Newbie needing advice - Page 2

To get less raggedy edges, let the fondant sit for 15 minutes after rolling out before cutting circles. If they're going on top of cupcakes, let the circles dry overnight to really keep their shape. Also, when you cut, wriggle the cutter around a little before liting, to make sure the shape is really well separated from the rest of the fondant.

To make a border or fondant balls, you can roll out a piece of fondant, use a cutter to make sure all the pieces are the same size before rolling. Or roll a sausage, and cut off at regular lengths before rolling. This one means less seams in the ball.

Hi again! I found this for you, it might help scroll down on the following link. might help you with the stripes.

http://cakefixation.blogspot.com/

for the pearl border, roll your fondant in between two wood spacers( you can get them for free at Home Depot it is the wooden stick that you use to stir or mix the paint) so as to have the same thickness all of your fondant. then do as the next link shows, decide which size you will be using for your cake. You need to make edible glue to paste it to the cake.

http://www.earlenescakes.com/prlinstruct.htm

Hope that helps.
For your cupcake toppers, you might be rolling it too thin??

Good luck!

CIAO

Add more Crisco to your fondant balls to prevent them cracking. Massage it in, using the heat of your hands until very soft and pliable.

You can use a small amount of water to stick the fondant to the cake.

Re: cupcake tops, roll it a bit thicker, and use some corn starch on the board and your hands to help move it from board to cupcake without distortion.

HTH

I would use my circle cutter and then just shape to an oval from there, but for free hand cutting I use an exacto knife/craft knife. hth

For the figures on top and the cut outs you could use modelling chocolate instead of fondant. I prefer using mc because it won't stretch when you pick it up and it tastes like chocolate. Holds it's shape very well.

I use Nestle milk chocolate morsels for black or brown. For lighter colors, I use Nestle white chocolate morsels (not real white chocolate but works fine) and tint with food coloring like you would fondant.

I use 2 cups chocolate and 1/4 cup lite (clear) Karo corn syrup. Melt chocolate in bowl in 30 sec intervals mixing in between until completely melted. Warm syrup in microwave for 20 seconds and pour into melted chocolate. Mix with a spoon. At first it will look like a mess- keep mixing. It will come together. Put in fridge for 15 minutes. Take out and knead for a few minutes. I knead in my hands over the sink because it drips a little. When it feels like dough, wrap and put in ziplock or tupperware. Store at room temp. Let sit over night before using. When using it may be hard, put in micro for 5 - 8 seconds. Just until has enough give to start kneading. If it get too soft/sticky (from your warm hands)while working with it, put in fridge for a minute (just long enough to loose stickiness). And keep going. This way you don't need to dust your hands or workspace with anything.

For the cutouts on the side, put them on when you make them. If you let them completely dry on a flat surface they will crack when you try to bend them to fit on the curved side of the cake. But they're fine for cutting through when slicing cake.

Good Luck

A silicone pearl mold would be the best. If you cant get one, what i do is, i roll out fondant to approximately 1/8" thickness and then with a wilton tip cut out circles with the back of the tip and then roll them in to balls. This way, all the balls will be even in size. If the fondant on the cake is still fresh you just place the balls at the bottom of the cake next to each other. you can dab a bit of water or sugar glue to keep it in place

Take some fondant/gumpaste. make an oval shape in yr palms. at one end squeeze or pinch a lil bit of paste and keep pulling the fondt.gumpaste to form a trunk. while pulling at the top of the trunk like in a sausage pattern. then for the legs, pinch in four places and with yr thumb and forefinger just shape them. this elephant looks the easiest of them all. i made better looking elephants using the above method. keep trying dont give up, you will get there. I hope you can understand what i am trying to show you.

Lard might give your cake a funny taste - the UK equivalent of Crisco is called Trex, it's a white vegetable shortening. You can get it from larger supermarkets (I get mine in Tesco), it's with the butter etc.

Good luck with your project!!

For the oval cut outs, if its me, i would use my circle cutter. After cutting the fondant, i will pull the other end/side a lttle to form an oval shape. Well thats just me, i love to improvise

Good luck on ur cake. Just to give u a boost, my first fondant cake is a doll cake. And i learned my way in fonday with cakecentral by, my side

Wow! You did an amazing job - congratulations!

I think you did a great job. you should continue to make more cakes. I find it relaxing to do a cake. once its finished its such a joy to see the finished product and everyone "ooooing" and wow -ing. the little elephants look good.