Agood afternoon cake friends. can anyone give me some tips for the damask marvelous molds...I have read many posts about how folks love them but i cant seem to get the pattern to cut out. iwatched the video and tried to do it the same way but it just wont cut it. I am using homemade fondant because no one likes the taste of the other stuff, i really hope that isnt the issue...I added tylose and rolled it thin but no matter how gentle or firm I roll my fondant roller across it doesnt cut it. I can rub my finger along every single crevice and eventually get it cut but that was not what I expected when I bought them. any help is appreciated. thanks, Colleen

AI'm not an expert, but have used the onlay molds. I added tylose powder to my fondant, then put it through my pasta roller until it was at level 2, which is paper thin. Practically see through. I then put it on the onlay mold and rolled my small rolling pin over it until all the green crevices showed through. The key is having it very thin. Hope that helps.

I have used it with MMF.  I didn't add tylose powder but a little more powdered sugar to it and rolled it very thin.

I had trouble using a rolling pin as my fondant shifted and I got double impression/cut marks.  Now, after I roll it thin with my pasta maker, I set in on top on my onlay or mould and then press down firmly with  a smoother until it cuts.

AThanks for the ideas, I don't have a pasta roller but it was so thin it was hard to work with. Guess I will keep trying, I like the smoother idea and will try that too, as expensive as these were I really need them to work easily like the video showed. let me know if you think of anything else

Dear Luckylibra,

Thank you for your questions on the Onlays.  My name is Mary Beth and I work for Marvelous Molds in customer service and am the company cake decorator.  

You do need to get the fondant very thin.  1/16 of an inch or thinner.  Depending on how stiff your homemade fondant is you may not need to add any tylose powder.  Here is a document we have created at Marvelous Molds on how to trouble shoot your Silicone Olays: 

1.       It is recommended to use rolling pin that is firm and rigid.  Rolling pins made of, or coated with, soft material such as silicone have surfaces that will not provide a firm enough surface to allow the blades of the Onlay to cut properly.  Use a small and light weight rolling pin for your Onlays.  Do not use a large rolling pin intended for baking.

2.      Your work table should be firm and rigid.  Folding tables, card tables, tables with a  not recommended.

Note: Anything that becomes a cushion under an Onlay can interfere with proper Onlay performance.

3.      Condition your fondant/sugar paste with CMC or Tylose powder.  Add only the appropriate amount needed to stiffen your fondant/sugar paste and reduce the stickiness of the fondant/sugar paste.   Fondant/sugar paste was designed to cover cakes therefore it is softer, tackier, and looser than what an Onlay requires.

4.      Sheeting fondant/sugar paste is highly recommended.   Use a sheeter or pasta machine to roll your fondant/sugar paste to an appropriate thickness for your Onlay.  If blades of Onlay are not cutting the fondant/sugar paste or the fondant is thicker than the height of the blades you will need to sheet your fondant/sugar paste thinner.  Continue sheeting your fondant/sugar paste thinner until an obvious outline of the blades appear in the fondant/sugar paste when applied and rolled on an Onlay. 

Note: After adding CMC or Tylose powder to your fondant/sugar paste wait at least 15 minutes before using to allow time for CMC or Tylose to take full effect.

5.      Apply cornstarch/corn flour to your Onlay, then pat the access out of your Onlay to give a single molecule layer of cornstarch/cornflour.  This allows for easier release from the Onlay later on.

6.      Before rolling with a rolling pin, press the fondant/sugar paste downward onto the Onlay using your hands and fingertips until you see the raised pattern of the blades in the fondant.  Don’t be afraid to use your fingertips.  Seeing the blades cutting through is a good sign that you are doing it correctly, and the fondant has been rolled to the proper thickness. 

7.      Do not roll your fondant/sugar paste over the Onlay with excessive downward pressure.  Quick side to side motions with slight downward pressure is preferred.  Once the Onlay blade outlines appear through fondant you can then apply more pressure to allow the blades to cut completely through the fondant/sugar paste.  

Note: Sliding the rolling pin side to side in areas that need extra attention works well.  Work all areas until you see the blades come through.

Note:  Silicone blades are soft and flexible, they are not like a cutter or a knife.  They move like the bow of a boat through water, too much pressure will collapse the blades causing them to be ineffective. 

8.      Add an edible adhesive to the fondant on your Onlay before removing any unwanted fondant sections from your Onlay.  The adhesive will help dissolve the minute amount of fondant around the blade and allow for an even more precise cut.  We prefer an adhesive that is 75% corn syrup and 25% water.  We have found that this works best. You can use other adhesives like gum glue, shortening, water, etc.    When you remove any unwanted fondant from your Onlay you can reuse this fondant.  Simply mix these pieces back into your fondant and reuse. 

Note:  If cake will be displayed in a hot environment like outside in the summer sun, the corn syrup adhesive may not be the best choice. 

9.      Gently stretch Onlay in all directions to pre-loosen the fondant/sugar paste.

10.  While applying the Onlay to your cake rub the back of the Onlay evenly to allow the fondant/sugarpaste to adhere to your cake.  Peel back a corner your Onlay to see if the fondant/sugarpaste is sticking to cake.  If not, continue rubbing the back of the Onlay to create a better contact between fondant and cake.  Recheck. 

11.  The Silicone Onlays have been designed to fit perfectly around even diameter round cakes (example: 6, 8, or 10 inches round).  We have used a mathematical calculation of Pi times the diameter of the cake to determine our Onlay size.  Math is exact and the thickness of icing and fondant will change the diameter of a cake.  The thickness of icing and thickness of fondant varies from one decorator to the next.  The final cake diameter is what has to be exactly 6 inches round or 8 or 10 inches round.  If the diameter of the cake is larger then there will be a gap in the back of the cake which can easily be filled with a portion of an Onlay.

12.  Onlays can be used with buttercream iced cakes.  Simply chill your cake until your Buttercream is firm before applying your Onlay to the cake.

If you have further questions don't hesitate to give our office a call at 513.244.2999 or toll free within the United States at 1.800.333.5678.  Our office hours are Monday - Friday 9 AM to 4:30 PM EST.  

Have a great week,

Mary Beth