I am in need of some help and or advice. I have been baking cakes for about 2 years now, so I am still learning a LOT with each cake. I am struggling, recently, with fondant, and I am not sure how to fix it. I started by using a very simple fondant recipe - it was in one of the recipe forums, almond flavor, no cream or milk, simple, easy, TASTY!!! But it was tough to roll out, and sometimes it would set, and others it wouldn't. Then I found Michelle Foster's recipe. Worked like a dream. Tore a little on my first attempt, but I thought since I was trying to cover chocolate buttercream, it may have made it too heavy. I was able to cover the rips with the decorations, no big deal. But each subsequent time I have tried covering a cake, it rips like mad! It almost feels like there is no elasticity to it. It doesn't like to come back to the cake. And the square cake???? Forget it!! And I have covered both square and rounds before. What am I doing wrong? What should I be looking for when I am trouble shooting?

Buy some commercial fondant - SatinIce, PettinIce, FondeX just to work with it so you'll know what the proper texture is.

I don't know where you live, but sounds like humidity may be a factor. You may need to add some light corn syrup and need to knead in some powdered sugar a little at a time. I have had similar problems before, usually this time of year the humidity is brutal in Florida. You may also be overworking the fondant, wrap it up in clear plastic and let it sit a while before you try rolling it. i hope this helps.

Thank you, both of you! I was thinking about buying some commercial fondant just to see what it should be for texture. I will definitely do that.
And I live in Vermont - we HAVE been experiencing a heat wave with high humidity. I got an air conditioner, but I guess the poor machine can only do so much!! I have spent many nights pondering this, and I wonder if I am adding too much powdered sugar when I am making it. The recipe says it should fall off the dough hook, but if it's really humid, it might be causing part of my problem. I think next time, I won't add quite so much sugar to the initial mix, and then work it in as needed while kneading.
I will repost once I figure out what helped!!
Thank you both for taking the time to answer me!!