My Process and Reflections
Question #5 for passion project/Genius Hour (Proposal)

Today I watched some videos on cake decorating with fondant.  I learned a technique on how to move fondant from the counter to the cake without ripping it.  You take a rolling pin and roll the fondant up and onto the cake.  It makes transporting the fondant much easier.  Also it's a good idea to put down a piece of wax paper or parchment paper before rolling the fondant as this will prevent it from sticking to the counter.  

I also watched how you can make completely inedible parts of a cake just for decoration i.e. castle towers made of paper towel rolls covered in fondant.  I also saw how fondant could be embossed using pieces of rubber that had designs etched into it.  For eg. the castle cake was embossed with a rock-like texture for its walls.  The castle door was embossed with a wood design to make the castle door look more realistic. 

If you want the fondant to stay on the cake easier you can frost the cake with any type of icing and this acts like glue to adhere the fondant to the cake.  I also went onto the Wilton website and I read about some of the techniques on how to smooth out the fondant. You can use your hands, or you can use an easy-glide smoother to take out air bubbles and creases from the cake. Then you trim off the excess fondant with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.  These are only some of the helpful tips I learned.  I can hardly wait to try this on my own fondant and cake.


Failures:

If the fondant is not very smooth it will be thin and will have some imperfections showing.  Such as lumps and uneven layers.

If you roll the fondant too much it will tear and crack.  If the fondant is too damaged it is best to scrap it and start a new piece.

Don't wet your fingers with water as this will cause the fondant to tear and crack even more!

Try to put your cake in cardboard boxes instead of in the fridge, this will avoid the cake from sweating.

Thanks for reading!