I wanted to post this recipe for those who dabble in cake decorating and like to make their own fondant. When cake decorating was just a hobby, I also only used homemade fondant since, in general, it tastes much better than store-bought. I experimented with all kinds of recipes that were printed in books, online, etc. You name it, I probably tried it. I always had a problem with the consistency at the end though. I felt that I was hitting it closer when I got to marshmallow fondant, but the process wasn't an exact science and really unpleasantly messy. The consistency of the end-product wasn't a guarantee in the end either. Now that I am doing cake decorating at a more advanced level and actually making some money, I don't have the time or energy so I buy. You end up buying buckets and buckets of 15-20 lbs. of fondant. I prefer the Fondx brand. It tastes much better than other brands. Bakels Pettinice tastes like soap! And Fondx is WAY cheaper than Satin Ice. It's harder to find, but it's available at Pfeil and Holing
The recipe I developed over the year I was "just dabbling" is very much in the way of making homemade marshmallow, but of course, with adjustments. The end-product is something very much more satisfying in taste and consistency with a very white color. It's not sticky like a lot of the other recipes and has a great texture to work with. The ingredients are similar to the standard recipe using gelatin and glycerin, but I think the method makes this a superior fondant.
2 envelopes of UNFLAVORED gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
2 egg whites, room temperature
1-1/4 cup water, separated into 3/4 cup and 1/2 cup
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. glycerin
4 lbs. confectioners sugar, have more available if needed
Put your flat paddle attachment onto your stand mixer. Soften gelatin in a your mixer bowl with 1/2 cup of cold water. The best way to do this is place the water in the bowl first, and gradually sprinkle the gelatin over it, making sure every particle is wet. Place remaining water and sugar in a pan and heat until dissolved, brushing down the sides with water. Boil until the soft ball stage (syrup should be thickened, bubbling slower, and when you coat the back of a spoon, it should cool to a soft candy consistency). Turn your mixer on to a medium speed. Very carefully pour the syrup into the side of your mixer bowl and into the gelatin mixture. Once all the syrup is in (do not scrape the sides of the pan), turn your mixer on high. Mix until cooled. Your mixture should look white and meringue-like. Carefully making sure that your mixture is no longer hot, add egg whites one at a time and mix until well incorporated. Lower your mixer to medium. You can now add the vanilla extract. Despite it's dark color, your fondant will whiten considerably with the confectioners' sugar. Add the glycerin and mix until well-incorporated. Lower mixer speed to low. And add sifted confectioners' sugar gradually. When mixture becomes thick and hard to stir, scrape out onto a well powdered (powdered with confectioners') workspace. Knead mixture, continually adding confectioners' until the desired consistency is achieved. You can use immediately or wrap well in plastic and store in an airtight ziplock bag.
You can nix the egg whites, but I find that this fondant is much more solid with it. I haven't made this recipe in forever, so I can't quite remember if adding the egg whites in the beginning with the gelatin, or after the mixture cooled was the best method. Please let me know if you decide to try! I haven't tried adding meringue powder, but that could be another possibility.
Also replacing some of the sugar with glucose or light corn syrup is another possibility as with the standard fondant recipe.
Tips on covering with fondant:
-While you don't want to roll out your fondant too thick, thicker is better than thinner. The rule of thumb is 1/4 inch, but I'd say aim for 3/8 inch.
-You do want to work quickly with fondant, but don't work hastily. I've found out the hard way that this just works against you. You'll make mistakes you'll regret. Just be calm and work carefully. Repairs can always be made to a freshly covered cake.
-If you are working with a particularly large cake and need to concentrate on one area first, carefully cover the other areas so it doesn't dry out.
-Don't add too much cornstarch to your work area. It'll seriously dry out the fondant.
