Well guys, I am by no means an expert, but here's how I do things. All of my cupcake toppers are made out of an enhanced marshmallow fondant recipe that i've come up with. For items that need to be very stiff, I will use a straight gum paste that I make out of this powder, and if I need a piece to dry very hard but I need a little more working time I will mix 50/50 fondant and gum paste together. The only time i use straight fondant is when i'm covering a cake or cookies.
Now if you don't like to make your own fondant Lorraine (aine2) has a wonderful recipe here that she uses to make all of her amazing creations using premade fondant and cmc or tylose powder. But if your like me and love to make marshmallow fondant, here is my recipe for my modeling marshmallow fondant. This is what you will need to make it:
Modeling Marshmallow Fondant
16oz pkg miniature marshmallows
2lb bag confectioners sugar ( I usually go for dominos or C&H, but thats just personal preference)
2 tbsp Gum paste powder mix (wilton also has one, i've just never used it)
1 tbsp vanilla extract (you can use clear if you need a really white fondant)
2 tbsp shortening (for hands and coating outside of fondant)
8qt. bowl (you can use your countertop too, I just don't like the mess)
2.5-3qt. microwave safe bowl
sifter
Plastic wrap
Ziploc bag
-Start out by putting the vanilla in bottom of bowl.
-Add pkg of marshmallows.
-Microwave on high for 1 minute and stir.
-Contiue microwaving in 30 second intervals stirring after each time, until completely melted.
-Over 8qt bowl (or countertop) sift the confectioners sugar (leaving about 1-2 cups in the bag, because you can always add more), making sure to cover entire bottom .
-Dump all of the melted marshmallows into center of bowl trying not to let it touch the sides ( its ok if it does, were just trying to keep it from sticking)
-Now is a good time to measure out 2 tbsp of gum paste powder and have it off to the side ready to go, because your hands are going to be very messy.
-Take about 1 tbsp of shortening and grease up your hands very well.
-Go around the sides and fold the marshmallow and powdered sugar into itself. Your trying to form a solid mass without too much stickiness.
-Keep doing that until it forms a more solid mass.
- Make an indent in the center and dump the gum paste powder into it.
-Keep kneeding and squishing until it is a pretty stiff consistancy.
-Coat the outside with shortening and wrap in platic wrap.
-Put in zip bag and let rest for at least 12 hours.
-Now if you find that your modeling fondant isn't stiff enough for modeling after letting it set. you can always just knead in a little more powdered sugar, wrap it and let it rest for a few minutes before working with it again.
-On the flip side, if you think its too stiff, you can add some shortening to it and I use my microwave a lot in 5 to 10 second increments to soften it up to make it more workable.
This is also the exact way I make my regular marshmallow fondant just skipping the gum paste powder step. I can make a batch in less than 10 minutes start to finish and i have almost no mess to clean up. Just the dishes :).
I hope that helps answer some of your questions, and until next time. Happy fondanting!
Fantastic, I have always wondered how this was made!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI've not tried using MMF before. How long can we store these? Room temperature?
ReplyDeleteWhich is better? Rolled fondant or MMF???
Would love to hear from you! :)
hi alice :) i store mine in the fridge for up to a month. i'm not sure how long it would last at room temp. as for which is better rolled fondant or mmf ? mmf is a rolled fondant so i'm thinking your question might be which is better premade or mmf? if it is there are several factors to it. mmf is in my opinion much better tasting and much less expensive. premade is convenient and as long as you don't buy wilton (horrible, horrible stuff!!!)not all that bad tasting. now if i had a large quantity of cakes to make i would probably go for premade just because of the time it would take to make the mmf, but since i don't do this as a business i will stick with mmf! hth :)
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog while searching for cupcake ideas. Thanks so much for this recipe! When the decorations are dry are they still soft enough to eat? The link for the gum paste mentions it being hard when dry.
ReplyDeleteIn Australia shortening is very hard to come by - what else could I coat the outside of the MMF with?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Copha
Deletegretchen- they soft enough to eat for a few day after making them, but much longer than that and they would probably be a little too hard.
ReplyDeletethereddeer- i've used cooking spray (the kind in a spray can, one name brand here is Pam) in a pinch.
Thanks for your quick response :)
ReplyDeleteAlso sorry to bug you but is icing sugar the same as confectioners sugar?
Thanks again :)
I really need your help with something. I chose to ask you because I was very impressed with your blog. I usually use royal icing on my cookies. However, I have an upcoming project that would be too dificult to pipe. So I am going to be forced into the world of fondant, LOL.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am wanting to do is make a fondant accent to drop onto my cookies as I frost them with royal icing. So I was wondering basically how hard MMF decorations dried. can I use regular MMF, or would a sturdy to the touch, yet not teeth shattering decoration be better out of the molding recipe you discussed?
I am looking at making 200 little decorations so there will be a day or so of drying time.
I would appreciat any help you could give me!
And, what is enhanced fondant?
ReplyDeletethereddeer-yes, icing sugar and confectioners sugar are the same thing :)
ReplyDeleteSugarBelle's- for what your describing i think that regular mmf would work great! it doesn't ever dry rock hard and would still be much softer than the royal icing after sitting for just a few days. unless your making something that needs to hold a shape well, you don't really need the molding mmf. and enhanced fondant is just this recipe for the molding mmf that i add gumpaste powder to reg mmf.
Thanks! I tried making your recipe, and it's actually wonderful! I made the recipe so I could try a few accents, you know to get the feel of it and all, and the fondant tasted so good I actually gave myself a little stomach ache(this was my first time to taste non-Wilton fondant, which happens to be yucky:)!) Anyway, I made a few of the decorations and let them dry, and you are absolutely right. They will worke perfectly for what I need!
ReplyDeleteAnother question. As of now, three days seems to be a good drying time, but after they are shaped how long will they last? I am trying to figure out how far in advance I can make them and how to store them. Five days would be ideal.
Anyway, thank you so much for your help and wonderful blog tutorials. I am self taught, and can only do what I do because of people like you who take the time to give careful instructions and pictures to those of us eager to learn. I really enjoy your blog, and can't wait to see what's next!
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteLove all your tutorial :)
Would like to know what size of the cake would I be able to cover with the MMF recipe that you've provided here? I need to make a 3-tier wedding cake from 10" (bottom), 8" (middle), and 6" (top)
Thanks :)
Icing sugar is not the same as confectioner's. It's a mid-range sugar meant for dusting on baked goods for a glittery effect. Just wanted to throw that out there so no one makes that mistake.
ReplyDeleteSugarBelle's sorry i didn't see your post sooner yes 5 days would be fine, just store them in a cardboard cake box, but nothing that is air-tight or they will sweat or "melt" on you.
ReplyDeleteas for how much this recipe will cover i can't give you exact quantities because it really depends on how thick or thin you roll your fondant out. i can cover a 10", 8", and 6" with 2 batches of this, but i roll mine on the thin side so if your not sure about it you may want to make 3 batches. Important note though. this is a modeling fondant recipe!!! if you want to make it to cover cakes OMIT THE GUM PASTE POWDER!!!
as for the difference between icing sugar, confectioners sugar, and powdered sugar i've always heard them used interchangably and never have heard of them used to make something look glittery. when i answered the question above i went to wikipedia just to make sure and this is what i found http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powdered_sugar so i'm not sure if its different in different parts of the world.
I'm loving your blog and am going to try this. I have a good rolled fondant recipe, but it's expensive to make....for the modeling form can I use Tylose instead of gum paste powder?
ReplyDeleteI used the MM recipe without the gumtex to make shark fins and it worked fine to sculpt, except I stored them in a wrapped box because they were not going to be eaten for over 24 hours. well, they held their shape but had a very squishy texture. If I had used gum tex, would it have worked better? Does gum tex change the flavor?
ReplyDeletegloria- you can, but i'm not sure of the exact proportions. i'm going to be doing an experiment soon comparing using mmf and store bought fondant and adding tylose or gum paste powder and how they each affect them.
ReplyDeleteanon-if you put the mmf figures in an air-tight container they will sweat or get squishy because of the moisture that happens. the way to solve that is to use a cake box that isn't air tight or to wait to put the toppers on until right before serving. as for gum tex changing the flavor, i'm not sure i haven't used it, but gum paste powder doesn't. hth :)
I made this recipe for my art class kids to play with. I thought I would go ahead and add color to it, but it was so sticky, mixing it in was frustrating. The fondant ended up having streaky colors. The only thing I didn't do was use shortening, because I heard that it wouldn't allow the coloring to adhere. When do you mix in your colors?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous-I think the problem was that you didn't use shortening or corn starch when you where mixing it. I always use shortening when I mix in colors and never had problems with the color not mixing in right, and I always mix my colors in after the fondant has set overnight or at least 12 hours so it has time to cool down and rest.
ReplyDeleteHTH
Julie :D
to mix in color you use shortening? could you explain this further to me please. thank you
ReplyDeleteplease advise how to add colour using concentrated colour paste
ReplyDeleteCaroline- i coat my hands with the shortening to keep it from sticking to my hands. if you want to knead it on the counter top then apply a thin coating on the counter top and on your hand.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous- i first microwave my fondant in 5-10 second increments so that it is easy to work with (always be careful when you are microwaving fondant though! it can get very hot if you aren't careful and can burn you!). then i take a knife or toothpick and put a little or a lot of the color onto the fondant depending on what color and how dark i want it. then i apply a small amount of shortening to my hands (to keep the fondant from sticking) and just knead in until the color is completely incorporated. if it isn't the color i want i either add in more color if its too light or add some more white fondant if its too dark.
hope that helps!
I use the MM fondant myself. My question is how do I make it a bit stiffer but not to stiff. See I have to make 2 cowboy hat cakes and for the rim of the hats I want them to curve up a little. But I was worried about it being to stiff. Causes it's for someones wedding and I can't mess this one up.
ReplyDeleteI f anyone can help that would be nice
I'm making a cake for a baby shower and im planning on using this mmf fondant (withought gum paste) to cover it. I'm planning on expirimenting before hand to get the hang of the fondanting. My question is, how long in advance can i make the cake and how exactly do i store it? must it be kept cool like in a refrigerator or room temperature in a cake box? thank you:)
ReplyDeleteHi!!
ReplyDeleteIneed your help please.
About a month ago I made MMF and it was very tasty but I had a problem because I wanted to make some figures and animals with it and I couldn´t.I made something (animal) and it was perfect and within 2 seconds it came back to its original shape. (I couldn't work with it!!)
I am also wondering about how far in advance I can have the cake ready for taking to the baby shower - (all decorated)with the MMF as an icing as well as the baby shoe ornaments I want to use on it and how to store it after it is ready to go. Thanks for a great bunch of information. My shower is for October 31st, 2009
ReplyDeleteCassondra- this might be too late (sorry :( )but in order to get it stiff enough to stay turned up you will probably need to add some sort of stiffening agent like gum paste or tylose powder. you could also make the fondant a bit stiffer and just prop up the edges with waxed paper or foil until it dries, but if there is a lot of humidity where its at, it could fall again.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous- it really depends on the cake recipe and whether it can handle being left out a few days without getting dry. If i use a boxed mix i can get away with several days after being covered, but if i make scratch cake they tend to dry out quicker. i don't usually put my fondanted cakes in the fridge i just keep them in cake boxes, but if they have a perishable filling you have to. you just need to let it sit out and let the fondant dry before you touch it.
Hannah-did you add the gum paste powder to it? if you did you may need to add in more powdered sugar or more gum paste powder. you could also use tylose powder, about 2 tsp per pound of fondant.
Barb-like i told anonymous, it really depends on the cake not the fondant. the fondant will be fine for several days, its whether the cake is moist enough to last that long. and as long as there are no parishable fillings in it, it can just be stored in a cake box until ready for the shower.
hi julie!
ReplyDeletejust came across your blog whilst searching for fondant recipes. i absolutely love it!
i hv a question (tho i'm not sure if it may sound silly but i'm just starting out in cake decorating)...i'm making a cake and want to frost it with butter icing. and then decorate with cut out fondant shapes. will the cut outs stick well at the side of the cake? i'm just worried that it may fall off or if it sticks, will it sweat and make the fondant colours bleed due to the "wetness" of the butter icing...
(i live in south east asia where the weather's hot & humid so am not sure if the mmf will work out!)
really hope you can help!
i make a good sugar paste without marshmallows. i work so easy with it. marshmallows are more expensive in my country. http://cccris.blogspot.com/2010/02/pasta-de-zahar-reteta-lissei.html
ReplyDeletehi julie!
ReplyDeletejust wondering what product you use to color your MMF. is it regular food coloring, icing tint? liquid, gel?
thanks!
-Haley
Hi Heley:
ReplyDeleteYou need to color fondant with the concentrated color pastes. I've heard of some using GEL as well, but with regular food coloring, you risk it adding too much water to your mmf. I guess you could try adding more sugar if this happens -- I've just always used a tiny bit of the pastes on a tooth pick and "scored" it into the mmf and kneaded it through until it all turned.
This blog is great! I just recently starting working with fondant (I'm on my second cake, very exciting) and I've had great results with the gel dyes, according to the box they don't dilute even the most delicate recipes. I just knead it in same as u have explained above. Great colors, just made a 2 tier teal cake with pink polka dots & pink ribbon & bows on the edges for my neice's 13th birthday :0) gigirl47
ReplyDeleteI had a question, do u prefer the ck gum paste mix over wilton's because of taste? quality? Just wondering, Thx a bunch :0)gigirl47
ReplyDeleteor does it not really matter what kind i buy? I've never added gum paste before and wanted to try adding it to my mmf. Thanks :0) gigirl47
ReplyDeleteI found your blog and is more than great, i like it a lot, and had a question, how do you make the black fondant and what you do to make some pieces very shinny.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Emma
gigirl47, I think it does matter which mix you buy. If you look closely, Wilton paste mix does not have any gum in it; just an emulsifier - which would help some, but not work as well I think. If you use Wilton, you would have to use the gum tex product. The ck gumpaste is complete with gum additive. I just made the modeling mm fondant and went with the ck product because I didn't want to risk it. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThere are no local bakery supply shops here and I can't get CK Gum Paste powder locally. Do you think I can use gumtex instead of gum paste mix? I only have Michael's AC Moore, and JoAnns around here.
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to make these monkeys... but I have a question about refrigeration. Does your fondant turn into a brick when it's been in the fridge for a while? When you want to use it, do you just let it sit at room temperature and then microwave it if needed?
Thanks so much!!
I am getting ready to decorate my first cake using fondant. I plan on crumb coating the cake with butter cream frosting, covering it with MMF and then applying gum paste flowers. What should I use to apply the flowers to the side of the cake?
ReplyDeleteyou make this sound really easy to make! haha im going to try making MMF only i dont have a microwave..can you do this on a double boiler?
ReplyDeleteLove the photo tutorial!! I'm planning to make a ladybug themed cake for my DD's 1st birthday party and would like to know at what stage can I add the food color?
ReplyDeleteI had a quick question with coloring the MMF. Would using gel food coloring work alright with this recipe. I need a nice bright orange to make small traffic cones for cupcake toppers.
ReplyDeleteStephanie, Yes the gel food coloring worked really good, just be sure to add more sugar if it gets to watery. I wanted a light blue and I'm thinking you might have to add quite a bit orange to make it bright enough for you. here's another hint for you too, as I couldn''t help by not want to throw my decorations away when people thought they were to sweet, I added them into my hot chocolate milk. The kids love it!Hope it goes well for you. I added the coloring after it was all finished mixing.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm making the traffic cones and I'm keeping my batch covered in a container as I make the cones and it seems to be drying out quite a bit and is becoming harder to work with. Is this normal?
ReplyDeleteThaks sooo much! Helpful info :)
ReplyDeletehello - i came across this blog and immediately bookmarked it! your cakes are very beautiful and your instructions/comments are inspiring. I'm planning on making cupcakes for my little boy's farmer's market event at his school. I'd like to make little vegetables out of fondant and would like for them to be edible. I love the carrot you made for one of your Easter cupcakes -- that's exactly what I'm hoping to make (and other veggies). did you use the mm fondant for that carrot? Thank you SO much for your wonderful help and best wishes/luck on your new adventure.
ReplyDeleteHi Iam making avenger cupcakes for my son and I wanted to top the cupcakes with the faces of the avengers made out of mmf, I wanted to know what coloring you use to color the mmf and what brand , would I be able to use the decorating gel tubes to add color to my fondant or is it a special type for fondant
ReplyDeletethanks heaps, I am still trying to master MMF for larger projects.
ReplyDeleteHello, I made a ton of mmf (without the gumpaste powder). Can I mix ready made gumpaste (wilton) into the mmf to make a similar consistency? I am worried that my mmf owls will droop over the cupcakes! Thank you
ReplyDeleteHello, I have used your recipie once before and that was my first delve into fondant, for dora cupcake toppers. I made them let them dry and put them on top of the cupcakes the day of, but this was not a birthday party I went to. Do you recommend this for cupcake toppers? I have a new order, that I am making paisly toppers for, as long as it dries for 4 days will they hold their shape enough to stick it on top of the buttercream? Will the buttercream make them get gooey if I put them on right before the party? I am still new to the fondant world and I don't feel confident yet!
ReplyDeletebtw when I made them before I was very impressed, it was very tasty! awesome recipie!
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI really Really need your help, were im from the weather is very humid and hot, what king of fondat and icing do you recommend for cake and cookies because everything melts please Help!!!! thanks!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI need to make shoes and bags with gumpaste. Would you recommend gumpaste or enhanced fondant?
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI need to make shoes and bags with gumpaste. Would you recommend gumpaste or enhanced fondant?
Hi, the only gumpaste powder mix im able to find is wilton and CK Product... when adding the gumpaste to the marshmallow fondant do I prepare the gumpaste as it says on the package with water and then add it to the fondant? Or do i just add the plain powder to the fondant with out prepairing it? I have a cake I need to do by December 22.
ReplyDelete