A longtime reader of this blog contacted me a few days ago to ask if I knew what kind of fondant would be safe. Since most types of cake decorating products are made in a facility with peanuts, I decided to make my own last fall.
It was my first attempt. As you can see in the cake below, Thomas' face is actually fondant. (To read the entire post on this cake, click here.)
How did I do it? It's not nearly as hard as it looks or sounds. Here are the online resources I used.The recipe:
- 16 ounces white mini-marshmallows
- 2 to 5 tablespoons of water
- 2 pounds powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)
I got this recipe from this site. It has very detailed instructions.
But...I'm a visual learner. I watched the following youtube video a couple of times and was ready to go.
Let me give you a warning, this starts out to be sticky, sticky mess. Be patient. Allow plenty of time to work on it. I think you will be amazed at how easy it is once you get over the the "What have I gotten myself into?" feeling.
If you are not familiar with fondant, once you master simple cakes with fondant, you can make amazing things that look like this:
(the Thomas photo above was taken by me, the others are by people more talented than me on flickr (see here and here)
6 comments:
Are there any brands you can buy that are peanut and nut safe?
The only brand I researched was Wilton. I'm sure there are other brands but that's the only one I have seen in stores is that one. If you know of another one, just contact the company and ask. If you do find one, let me know!
Did you find out that Wilton was safe or unsafe?
Hi Cheyenne. Wilton's brand is made in a facility with peanuts. Plus, in my opinion, the taste is not very good.
Thank you! I usually call on EVERYTHING, but figured if you had already eliminated it's safety, then I wouldn't need to. I am really enjoying your site and once we get past Halloween, I am going to go over every inch of it!! Tonight, though, I am going to go make my own homemade fondant and then turn it into homemade candy corn (found a fun recipe on about.com). Thanks!! I will also send you some of the fun things we do / have done, in case you want to share (again, after halloween :-)
Yes, Cheyenne. Send me what you've done and I'll try to include it. I am also planning on doing a tutorial on fondant in January. Tyler wants a Thomas the Tank Engine cake and that's the only way to make the face. I know we're not the only ones out there trying to do these things!!
Thanks. Email me any info you would like to share!!
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