I second the Wilton fondant for when you are just learning to use fondant. It's a good way to see what it should feel like. I'd cover one with Wilton, then have a ball of Wilton on hand to compare with your MMF for the next.

Here in Australia fondant reigns supreme. It would seem that it's not a celebration cake unless it's covered a fruit cake covered in marzipan and fondant! I am slowly converting my customers to think outside the square and choose different flavours. BUT I love working with fondant. So here's my two cents worth...
*To cut the cake board the right size use your cake pan. This will give you the correct size for what the cake should be. As it cooks and cools it shrinks a little so standard sized cake boards don't always fit.
* I use chocolate ganache A LOT. It gives a really nice surface to work on, and the fondant sticks to it nicely.
* Roll your fondant to the thickness you feel comfortable using. (I can roll my really thin after all these years; lots of practice) and drape over your cake; but don't elevate the cake yet. Gently work from the top and smooth with your hands across the top then I do the same to the top of the sides. this stops the fondant from pulling and stretching from the top. Then do the shuffle for the bottom. It's a matter of adjusting and gently stretching and that takes a bit of practice. But be gentle and take it slow.
If you raise the cake before you get to this point the weight of the fondant will pull and tear the sides.
* Once all the fondant is adhered to the sides cut most of the excess off and raise the cake onto a tin/bowl/stand and cut the rest of the fondant off using the cake board ( like you would trim the pastry on an apple pie). The combination of fondant and crumbcoating should now mean that your cake is equal to your board.
I don't know about you but I work much better when I can see someone do it and try it for myself. If you can get to a class or know someone who works with fondant who can show you grab it with both sugar coated hands!
I haven't tried using buttercream (except as a crumb coat) so am absolutely clueless when it comes to that medium. So Ill have to have a bash and practice it.
Persevere with it and don't beat yourself up. We all had to start somewhere. I think your check pattern is great and you're being far too hard on yourself. Feel free to PM me.
Cheers
Bettina

Bettina,
Thank you for the detailed directions and the PM offer. I just watched some videos and while it seems like I did everything they did, somewhere I went wrong, obviously. I am definately going to try raising the cake up for the next round (of bigger cakes).

Now, time to go home to finish my cake - it's raining here so the sculpted pieces go on whether they are dry or not, I'm done with this puppy!

Finished pics tomorrow.

my fav youtube videos for fondant:

This lady is awesome:

Maybe we could all carpool to Fridley to check out that cake store!

"drape over your cake; but don't elevate the cake yet. "

This is probably the solution to my stretching problems (fondant, that is!)

Ta-Da! It came out cuter than I expected (as long as you don't look at the back ), you almost don't notice the wonky fondant and painting.

Fruit except for cherry is fondant, ice cream is fondant "scooped" with a cookie scoop, chocolate is melted candy melts. Nuts are nuts. Only thing not edible is the bowl and piece of parchment it is sitting on.

Thanks for all the advice. I can't wait to try it out on a larger, and hopefully more manageble, cake.

Wait. Those bananas aren't real????? Really? Amazing!

THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS EVERYTIME I TRY TO USE FONDANT!!! I FEEL YOUR FRUSTRATION!!

I had the same problem at first...Then I bought this DVD...Flawless Fondant By Sharon Zambito..
This DVD fixed ALL of my fondant problems!!!!

But this..It WILL help you!!!
It was recommended to me by another CC user and I am sooo thankful for it!!!

When my husband and I tried to do fondant the first time, we used Wilton too. We did a 10" heart shape (of all the things for a first try...) amazingly - it was perfect! ...and not a single heart shape has ever come out so beautifully since! lol
We use MMF now and it seems to work a bit better in our climate, but it takes some doing no matter what. I have found that if it is too dry, or too overworked, it tends to crack and fold more. I think humidity and temperature have a lot to do with it to. Sometimes a little tweaking will get it just right.
To keep it from sticking, we'll *lightly* crisco a surface which seems to help. A pinch of crisco on our hands helps keep it from sticking to us, and keeps it pliable.
We don't always have cake boards that are perfectly cut (ie: bottom tiers...) so we use a pizza cutter to cut it around the base. For me, it will tuck the cut edge under the cake neatly so my borders don't seem like they're all hanging out.
I think your cake turned out wonderfully! The fruit and the top look so great that I never would notice the bottom if you hadn't told us! Anyways, what is a cake for, except to be aww'ed at and eaten!

sooooo; if i could just cme and give everyone who has shared tips a giant hug right now.. i so would. and michelle foster.. yeah, id basically crash tackle you to the ground and give you the biggest bear hug.


i almost gave up on fondant. almost. tried every recipe. and it always ended in disaster. until i came across mff. oh.my. gosh. im in love. deadset in love.

i just almost perfectly covered a surboard shaped cake in fondant. i am so proud. lol. the only thing wrong is at the bottom with the edges, as i already had the cake on a board and couldnt do the whole elevate so you tuck the edges thing (def. be doing this next time) not a rip not a tear, not a pleat not a bubble. and i dont even have fondant smoothers (yes, i enjoy making life difficult...lol).

so thankyou. thank you so much. im going to power on through this fondant learning curve... next step.. a fondant pot for next week. can i do it? i beleive with the beautiful people of cc i can.

thankyouuuuuuu.

*please note if i come off crazy.. its because this caking high has overwhelmed my brain.. haha.