Fondant Icing is an all purpose confection used to ice sweet-breads, cakes, petit fours and napoleons.
Simple ingredients for a Simple Fondant Icing.
All about fondant icing, true fondant and rolled fondant:
Not to be confused with Rolled Fondant, the sugar dough used to cover cakes, Fondant Icing is pourable and is used to glaze cakes and pastries with a thin sheen of sweetness.
True Fondant is, in fact, more candy than icing. Fondant is what you find in the middle of my all-time favorite candy, a Peppermint Patty.
Making true fondant is an unforgiving process of controlled crystallization.
First you need to cook sugar syrup to a precise temperature. Then you let the syrup cool down. As soon as it reaches the correct temperature you must vigorously stir the sugar syrup as it continues to cool. The stirring creates thousands and thousands of tiny sugar crystals, which turns the sugar syrup from colorless and clear to white and opaque.
To use true fondant as an icing, you must carefully rewarm it to exactly the right temperature and texture before pouring it over your pastry. Over-heat it and you’ll lose the crystals and the beautiful white color. Under-heat it and your icing will be thick and gloppy.
Because it’s so much work to make, most professional pastry kitchens do not make their own fondant.
Pastry Chefs have good products available that are ready to use, just heat and pour. Trouble is, even if you can find them, they tend to come in big 25# buckets. That’s way too much for the home baker. Even I don’t by it that way anymore.
I’ve also tried making fondant from a dried powder that you simply mix with water and heat up. I found those products to have an unpleasant flavor and gritty texture.
This is where simple, powdered sugar fondant icing comes in…
Even though I will readily admit that this simple Fondant Icing is not really a true fondant, and it honestly doesn’t have the beautiful sheen of a real fondant icing, it is a good compromise for the home baker who wants to make Petit Fours, Napoleons or a glazed Bundt Cake.
It tastes great, it’s easy to make and it’s very easy to use.
Scroll through the step by step photos to see how to make quick & easy fondant icing:
Unlike a real fondant that is made from sugar syrup, Simple Fondant Icing is made with powdered sugar.
Pour the boiling water mixture into the sugar and stir.
The icing should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add more sugar if it’s too thin or more water it it’s too thick.
Fondant Icing is used to ice Classic Petit Fours.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.
Quick & Easy Fondant Icing
Ingredients
- 4 oz water (½ cup)
- 3 oz light corn syrup (¼ cup)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 20 oz confectioner sugar (5 cups)
Instructions
- Combine the water, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil.4 oz water, 3 oz light corn syrup, ½ tsp vanilla extract, ⅛ tsp salt
- Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the sugar.20 oz confectioner sugar
- The icing should be slightly warmer than body temperature and the consistency of thick cream. If you dip a spoon into the fondant it should cover with a slightly translucent finish. Use the fondant immediately or store in the refrigerator, well covered.
- If the fondant cools below 100°F, rewarm gently. If the icing gets too thick add a few drop of water at a time until it's thinned to the proper consistency. If it gets too thin, add a little more sugar.
Equipment
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Nutrition
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Chris
Wednesday 21st of December 2022
I think your measurement of the sugar is off - you say 20 Oz (5 cups). But 5 cups is actually 40 Oz. So which is it?
Eileen Gray
Thursday 22nd of December 2022
Confectioner's (powdered) sugar weighs half as much as granulated sugar for the same volume. A cup of powdered sugar weighs 4oz.
Maureen
Tuesday 22nd of November 2022
I want to now how to decorate with foundation icing because I try but I get fill
Eileen Gray
Tuesday 22nd of November 2022
Sorry, I don't understand your question.
Adamandia
Thursday 17th of November 2022
Can I use this recipe to mold shapes of flowers etc for a birthday cake?
Chris
Wednesday 21st of December 2022
@Eileen Gray, would this icing on top of a cake make the cake soggy?
Eileen Gray
Thursday 17th of November 2022
No, this is a pouring fondant. You want to use Rolled Fondant for making decorative pieces.
Dani
Tuesday 15th of November 2022
I am going to try this recipe. Was curious if i can use this recipe to frost donuts and would i be able to freeze them? Thankyou
Eileen Gray
Tuesday 15th of November 2022
The easiest frosting for donuts is a simple powdered sugar glaze. Combine 2 cups (8oz) of powdered sugar with about 3 tablespoons of liquid. Could be lemon juice, water, milk. You can add a little vanilla extract to flavor the glaze. It should be the texture of heavy cream. Dip the donuts while they're still warm. I would freeze the donuts prior to glazing. Reheat the donuts in a low oven then dip them while they're still warm. You could freeze them after glazing but the icing would likely melt as they donuts defrost.
Rebecca
Sunday 9th of October 2022
Hello! I'm making black and white cookies and want a smooth, non-sticky, opaque fondant-y icing and no clumps. How would you expect this recipe to hold up? Many thanks.
Eileen Gray
Sunday 9th of October 2022
Here's my recipe for Black and White cookies with the icing recipe included.