First of all, let me introduce myself. I've been lurking for a while, and have gotten brave enough - thanks to all of your great tips and ideas - to get back into cake decorating after a LONG absence. I'm probably going to flood the board with questions for the next little bit. Anyway...

"Back in the day" when I was doing this before, nobody on this side of "the pond" used fondant. It's totally new to me. I made my first batch of MMF last night and I thought it went great. I'm really looking forward to rolling it out and decorating my first fondant-covered cake later today. But, here's the question....

This morning I found that a little lump of fondant...maybe the size of an acorn...had gotten left out on the counter. That sucker is hard as a rock! Is that normal? How do people cut fondant-covered cakes, if so? Or maybe the buttercream provides enough moisture to keep it pliable?????

If my fondant is indeed too hard, what can I do? Knead some Criso into it????

This cake is just for family, so if it's inedible, it won't be a disaster. But, seeing as how I'm unemployed, I'm kind of hoping to sell a few once I get my skills back up to 21st Century level. I need to feel secure about my ingredients.

Thoughts?

Suzette

It shouldn't be hard as a rock. It's more like, say, a stick of Orbit gum.

I think the moisture from the cake and oil from the buttercream keeps it soft.

I have not worked with MMF figures, only gumpaste. That should get hard as a rock, and I'd guess MMF would do the same if you left it out to dry.

Edit - did you see this article?
http://www.cakecentral.com/article47-How-to-Make-and-Decorate-with-Marshmallow-Fondant-MMF.html

If your MMF is pliable and easy to work with in the kneading and rolling stages, I can't imagine it getting too hard on the cake. It is a chewy texture...quite different from good old BC! I have only made MMF once, and am kind of getting attached to a product called Satin Ice. It's way more pricey, but is dependable and has a nice flavor. Your small fondant items are going to harden more than the actualy "icing" on the cake. Just experiment. Good Luck!

MMF does not get as hard as Wilton fondant.

If the left over fondant get hard, just place in microwave and nook...will soften back up.

Fondant left out on the counter will get drier than what's on teh cake. It's really easy to cut and it's very tasty (the MMF). I only just started using it myself and just LOVE it. It does get firm on the cake, but it won't be rock hard. If you touch the cake, it won't indent, but if you pinch it, you'll definitely leave a mark.