Tips for making fondant at home:

If you are using a stand mixer, you should use the dough hook attachment, otherwise, knead by hand. If the dough is sticky, knead in more confectioners’ sugar until it becomes smooth. 

To color, pull off some of the finished fondant and add a small amount of gel food coloring (will be found in the cake section of craft stores and the same area as wedding cake decorations in Wal Mart, Target, etc).

Store finished fondant in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator keeping in mind that refrigerated fondant has to warm up to room temperature before it will roll out for use.

How to use fondant on your cakes

Just roll fondant out on a clean, dry surface that has been dusted with confectioners’ sugar until your fondant is 1/8 inch thick or thinner if you can with out ripping the fondant. Roll the rolled fondant over your rolling pin and drape the fondant carefully over frosted cake, smoothing the sides down as you go, or cut into strips to make bows and other decorations. You can use extra frosting to ‘glue’ decorations on to the fondant. Good luck with your cake and send us a photo-we’d love to see your work!!