when i first got into using fondant, i had taken a class with a local cake decorator and her method for rolling out fondant was to trace your outline on the back side of some thicker ascetate (sp) lightly coat the rolling side with shortening, then roll the fondant on the shortening. then pick up the clear plactic stuff and flip it onto the cake.
i haven't seen or sone this thechnique since. does anyone else do this?? what would be the pros/cons of doing this????

do you all just use icing sugar to roll out you fondant????

thanks

I think I have just about tried every way possible to roll out fondant and get it on the cake. I just recently tried it that way. I liked everything about it except when I went to "peel" away the vinyl, I got crinkles in some places on my fondant. I love fondant and will keep trying until I get it........it just doesn't like me as much!! LOL

Similar. I don't draw an outline, I just roll to an estimated size on a Roul Pat silicone mat, then slide an 18" cardboard under the Roul Mat, lay another cake board same size on top of the fondant and flipped the whole thing over, peel away the Roul Pat, lay a powdered sugar dusted cardboard over the fondant, flip again and then slide the fondant off the board onto the cake. Sounds a bit involved, but the reason I do it is this. If you roll, and flip it directly on to the cake you get the shiny side of the fondant up, and I like the matte look. So by flipping twice I get the matte side up and it slides easily off the dusted cardboard.

That's how I do it without tracing the outline -- I just use a ruler and measure the size of the fondant I've rolled out, then put my arm underneath the silicone sheet (or vinyl, whichever I'm using), and line up the side and flip it over the cake. Works great every time!

Nope....I just roll mine out on a silicone mat...sometimes using crisco and/or cornstarch...

I use the Wilton square mat under a clear mat for size perpose. And the clear to roll out the fondant. And put the fondant on the cakes. Have done that for quite awhile. I like the shiny look but if I need to mute it down I just go over the cake with a dusting puff to do that.

I use the clear mats to flip my fondant. I also use it as my work surface for other decorating. Anyway, I roll out my fondant on one sheet, lay the other sheet on top, then I flip it over, and then I peel away the top plastic sheet, and then I flip the other one over on top of my cake. Then I just peel it off. IMO, it's the only way to put fondant on a cake. It especially helps with the larger tiers. I haven't had any issues with wrinkles.

I should also mention that I rub just a slight amount of shortening over the surface of the mat.


Amy

do you all find that even with the shortening on the outer side of the fondant that you can still rub out any crack of you get any???
does the shortening make the fondant has a pastey taste?? i know your just using a tiny bit of shortening but....

I don't have any shortening on the outside of my fondant once I flip it.

If you are referring to after the fondant is placed on the cake and you get stretches in it or cracks....does the shortening help it out? I just remove my fondant and start over. Don't roll the fondant too thin, the less it will split all though you don't want it too heavy either as the fondant on the sides of the cake can weigh down what on the top sides and make that stretch and split as well. This is from my personal experience.

If you use shortening to smooth out any stress marks the shortening will leave a "gloss" if you will, on the cake in that spot and will be very noticeable if it is not covered up by decoration. Personal experience as well!


Amy

when i use MMF i use shortening to roll it out...when i use pre-made fondant, i use corn starch to roll it out...if it's a large cake, i do the flip method...if it's small and the fondant is manageable, i just pick up the fondant and place on top...

Hi, I am new to using fondant and in class we used the crisco to role out the fondant. Do you know how to do a 12inch and a 14 inch cake in fondant? I have a wedding cake to do and the bigger cakes worry me.
Does the corn starch work better for you?
Kirin1

I do the flip method too. I would like to try the rolling pin method but since the flip method works so well I'll continue to do it that way~ I cover my cake & then quickly cut the excess fondant away. If you roll out the fondant & keep turning it over & rolling it out you shouldn't have any cracks. It might be because you are using too much powdered sugar or cornstarch. When it starts cracking that's usually a sign that it is too dry. Cut back on the amount of powdered sugar you use & see if that helps. You'll get the nack of it soon!

Here's a method that I found from choco-pan (choco-pan.com). They had a fondant ring set out of plastic for a lot of money. I took the idea to a plastic company and had them make something similar.

It works like this: the thin yet sturdy plastic is one large circle (26in) with an inner concentric 20" ring and a 14" circle. Choose the size to which you want to roll the fondant. Remove any extra outer rings. Roll out the fondant to the outer edge. Lift up ONLY the outer ring, fondant and all; that way you're left with most of the fondant free in the middle as you lift it off the counter. Lift the fondant and ring over the cake to be covered--the ring will go all the way around the cake and onto the counter. Trim the fondant and smooth away. Then lift the ring up and over the cake.

I'm not sure I described the method very well. You might be able to see the item on their website. Their white chocolate fondant is super, too!!

...ditto what cakefairy18 said....

doescakestoo: I read that you put a clear mat on top of the Wilton Square Mat, why don't you use the Wilton mat to flip the fondant directly?

When you use cornstarch to roll out your fondant and you place fondant on the cake, how do you remove the cornstarch that is stuck to the fondant - I tried dusting with a small paintbrush but some areas still look whitish. Thanks.

I tried "flipping my fondant" but got air bubbles on the top of the cake under the fondant. My b/c was smooth. How do I avoid this?

Yep, it's extremely expensive. I took a sketch to a local plastic company, and it totalled about $90--well worth it! I'd have to say ordering one twice the cost would still be worth it. The rings are awesome!

I probably didn't explain it very well. As you saw on the website, it's like a series of concentric circles cut out of one large plastic circle. Let's say you want the fondant to be about 20" so you remove the outer 26" ring. The 20" ring and all the inner rings and center circle stay on the counter. Roll out the fondant. Lift up only the the 20" outer ring. As you lift the ring and fondant off the counter, raise them up and over the cake to be covered. The cake is beautifully draped and the ring sits on the counter until whenever you're ready to move it or the cake. With the larger cakes, I've had help lifting--4 hands are better than 2.

p.s. The fondant from choco-pan is very good, too!

That sounds so nice because I have trouble getting the fondant off the work surface and centered on the cake, I can't tell you how many times I had to redo it because it wouldn't cover the cake! So that sounds exactly what I need but I don't know when I'll be able to afford it.

So there are no lines from the edges of the inner circles from rolling it out on them?

the rings thing - it just doesnt' seem worth the trouble. When I roll fondant to the size I need, then I use my rolling pin to transfer it - loosely roll the fondant onto the pin, then align the edge to the cake and "roll" onto the cake (dropping it in place, I mean). Simple as can be.

I found that if I was doing the rolling pin method, sometimes the rolling pin was not long enough, so DH bought some 3" PVC piping and cut it into various lengths. I use that to roll my fondant over & lift it on the cake then just unroll. Works pretty well.

I used to always roll my fondant out on a vinyl mat with just a trace of shortening, or even just by itself, and then flip it. (Just one flip, but I'll have to try doing it twice, Shirley )

Now I only do that for really large cakes. For smaller ones, I put a trace of cornstarch on the vinyl and roll and try to move the fondant around some as as I roll, so it doesn't stick. When it is the right size, I ease my arms underneath it and put it right side up on the cake. There's no cornstarch to remove because it is on the underside only! (And it is a tiny amount)

For anyone thinking of the rings....... Don't get the metal version!!!!! I found a used set in metal for $80.00 and was soooooo excited!!!! I had been wanting a set for a long time. The person selling them said it just didn't work for him, and he was trying to recover some of what he paid, but his warning fell on deaf ears.

I've tried to use this method repeatedly and every time the fondant tears at the inner edge of the lifting ring. And I'm not rolling it very thin! Maybe plastic works better, but until I read this thread I was going to give my rings away at our cake club swap tonight. Now, maybe I'll try one more time. I really WANT it to work! LOL

Guess each person has to find what works best for him/her. I've only used the rings with choco-pan's fondant product. It can be rolled fairly thin and lifts off with the ring easily. The first time I used it, it did take a few attempts to get it right.

I agree with you, flavacakes, it's been hard for me to get the fondant centered on the cake. This system seems to work for me. I wish I could let you borrow mine to try it out first!

Aww, you're so sweet tripleE! I wish I could too!