How to Make Fondant / Sugar Paste from Scratch (for wedding and birthday cakes)

       Making Fondant from scratch is a fun task every pastry lover should try out. It is quite easy to prepare once you get the hang of it.
       Here's how to make rolled fondant for large cakes and Cupcake decoration.

Rolled Fondant (Sugar Paste) ingredients:
  - 1kg or 2 pounds Icing sugar (a.k.a Confectioners sugar) 
 - 500g Corn flour or extra Icing sugar(for kneading)(optional)
 - 60ml or 4 tablespoonful or 1/4 cup Cold water
 - 20ml or 1 sachet or 1 tablespoon unflavored Gelatin
 - 1/2 cup or 125ml Liquid Glucose (or White Corn syrup)
 - 15ml or 1 tablespoonful Glycerine
 - 1 tablespoonful Butter or Shortening (for rolling and kneading)
 - 1 teaspoon desired flavoring(optional)
 - 1 tablespoon Cmc or Gum tex(optional but highly recommended)

Note: 
* Cmc (carboxy methyl cellulose) is the same as Tylose powder 
* Gum tex is the same as Gum tragacanth. 
* Cmc and Gum tex does the same work in fondant preparation.
 Some bakers make use of cmc in place of glycerine, but I like to add the two because Cmc makes the fondant really soft and easier to work with. It also makes it dry quickly when decorating the cake.

Preparation:

1. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl, add the Cmc, make a well in the center and set aside.

2. Next, pour the water into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin on top to soak up and soften for about 5 minutes.

3. Heat up the saucepan and stir until the gelatin is  clear and completely dissolved. But do not boil it. Then turn off the heat.
(Another method is to place the bowl of gelatin into a pot of hot water and keep stirring until completely dissolved)

4.  Add the glycerine and glucose  into the dissolved gelatin, and stir until well blended. Now you can add the flavoring(if you're using) and mix well. 
 Tip: I added a little red coloring to mine because I wanted to get pink without having to do it by hand(the lazy way out ..lol)

5. Pour the mixture into the well of icing sugar(in step 1), and mix until all of the sugar is well incorporated.  

6. Dust the work table with some of the extra icing sugar(or corn flour ) and transfer the icing sugar mixture onto the table; 

7. Rub some butter or shortening on your hands and knead until stiff ; if the fondant is too sticky, add more icing sugar, but if it turns out hard, add a little water or butter. 

8. Finally form into a ball and tightly wrap up the fondant in a nylon or plastic bag and place in a sealed container (do not refrigerate). 

See how to Make this beautiful Polka Dots Fondant decoration.

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* How to cover a cake with Fondant
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