How to Make Rolled Fondant – A Recipe for Homemade Fondant

You can buy it, so why would you need to know how to make rolled fondant? Let’s face it, commercial fondant does not taste good. I’ll show you how to Make your own. It is worth the time and is surprisingly easy to do.

For 10 years I owned a wedding cake business. I can’t count how many times a bride told me she loves the look of fondant, but hates the taste.

Once I had them sample my homemade fondant they were often happy to have their wedding cake with a porcelain fondant finish.

In case you were wondering, Fondant Icing is different than rolled fondant. Rolled Fondant is a dough that you roll out and Fondant Icing is a glaze used to ice Petit Fours and other pastries.

Fondant Ingredients

• Confectioners’ Sugar – Forms the base of rolled fondant.
• Water – For blooming the gelatin and forming the dough.
• Gelatin – Makes the fondant elastic so it can be rolled thin without cracking.
• Corn Syrup – Adds moisture and body to the fondant.
• Glycerin – Keep the fondant from drying out to a hard finish.

How to make Homemade Fondant

• Whisk the gelatin powder into cool water and set it aside to “bloom”.
• Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap before you being mixing the fondant. Your hands will get very messy.

• After 5 minutes the gelatin should be bloomed. All the water will be absorbed.
• Melt the gelatin.
• Add the corn syrup.
• Add the glycerin. Reheat the mixture.

• Add the warm gelatin mixture to the confectioners’ sugar.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl so the sugar mixes into the wet ingredients.
• After most of the sugar is mixed in, finish kneading in the sugar by hand.
• Knead until all the sugar is absorbed. Transfer to a surface lightly dusted with sugar and knead until the fondant is smooth.

• Wrap the fondant in two layers of plastic and set it aside at room temperature for at least 8 hours. This gives the gelatin time to set.

Rolled Fondant vs Marshmallow Fondant

Rolled fondant is made by adding gelatin, corn syrup and glycerin to powdered sugar. Marshmallow fondant is made by melting commercial marshmallows then adding powdered sugar.

Commercial marshmallows are made with sugar, corn syrup and glycerin. So, as you can see, rolled fondant and marshmallow fondant are essentially the same thing.

Why homemade rolled fondant is better

It’s true, most people don’t like the taste of fondant. But I think most people have only eaten commercially made fondant. Some brands are better than others, but even the best commercial products have a texture and taste that are, sadly, reminiscent of Playdough.

I’ve always made my own fondant. When I started making cakes almost 30 years ago, you couldn’t buy it in the stores and there was no internet, so I had no other choice than to make it.

For my cake business, I made my own fondant since it’s easy enough to make and is much cheaper than buying it. Even better, although it is sweet (it’s mostly sugar, after all) it doesn’t have a weird taste or smell. It just tastes like sugar.

Pastry Chef Tips for making your own rolled fondant:

• If you want a tinted fondant, add the coloring to the gelatin mixture. It’s easier than kneading in color later.
• Unfortunately, if you want a very dark or vibrant color you’ll just have to buy fondant. For bright red or black, for example, you’d have to add so much coloring that it ruins the texture of the fondant. Believe me, I’ve tried it. That’s the only time I used commercial fondant.
• I find it’s easiest to mostly mix the fondant with the dough hook and then finish kneading in the sugar by hand.
• No matter how you mix it, the freshly made fondant is a sticky mess and is a bit of a pain to knead together. Just keep kneading and appreciate the arm workout.
• The fondant must set overnight and be re-kneaded before rolling.
• This recipe makes a little more than you need to cover an 8″ cake because it’s easier to have a little too much and trim away excess.
• I have included volume measures here for those who don’t have a kitchen scale. But I do recommend that you weigh the ingredients to get the most consistent results. A little variation in the amount of moisture or sugar in the fondant can make a big difference in texture. 

Watch the recipe video to see how to make rolled fondant.

Now that you’ve made your own fondant, watch this video to see How To Cover A Cake with Fondant.

Here are more cake decorating recipes and resources: Vanilla Cake, Italian Meringue Buttercream, American Buttercream, How to Assemble a Layer Cake, How to Ice a Cake like a Pastry Chef.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.

Print Recipe

4.53 from 108 reviews

Rolled Fondant Recipe

By: Eileen Gray

This is a good, reliable rolled fondant recipe. I used this recipe for 10 years in my custom cake business.

Prep Time30 mins

Setting Time8 hrs

Total Time8 hrs 30 mins

24 servings

US CustomaryMetric

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 24 ounces confectioner sugar (6 cups)
• 2 ounces cool water (¼ cup)
• 2 ½ teaspoons gelatin powder
• 3 ½ ounces white corn syrup (¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp)
• ¾ oz glycerin (1 Tbsp)

Instructions

• Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a large mixing bowl or in a stand mixer bowl with the hook attachment.
  24 ounces confectioner sugar
• Put the water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin powder evenly over the surface of the water. Whisk 1-2 times to combine. Let the gelatin "bloom" for 5 minutes. Lay out a 12" long piece of plastic wrap.
  2 ounces cool water, 2 ½ teaspoons gelatin powder
• Heat the gelatin in the microwave for 15 seconds to melt. Whisk the corn syrup and glycerine into the warm gelatin (see note if you want to tint the fondant). Heat another 15 seconds in the microwave to make sure everything is melted.
  3 ½ ounces white corn syrup, ¾ oz glycerin
• Pour the warm gelatin mixture into the sugar all at once. If working by hand use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture until most of the sugar is incorporated. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook on medium-low until most of the sugar is incorporated.
• With the fondant still in the bowl, use your hands to finish kneading the rest of the sugar into the fondant. It will be quite sticky and messy at this point, just keep kneading. A plastic bowl scraper is helpful for handling the fondant.
• Turn the fondant out onto the plastic wrap. Wrap 2x in plastic wrap and let it set at least 8 hours or overnight before using.
• When ready to use, knead the fondant until it’s smooth and supple. Roll on a surface dusted with powdered sugar. When not using always keep the fondant covered so it doesn’t form a skin.

Equipment

My Book

KA Stand Mixer

Revolving Cake Stand

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Video

Notes

If you want to tint the fondant, this is a good time to add the coloring. Whisk the coloring into the warm gelatin mixture before adding it to the sugar.

You must let the fondant rest overnight before using so the gelatin has time to set. Knead the fondant into a smooth ball before rolling. If it’s well wrapped and kept in an air tight container, the fondant will keep for several weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 1mg | Sugar: 31g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.02mg

Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!