Covering Cakes with Fondant- A Cake Decorating Video Tutorial
In this cake video tutorial, I'll show you the basics of covering a cake with fondant.
Fondant is an edible sugar dough that is used all over the world to create beautiful cakes with a smooth finish.
Table of Contents
What Type of Fondant is Best?
There are many different opinions on the best brands or recipes of fondant.
Satin Ice and Wilton are good options and are not too expensive.
I use Liz Marek's recipe most often which is a combination of pre-made fondant and marshmallow fondant. You can find the link HERE. (I love it because it is more elastic, tastes like marshmallows, and I never have issues with elephant skin or tearing.
In this video, I cover my settled, buttercream crumb-coated cake with fondant rolled approx. ⅛" thick. I applied my buttercream slightly thicker than a usual crumb coat. Apply your frosting just thick enough to make the cake surface nice and smooth.
Using Ganache Beneath Fondant
You do not have to use buttercream beneath the fondant. In fact, many decorators prefer to use ganache frosting which is firmer and less likely to bulge.
Hop over if you'd like to see my Spreadable Ganache recipe in the Recipes section. It creates a really nice, sturdy foundation for fondant.
Steps for Covering Cakes with Fondant
Chilling the Cake
First, I like to place the frosted cake in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes just before covering with fondant. Chill until the frosting is nice and firm. If you skip this step, the frosting with shift as you apply the fondant.
Condensation
If you leave the cake in the freezer for too long (an hour or more), you will likely have condensation after applying the fondant.
You just want the outer layer of the cake to be chilled and firm when applying the fondant. However, if this happens to you, don't touch the fondant. Place the cake in front of a fan and the moisture will evaporate over time.
Rolling out the Fondant
While the cake is chilling, you can roll out your fondant. First, lightly grease the counter with a very thin layer of vegetable shortening. (Some decorators use a dusting of cornstarch or powdered sugar instead but I prefer shortening unless my fondant is very, very soft).
Roll the fondant to about ⅛ inch thickness (or less).
Covering the Cake
Remove the cake from the freezer.
Preparing the tier for fondant: I find that fondant adheres well to the chilled buttercream or ganache. If your crusted buttercream or your ganached cake seems too dry for fondant to adhere, mist it with a tiny bit of water or rub with a very thin layer of shortening.
Roll the fondant up onto a long rolling pin. (If it sticks to itself, you can dust it with a bit of powdered sugar.)
Unroll the fondant over the cake and then smooth the top and around the top edge of the cake first. This will keep the fondant from pulling down and tearing.
Then, work you way down around the sides. When the fondant wrinkles, just fluff/gently pull the fondant slightly away from the cake and go back in again, smoothing it around the sides.
Finally, trim away the excess with a pizza cutter or xacto knife.
More Fondant Cake Tutorials
We have other fondant tutorials that you may find helpful.
- Here is our tutorial on how to create and cover a cake with Marbled Fondant
Here is a tutorial on How to create and cover a ball/spherical shaped cake with fondant
In our Sledding Snowman Cake, you will see how I cover a spiral carved cake tier with fondant.
Here, we covered our Topsy Turvy Cake in fondant
And finally, How to Cover a Square Cake with Fondant
Enjoy the video!
We hope that you enjoy this quick video on covering cakes with fondant. You will notice that this is one of our older videos ;0)
We do plan to redo some of these oldies but until then-- the information and process has not changed over the years. I hope that you find it helpful!
Sticky fondant thought: here is a small discovery. If it is raining outside I realized my fondant got sticky. I was using satin ice and the humidity was driving me batty. I have another rainy day this time with a 4 tier fondant cake. I am moving my dehumidifier from the basement and I will temporarily crank up my ac to keep the room dry. Last time I just used a bunch of powdered sugar and steamed the cake afterwards with my travel steamer.
Hi Melissa and Bebe,
Am not sure, since am new to the school, hehehe, and loving it.
I was wondering if you have already a video on how to cover a square o sheet cake in fondant, am having alot of tearing going on, specially in the corners. Or when its not tearing is that the fondant does not want to cooperate, in corners as well.
I normally make MM Fondant :)
Thanks for the help :)
Melissa, I am a new member who, by happy accident, just stumbled upon your site. I typically do decorated cookies, that's my forte'. However every now and then I will take a request for a cake. Watching your videos has inspired me to perhaps work with cakes a little more. At the moment I am preparing to do a cake for my Aunt & Uncle's 50th wedding anniversary - hard to turn down that request! Since I normally do not work with fondant I found your video very helpful as are the several others I have already watched. Your teaching technique is very thorough and your manner is so pleasant and calm, you take the fear out of trying new things. So glad I found you; I can't wait to try many of the designs you have posted!
Hi Melissa! Wonderful site!! I love working with fondant and recently was recommended to the satin ice brand. The problem i am having is when I chill my cake my buttercream will crust and then my fondant will not stick to my cake... If I cover it right after I ice it then I end up making a mess! What am I doing wrong?!?!?!???
Thanks!!!
Hi Abbi-- Thanks! I like Satin Ice too. I usually pop my cakes in the freezer just for a few minutes...just long enough for the buttercream or ganache to become very firm...but I don't want the cake to become cold through and through or there may be condensation issues. Then I cover with fondant. Usually the brief stay in the freezer is enough to give my cake the slightest bit of moisture on the surface. The fondant sticks right to it for me. However, I can see how this may vary from freezer to freezer or location to location...so, it's good to have a plan B. You can very lightly mist your cake with water....(just get spray bottle with a very fine mist)....or you can run over your firm buttercream with a hot/slightly dampened spatula, etc. When I ganache my cakes, sometimes I rub over it with a light coating of vegetable shortening.
There are other methods--but these are the ones that I use. If anyone has another favorite, feel free to chime in!
I do not have good results when trying to cover a buttercream-frosted cake that has not been chilled until firm. It takes away the option of readjusting the placement of the fondant if necessary, and also increases the chance that your buttercream will move around beneath the fondant as you work. I hope this helps!
Hi Melissa and Bebe,
I was just hoping I could please get some advice. I have decided to enter some cakes in our yearly Royal Show for judging but part of the specifications on entry of these cakes are that they are made from fruit cake and covered in fondant. My issue is the rules specify that you are NOT allowed to use buttercream or ganache.
Are you able to suggest what I could use instead to crumb coat my cakes?
The only thing I have been able to think of is that my fondant will have to be a lot thicker than what I would normally use in order to hide the imperfections of the fruit cake.
Your ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi,
I'm loving these videos. Can you do a video showing the technique for square cakes? Or can you recommend how to do it?
Hi! I live in New Delhi,India and make my own fondant the Wilton recipe. My fondant always tears. Please recommend methods to cover up a flaw. Loved the video.
Hi Professor Melissa and Dean Bebe! Lol I just joined and am so impressed with the wealth of knowledge u provide! Thank you, both! I bake cupcakes because I have never iced a cake other than pouring ganache over it and am ready to up my skills. I have some baking knowledge but where do I start in decorating cakes, making tiered cakes etc on your site? Thanks again!!!
Hi fiercefoodie! We're happy to have you, welcome to the site! -
The best place to start when you are diving into cake decorating is our "Decorating Basics" section. Everything that a beginner should know is there--from baking a cake from start to finish, smoothing methods for frosting, to piping basics, etc (and we also have a video on stacking tiers). Please let us know if you have any trouble finding what you need!
Can you refrigerate a fondant covered cake for a couple of days?
Thanks!
Hi Gracie, we use Satin Ice fondant and we have refrigerated it for several day with no problem. We put plastic wrap over it while in the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap as soon as we take it out. I would not recommend refrigeration if your fondant if Marshmallow Fondant, it tends to melt and get sticky.