Have you ever seen a flawless-looking cake? Most likely it was covered with fondant, which is basically a sugar dough used to cover a pre-frosted cake. Fondant creates a smooth perfect surface and is extemely popular on wedding and specialty custom cakes. Marshmallow fondant takes a little bit of elbow grease, but it’s worth the effort. It is quite sweet, but then most fondant recipes are. So, if you have a hankering for a fondant covered confection read on and I’ll show you how. It’s easier than it looks.

This is my favorite recipe for marshmallow fondant, which I find much nicer than store-bought brands. It is easy to work with once it is made and is a very forgiving dough. It does not tear easily, which is a common aggravation for those using fondant for the first time, or even the hundredth. (Food coloring can be used for this recipe.)

*Step by Step images on this page produced by Ron Stern

Step 1 Pour 2 tablespoons of water over the marshmallows in a microwave safe dish. Step 2 Put the dish in microwave for 30 seconds. Take it out and stir. Put the dish back in the microwave for another 30 more seconds and then take out and stir again. Repeat this process until all the marshmallows have melted. This can take between 1 ½ and 2 ½ minutes. When finished, pour ¾ of the powdered sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mix. (You can also use a double boiler to melt the mixture until it reaches the soft ball stage - or is fully melted.) Step 3 Now grease the surface you will be using and your hands generously. (I’m talking palms, wrists in between fingers, and backs of hands. Yes it feels weird but it will prevent sticking to the mixture so you can work.) Step 4 Dump the marshmallow and sugar mixture onto the greased area. Don’t let it sit. Do this immediately or it will stick like crazy to your dish. Step 5 Start kneading the mixture like you would bread dough. This is a huge mess at this stage, so don’t be alarmed. Don’t give up now! Just keep kneading until it starts to come together. Step 6 Add the remaining powdered sugar and keep working it. Re–grease hands and surface as needed if the fondant starts sticking to the counter or your hands. If the mixture is tearing and seems too dry, add about ½ tablespoon water and knead it in. Repeat if necessary. Be patient, it will take some time to get it into a nice smooth ball. And yes, you will probably be a big mess by the time you are done. Step 7 Check for lumps of powdered sugar, you don’t want those. Knead the dough more if you find lumps. You can use the fondant right away if you want. However, it is best to let the fondant sit overnight. Before letting it rest, cover the fondant ball with a good coating of vegetable shortening. Double wrap it in plastic wrap and then put it into bag that seals. Before you close it squeeze out any air. Marshmallow fondant will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks. Covering the cake with fondant NOTE: You must have your cake iced with buttercream frosting before you cover it with fondant. Step 8 Dust your work surface and rolling pin liberally with powdered sugar. Using a fondant mat helps. This is an important step and prevents sticking and tearing when you lift or flip the fondant onto the cake. Start to roll the fondant ball onto work surface. Use elbow grease. It gets easier as the ball begins to flatten. Step 9 Lift the entire piece of fondant, or the fondant on top of mat as shown in the picture, and drape it over your arm. Step 10 Move the fondant piece next to cake. Try to eyeball the center of the fondant over the center of your cake so that it goes on evenly. Flip entire fondant piece gently over the cake. Step 11 If using a fondant mat, slowly remove it from fondant. Please, don’t rip it off too fast or you could tear the fondant. The fondant may stick in a spot or two, but don’t panic. You may be able to smooth these out or cover with decorations. If it is sticking or tearing too much, you may have to take a deep breath and start over by re-dusting and re-rolling. (See step 8.) Step 12 Using a fondant smoother, (there are different types available at your local craft or cake supply stores), start to smooth the fondant onto the cake. Use gentle pressure to prevent tearing and help the fondant stick to the cake. Begin by smoothing the top, then work gently down the sides. This recipe is very forgiving so you can pull the sides out a bit, and smooth them back out to remove “folds” on the sides of the cake. Don’t pull too much when working on the sides that can cause a tear on the edges where the fondant is usually thinnest. Continue smoothing until the fondant is adhered to the entire cake. Step 13 Using a pizza cutter, remove excess fondant by trimming around base of the cake. Make sure to cut on the flat work surface and not into sides of cake. You may be able to re-use excess fondant, but I often discard those pieces because by now there it is usually covered with too much powdered sugar and frosting. Dust the cake with a soft pastry brush to remove any remaining powdered sugar. Step 14 You now have a blank canvass, so decorate as desired. I use anything from iced flowers to edible cake paints to free-hand painting, as well as those extra useless fondant pieces. (Stick these on with vanilla extract or a little icing.) I also have been known to use a piping bag to decorate. Veronica Stern has had a fascination with decorated cakes and desserts since childhood. She has trained and worked as a professional cake decorator for local bakeries and creates Sweet Confections for her own cake business. Veronica has passed her love of making and decorating cakes to everyone—and will continue doing the same for her readers in the coming months. She loves to experiment and shares her creations with friends and family. She can be reached at sapphireocean21@juno.com.