i ve got a 2 tier cake to do for my mother's birthday coming up end of october.... obviously ive got no sheeter to roll out my fondant, and every time i try to open my fondant with a rolling pin, it cracks and doesnt even open enough to my desired size. what can i do ? maybe theres an easy homemade fondant recipe ??

please help im new to this craft but i think im kinda likin it 

lookin forward to your replies y'all please :) 

P.S : also if any one has got any ideas, tips or pics or links of what i can do for my mother, i definitely want a 2 tier cake though :) 

thanks xxx

AWhat brand of fondant are you using? Are you kneading it before you roll it to get it to be pliable enough?

You don't have to use fondant to make a tiered cake. It looks great when it's done well but a good buttercream finish looks much better than a bad fondant one does. If you're not having much luck rolling it super thin, people will likely not eat the fondant anyway.

heyy 

thanks for your reply :)

i normally buy fondant which is locally packed, and its quite hard when i buy it so yeah ill HAVE to knead it before opening it :) 

problem with buttercream is that it always comes tasting like butter.... i mean *self correction* i know it BUTTERcream but the buttery taste is too dominant even with vanilla :(

ill try think of a design, and try planning it on both fondant and buttercream covering :) maybe ill manage to find an online cake designer software :O 

fingers crossed ill have some luck

Any help please ?? 

Try cutting your buttercream with 1/2 shortening. Just try to incorporate something that your mother loves into the theme. She will love it no matter what because YOU made it.

AKnead a little shortening into it. Work it till it is slightly above room temp. Roll it out.

A

Thanks batterupcake :). Ill try google for a buttercream recipe which includes shortening :)

Yeah ive been tryn to talk her thru wat she likes and till now have only got as far as dolphines, maybe i can create something relevant to the a dolphin theme.

Ill try see how the liquid gel icing is made to make it look like the sea :)

Thanks xx

A

@cakeinspirations : should i microwave the fondant just abit before adding the shortening ?

thanks xx

you can use your recipe. Just replace 1/2 the butter with Crisco. This one is very popular on here and it uses all shortening.

A@cakeinspirations Ok thanks will try it out and see how it goes :) can always restart :) x

Why not go to the galleries and look at birthday and even Mother's Day cakes and get inspiration from those? You can do a search for, maybe ocean or sea-themed cakes. Wilton makes a mold for seashells, seahorse, coral, etc. You could do a buttercream cake with fondant accents. You don't have to use gel for water. You can tint your buttercream a pretty blue-green and then take some white and dab it here and there, lifting it up to make "waves". You can even just Google "sea themed cakes" and you'll get tons of inspiration.  Good luck!

Tiina20 if your fondant is really hard it is O.K. to soften it in the microwave.  I have done it on many occasions. Just be very careful as it melts from the centre first.  Put it in for 10-15 seconds at the most the first time, give it a knead and then put it back in for 10 second or less bursts, with a bit of a knead in between.  I have never had to put it in for more than about 25 seconds.  It will still need to be kneaded properly before you roll it out but you won't be exhausted from all the kneading.  If it ends up a bit soft then you will need to wait until it cools down before using. Nowadays I am using Satin Ice.  It is a lot softer than some brands and I find that I never have to microwave it before kneading.

any one knows of a free online program that lets me design the cake i've drew as a model ? like the ones that look like 3D-ish cos i finally came up with a design idea :)

AI know this might be a little late but have you tried using homemade marshmallow fondant? I use it all the time and its super soft and easy to work with and WAY cheaper than the store bought stuff. 1 bag of regular size marshmallow 1/4c shortening microwave in 30 sec burst till melted stirring in btwn then add powdered sugar till its no longer sticky. I usually use about 1lb powdered sugar. Oh and cover your hands in shortening while you are adding the powdered sugar this stuff is super sticky!