Do you ever wonder how to cover a cake with fondant?  Fondant is one of those things that can make or break you.  The frustration of sagging fondant, sticky fondant, fondant not sticking or the dreaded elephant skin.  I know I have been there.  However, working with fondant does not have to be difficult. With much practice, you too can become very comfortable using fondant.

There are many ways to cover a cake with fondant: (1) paneling (2) with a rolling pin and (3) my favorite with a fondant mat.  All methods are great and give great results.  In this tutorial, I am going to walk you through how I cover a cake with fondant using the mat from Sweetwise.  Using the mat for me was such an ease.  It is nonstick and comes with a top and bottom mat.  This means that you can roll out your fondant and leave it and work on something else and it won’t dry out.  The other great thing about it is after you remove the top mat, the fondant stays on the bottom mat (yes it defies gravity).  Using the mat also is a sure way of avoiding elephant skin.  I mostly use the mat for round and square cakes.

Before we get to the tutorial there are some things we need to cover first

• Make sure that you make your cake as smooth as you can.  Fondant does not hide any imperfections.  It will show all the bumps and lumps under the fondant.
• For best result use a cold cake that is firm.  Otherwise, the fondant will sag and fall off.
• Roll the fondant evenly using the rings as a guide that comes with the rolling pin.  The rings come in different sizes, I use the 1/8inch: hint it’s the orange one.  If the fondant is too thin, it will rip.
• When rolling the fondant knead it close to counter or mat, do not pull and stretch. Pulling and stretching introduces air into the fondant which produces bubbles.
• Sometimes even the best decorator can get the dreaded bulge in your fondant.  To prevent this use a skewer and poke a hole in the center of the cake.  You can do this before or after you add the fondant.  If any air bubbles show use the fondant smoother and it will release the air bubble.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s go.

This page may contain affiliate links which mean that if you make a purchase from any links directed from this website I may earn a small commission.  I only recommend things that I use and love and classes I have taken.  Thank you very much for your ongoing support.

How to Cover a Cake with Fondant

Materials Needed

• Fondant (Store-bought or make your own see recipes here marshmallow fondant or Rolled buttercream fondant
• Cold frosted cake (see how to get sharp edges with ganache and buttercream)
• The mat from Sweetwise
• Rolling pin with rings
• 2 fondant smoothers
• Acetate or flexible sugar smoothers
• Shortening
• Turntable (optional)

Steps to cover the cake

Add some shortening to the fondant before kneading.  Knead the fondant until it is pliable. You will know it’s there when you pull it and it doesn’t break.  If the fondant is sticking add some cornstarch or powdered sugar.  It should look like this.

Then stretch the fondant into a circle and flatten.  If it is a square, shape it into a square.

Place the fondant in the center of the mat. Then add the top sheet of the mat and roll out fondant to 1/8 inch thick. Use the guide marks for the rolling pin. 

The mat also gives the guide in inches for each size cake. If you don’t have the mat don’t worry just measure the cake (using a measuring tape) from the side all the way across and add 2 inches. That is how wide you need to roll out your fondant. Roll from inside out from all direction. The guide on the rolling pin will help you get to the 1/8 inch.

Remove the top layer of the mat. Then holding the bottom (the fondant should stay on) center the fondant on the cake.  Using your hand rub the top of the cake to secure the fondant. Slowly fold back the mat.

Start by securing the top and the sides with the fondant smoother or your hands. 

Then secure each section at a time and frill the skirt of the fondant each time.  Keep doing this until you get all the way around.  Use a pizza cutter to cut the excess fondant.  At this point, it will not be perfect.

Using a fondant smoother push the edges in.  Then go all the way around the cake holding the fondant smoother at 90 degrees using an up and down motion to cut the bottom of the fondant.  This is the secret to getting a clean bottom.

To get sharp edges use two fondant smoothers and rub all the way around.

Use your flexible sugar smoother with fondant smoother together and go all the way around the top to get the sharp edge.  Also, use the flexible smoother all the way around to smooth out all the sides of the cake.  Cover the cake with plastic and place into the refrigerator.  Do this again once the cake comes out of the refrigerator.

The final cake should look like this.

Additional Tips and Tricks for Fondant Issues:

So you covered your cake with fondant now what? Here are a few tips and tricks for common fondant issues.

Bulging Fondant/Fondant Cake bulging on sides:

You covered your cake with fondant and everything looks good, then after a few hours, you notice the bulge. What… Bulge occurs when there is too much weight on the cake filling (liquid filling such as strawberry, pineapple etc) and the cake is not settled.  To prevent a bulge, use buttercream to create a damn, then add the filling in the center of the layers.  This way the filling will not seep out.  Then, let the cake settle overnight or for a few hours.  You can place something on top of the cake to help it settle evenly.  Then use my tip above to release the air.

Condensation/Sweating Fondant

Sweating fondant or condensation occurs when the temperature of the cake is different from room temperature.  I refrigerate all my fondant cakes.  From past experience, I noticed I only got condensation in the summer months arrrrrh.  To prevent this from happening wrap the cake in plastic wrap and place in a cake box before placing into the refrigerator.

When you get ready to decorate the cake, remove the box and let it sit on the counter until the cake is about the same temperature as the room.  It helps to work in an air-conditioned room.

Ok, so what do you do if you still have sweating fondant? Resist the urge to touch the cake.  Let it sit at room temperature until it stops sweating.  Another option (not my favorite) use some cornstarch on the cake.  Adding cornstarch can be a bit messy.

Fondant is torn or cracked

Fondant is torn or cracked when it is too dry.  My solution is to knead your fondant with some shortening instead of cornstarch.  Cornstarch can cause the fondant to dry out.

Fondant is not Elastic

To add elasticity to fondant add some glycerin or corn syrup to the fondant.  Try adding only a little at a time.

That’s all for now.  As always happy caking.  Don’t forget to share and pin for later.