I am frantic!

I'm trying to assemble the tiers for a wedding cake and my fondant keeps tearing!!!!

I've never had this problem before when working with fondant! I've always made my own fondant in the past (Colette Peters' recipe) and I tried marshmallow fondant recently, but this time I'm using Bakel's Pettinice fondant (which was recommended by many people on this site).

The first time I rolled it out, it had sort of a crackled appearance at the edges, then when I tried to put it on the cake, it tore in 3 places and looked crackled here and there. I had rolled it out using corn starch (as recommended on the package).
Fortunately I was able to remove it from the cake without too much damage to the buttercream. I added a few drops of glycerine to the fondant to try to make the texture smoother, then rolled it out again, this time using a thin layer of shortening (an alternative suggested on the package). It didn't have that crackled appearance this time, but again when I tried to place it on the cake, it tore badly in two places.
It's like it doesn't have the strength and elasticity of the other fondants I've used.

I don't know what to do!!! I don't have time to make homemade fondant and this is the Pettinice is the only brand my cake store sells other than icky Wilton.

Any ideas? Please?

I'm trying not to cry, but to top it all off, my husband just called and said the engine of his car overheated in a traffic jam on the freeway and he thinks permanent damage might have been done.

I wouldn't use cornstarch with fondant...It makes it dry way too fast!! Do you happen to have any type of vinyl around the house or can you go buy some??? I roll my fondant out on a piece of vinyl and then use the vinyl to lift the fondant onto the cake.. Once you lay the fondant over the cake, just peel the vinyl away. This is the only way I apply fondant to a cake and I've never had trouble with my fondant stretching or tearing.

Sorry your having such a hard time... I hope things get better for you!!

Oooo...thanks for the idea! How heavy is the vinyl? I'm pretty sure I could find some at a local fabric store. Do you coat the vinyl with anything or does it just not stick to the fondant?

Tami-What brand of fondant do you use?

I roll my fondant out on my counter which I very lightly smear with Crisco. Apparently this is also how the baking schools teach their students to do it, it works well.
Did you knead the fondant well? Some fondants need more kneading than others. Also, I find that rolling it out to 1/4 inch thick makes it hold up better and not tear. This is the old standard in thickness.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

I just tried a third time and I guess the results are good enough, if not perfect. I didn't get any big tears this time, just a few "stretch marks" on the edges. I'm not happy about them, but I can probably cover them with the floral pattern I'm doing all over the cake.

Squirrelly Cakes- I will try kneading the fondant more before I do the next tiers. The tier I just did was a 10-inch. I'm really stressed about doing the 14-inch!

I wonder why I'm having this problem with a commercial fondant when I never have with homemade? I kind of expected the commercial stuff to be even easier to handle.

Thanks for the input so far. I'll keep checking here to see if anyone else posts.

Holly, I don't use the heaviest or the thinnest guage...Something in the middle. I buy it at a local fabric store. The only time I've applied anything to the vinyl was when I used Choco-pan...It stuck a little. I mostly use Satin Ice and it's never stuck to the vinyl. It has a nice taste and is easy to work with.. Some people feel it's too soft. I've tried Pettenice once and it tasted like soap... I guess they were having a problem with production.

Well, I finally have all three tiers covered, with mixed results. It took me about twice as long as it should have! All three tiers have some stretch marks, and two of them have small tears that I should be able to cover with flowers. I hope so, anyway!

I was interested in trying the vinyl technique, but by the time I got the kids in bed, the fabric store was closed.

I don't know if I'll use Pettinice again. This is the first time I've had such severe fondant problems. I kneaded it for a long, long time, and that seemed to help some, but it still wasn't perfect. I'll either go back to homemade or try Satin Ice.

Next time I'm in the cake supply store I think I'll ask them how they roll their Pettinice (they told me that's what they use on their cakes). Come to think of it, I should have called them when I started having trouble!

The wedding cake is for my dh's niece, and I'm doing it for free as her wedding gift, so I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about it all. She's a very laid-back, nice bride, too. Thank goodness!

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now. Thanks for your help!

Holly

Could the dry climate (I'm in Utah) be the problem, I wonder? We have very low humidity here.

I am sorry that you are having such trouble this time. I just looked at your other cakes and they are simply beautiful!! You have such an artistic eye. I am so in love with the wedding cakes you did. I would love to try to make homemade fondant. I don't like the Wilton and the MMF has worked great for me. I am just always looking for something new. Could you tell which recipe you use?
TIA,
Tanya

Thanks for the compliment, Tanya! I'm teaching myself as I go along. It's frustrating and fun at the same time.

I have used Colette Peters' fondant recipe in the past. It doesn't taste as good as the MMF, nor is it as easy to make, but I think it hides the flaws in the covered cake better. Not that I ever have any flaws...

Here's the recipe:

2 pounds confectioners sugar
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup glucose or white corn syrup
1 1/2 Tablespoons glycerine
1 teaspoon vanilla (using real vanilla will give the fondant an off-white color)

In a large bowl, sift the sugar and make a well in the center. Pour the water into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin on top to soften for about 5 minutes. Heat the gelatin and stir until dissolved and clear. Do not boil. Turn off the heat and add the glucose and glycerine, stirring until well-blended. Knead the icing with your hands until it becomes stiff (this can take a while!). If the mixture is sticky, add small amounts of confectioners sugar.
Shape the mixture into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and place it in an airtight container. This icing works best if allowed to rest at room temperature for about 8 hours, particularly if the weather is humid. Fondant may be refrigerated or frozen for longer storage, but you must bring it to room temperature to soften before rolling. Do not refrigerate a cake covered in fondant, however, because the fondant will become gummy when brought back to room temperature.
Makes 2 pounds.

She recommends using cornstarch or powdered sugar when rolling out this fondant to prevent sticking. I found that you need quite a bit of it, and it helps to rotate the circle of fondant frequently as you roll it.
This was not the case with the fondant I used today. It worked best rolled out on shortening without rotation!

Your cakes are great, Tanya! I may have to copy those cute artist palettes for a cake for my daughter sometimes. She would love that.

I always use icing sugar to roll out my fondant. I don't know if you can get it in the US but the brand I always use is regal ice which is lovely to work with