These are a few of my favorite things.....

As I mentioned in a previous post, my first encounter with fondant was a big ol' mess. I used delicious homemade marshmallow fondant but had absolutely no clue what I was doing. It may have looked awful, but luckily it tasted good! The second time I attempted to use homemade fondant, it came out a bit better and I made this cake to celebrate America's birthday. 

Fast forward about four years, and my love-hate (mostly love) relationship with fondant continues. I have learned many tricks over the years, but that doesn't mean it always cooperates! Making a cake is truly a labor of love; it takes time, practice, and more patience than you can imagine. Don't give up!

Since we've covered the basics of icing, let's chat about everything you need to start decorating your cake. 

1. Fondant 

Most people hate fondant. Some fondant is hard and tastes like chemicals. The fondant I use comes from a local restaurant supplier and I've been told by many that it's quite tasty! I don't mind the taste personally, but being that I work with it so much, I don't eat it very often. Pettinice, Satin Ice, and Fondarific are my three favorite brands of fondant. 
I always have buckets of white fondant on hand. I use gel colors to dye my fondant. However, I have found that it is nearly impossible to dye your fondant red or black. Because of this, I always keep a small bucket of black and red fondant on hand. 


2. Gum Paste
I do not buy gum paste. I add small amounts of Gum-Tex to my fondant, which makes it easier to work with and sets up quickly. I only use this when I am making small detailed parts that will be added to my cakes. I usually have a small bucket of fondant that has already been treated with Gum-Tex so it is ready to go. However, you can treat your fondant with the Gum-Tex and work with it after about an hour or so. Always keep it in an airtight container when you aren't working with it. 

                                                         
3. Tools
You will become very creative using various items as tools when you begin working with fondant and gum paste.  I recommend the following (actual cake-related) items: 

-Gum paste tools
-Work mat 
-Fondant smoother
-Small roller
-Wilton Water Brush(One of my FAVORITE items of all!)
-Large roller
- Alphabet Cutters
-Circle cutters
-Gel colors (for fondant/gum paste)
-Powder colors (for candy coating) 
-Every possible shaped cutter available. Trust me. 

A sneak peek into my toolbox:

Gel Colors work best for dying and painting fondant. 

Gel colors CANNOT be used to dye candy coating. Powder food coloring will work best!

Other items:
-Toolbox! Organization is key :) A nice label-maker makes it even better!

Organization at its finest!

-Paintbrushes
-Toothpicks
-X-acto knife 
-Cornstarch 
-Crisco/shortening 

Now that our supplies are ready, it's almost time for our first tutorial! Coming soon!

Love, Melissa



P.S. What's your must-have fondant tool? Comment below!