How To Make Fondant

4.98 from 130 votes
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Fondant is a thick icing used to cover and decorate cakes. Our fondant recipe uses only four ingredients and is easy to work with and color. It also tastes much better than store-bought!

Decorated Fondant Cake with colored polka dots. Fondant roller on the side. Small rolled out pink fondant with circle cutter.

My mom made the most beautiful wedding cake for me when I got married. It was around the time when large, fancy, buttercream-frosted wedding cakes were going out of style, and the smaller, more simple fondant covered wedding cakes were becoming more popular. My wedding cake was covered with a smooth white fondant and then decorated with fresh flowers. Since then, I have loved decorating with fondant, especially for my kids’ birthdays, and this recipe is my favorite. It is quick and easy to make with just 4 ingredients!

What is Fondant?

Fondant is a soft, thick icing that is used to coat and decorate cakes. It is pliable, similar to the texture and consistency of play dough, which makes it easy to work with and shape. This recipe is made by combining marshmallows and powdered sugar. It has way better flavor than store bought fondant and it’s easy to color with food coloring.

Large ball of purple fondant with small balls of teal, yellow, lime green and hot pink fondant. Roller, cutting a smoother on the side.


Ingredients

Surprisingly, there are only 4 ingredients to make this fondant!

  • Mini marshmallows
  • Powdered sugar
  • Shortening
  • Water
Ingredients showing how to make Fondant including powdered sugar, mini marshmallows, Crisco, water and rolling pin.

How to Make Fondant

Fondant is simple to make, and when made correctly, it is also easy to work with when decorating. Here are the steps we recommend to beginners for this easy recipe to be a success:

Start With the Marshmallow Mixture

  • Start with white mini marshmallows. The mini marshmallows work best for melting and mixing. Do not use the colored and flavored mini marshmallows. Coloring and flavoring can be added later.
  • Make sure the marshmallows are fresh! Marshmallows that have been in an opened bag or are past the freshness date will be stale and/or sticky, and the fondant won’t turn out as well. When you purchase the marshmallows, check the expiration date and shake the bag a little to make sure they aren’t all clumped together.
  • Use a glass bowl to melt the marshmallows in the microwave and stir, stir, stir! If the melted marshmallows are still a little lumpy, they will smooth out completely in the mixture.
Mixing bowl of marshmallow mixture to show How to Make Fondant.

Use a Mixer with a Dough Hook

As you reach the needed consistency for the fondant, it becomes thick and more stiff. It is still pliable, but a hand mixer just won’t cut it. Think freshly opened play dough. The dough hook is a life saver! Most standard mixers like Bosch (pictured) and KitchenAid have a dough hook accessory.

Mixed Fondant in a mixing bowl with a hook.

Watch for Consistency

Recognizing when to stop adding sugar and stop mixing is key when making fondant. It is ready to remove from the mixer when the color is no longer glossy and has a matte appearance, and the consistency is thick (again, think play dough).

Kneading the Fondant

Once the fondant is ready to knead and color, be sure to keep your hands and all surfaces lightly covered with shortening. Flour or powdered sugar will make it too stiff. Make sure it is pure white shortening. Butter-flavored shortening or cooking spray has a yellow tint, consequently turning fondant an off-white or yellowish color.

Hand kneading a ball of Fondant with powdered sugar to show How to Make Fondant.

Rolling the Fondant

Use an adjustable long rolling pin or dough roller to roll fondant. Most long rolling pins have thickness rings to get a smooth, even finish. A regular rolling pin works for most projects, however the long rolling pin is an essential tool for projects like wedding cakes, making it possible to roll the fondant into a large enough circle to cover a large cake. It may be worth the investment if you plan to make fondant often. Adjustable long rolling pins can be found at bakery supply stores or on Amazon. This gives you an idea of what they look like.

Rolling out a purple sheet of fondant with a roller.

Covering and Decorating Cakes

Once you have the fondant rolled out and the cake frosted with a layer of buttercream frosting (to help the fondant stick to the cake), covering the cake is easy! First, gently lift the fondant using the rolling pin and lay it evenly over the frosted cake. Next, press the fondant gently around the cake so it sticks evenly to the frosting. Cut off the excess using a fondant cutter or knife. Smooth out the fondant with a flat spatula or a fondant smoothing tool. Shape and smooth as needed. Finally, decorate the cake with fondant designs, ribbons, or flowers. This recipe makes enough to cover three 8″ round (2″ deep) cakes.

step-by-step photos showing how to cover a cake in fondant, including shaping and smoothing and adding decorations

Decorating with Fondant

Fondant is a lot of fun to work and play with when it comes to decorating. It works beautifully on wedding cakes with fresh flowers, and it is easy to color for bright and fun birthday cakes, like the Barbie Cake pictured below. This easy recipe has been used over and over in our family to decorate cakes for special events. Don’t be intimidated – it’s very simple to make! Once you get it down, you will see that the possibilities are endless. Be ready for birthday cake requests, you are about to become a cake boss!

Two cakes made with fondant - a round layered cake with pink and yellow flowers and a Barbie cake.

This Hamburger Cake is a fun cake to make for the hamburger lovers out there. The cheese, lettuce, and onions are all made out of fondant. It’s perfect for BBQ’s, potlucks, or birthday parties. I recently made this with my sons for a Cub Scout cake decorating contest. The scouts loved it!

Hamburger Cake with cookie fries and red frosting.

Storage

Fondant can be made ahead and stored for later use. However, it will dry out, so it is important to keep it in an airtight container. It can also be wrapped completely in plastic wrap. It is not necessary to refrigerate fondant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you supposed to eat fondant on cakes?

Fondant is edible. It is also very sweet. Some people love it and some prefer to remove it before eating their cake.

Is fondant hard to work with on a layer cake?

It is always a good idea to practice laying fondant on a cake. As I was learning, I found an extra set of hands was helpful. Practice on single layer cakes and work on getting all the bubbles and bumps out. Once you are comfortable with it, move onto layers.

How does fondant taste?

Fondant tastes like a dense marshmallow, or kind of like the cream filling in an Oreo.

Decorated Fondant Cake with colored polka dots. Fondant roller on the side. Small rolled out pink fondant with circle cutter.

Fondant Recipe

4.98 from 130 votes
Making your own fondant is the way to go. It is easy to work with and easy on the budget!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 24

Video

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces mini marshmallows
  • 32 ounces powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon shortening

Instructions

  • Put marshmallows, water, and shortening in a glass microwavable bowl.
    Bowl of mini marshmallows, crisco and water to show How to Make Fondant.
  • Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir. Repeat 4 times. 
    Mixing bowl with melted marshmallow mixture and dough hook to show How to Make Fondant.
  • Pour into a mixer and mix well using the dough attachment. Add in powdered sugar a cup at a time. Mix until the shine is completely gone. You may not need to use all the sugar, just keep adding until it has the consistency of play dough. The final result should not be sticky to the touch. 
    Mixed Fondant in a mixing bowl with a hook.
  • When the fondant becomes too stiff to mix in the mixer, pull the fondant out and knead it on the counter, adding more sugar if needed. Knead in food coloring, if desired.
    Hand kneading a ball of Fondant with powdered sugar to show How to Make Fondant.
  • From this point, you can roll the fondant out to place on a cake, cupcakes, or to create something amazing! When working with fondant, keep all surfaces and hands lightly covered in shortening to prevent sticking. 
    Makes enough fondant to cover approximately three round 8" (2" deep) cakes.
    Rolling pin next to three balls of fondant and a flattened out sheet of fondant.

Notes

  • This recipe makes enough to cover three 8-inch cakes (2″ deep).
  • Fondant can be made ahead and stored for later. Wrap it well in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • Practice placing your on single-layer cakes before attempting layer cakes. Placing fondant and smoothing it out takes practice!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 209kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 16mgFiber: 1gSugar: 48gCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Emily Walker

Emily lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Beau, a physician assistant, and her three incredible children: a son and two daughters. Travel is one of her favorite ways to experience new cultures and cuisines, and she has a love for all things Disney.

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Southern Utah University and Ricks College

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Co-Author of Favorite Family Recipes 3 Cookbooks:
Favorite Family Recipes
A Year of Favorites
and Most Requested Copycat Dishes

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Comments

  1. This seems like a super quick easy recipe! Definitly gonna gibe it a try for mt daughters christmas party tomorrow! Question tho.. What if you dont have the dough attachment? What would work in place?

  2. i’m going to try this recipe to secure edible logo toppers for my client holiday orders. i’m curious of the yield for this recipe – 1x = 24 servings ? 24 cupcakes? 24 cakes?
    i only need 50 spoonfuls. any suggestions?
    thank you!!

    1. Sorry for the confusion – serving size is hard with fondant. This makes enough fondant to cover one double layer 8-inch cake. You might need to double the recipe!

  3. 5 stars
    First try at fondant and was amazing! My 10 year granddaughter wanted to make her own birthday cake with fondant flowers. Was so beautiful

  4. 5 stars
    The flavor, cost and ease of this recipe is great. It worked perfectly to build a pancake stack looking cake. Thank you so much for posting this!

  5. I just wanted to say, with the answer that your recipe doesn’t contain gelatin and instead contains marshmallows, the person might be asking because they’re vegan and gelatin is an animal product, or due to a gelatin allergy. In which case, marshmallows themselves contain gelatin.
    I wonder if you can make fondant using vegan marshmallows, or if you would need to use a different technique to get a similar result.

    1. Thanks for making that point! We haven’t tried it with vegan marshmallows, but we’ll keep the post updated if we do!

  6. This recipe looks great – I’m attempting fondant for the first time to make my kiddo’s bday cake (Spiderverse theme…wish me luck!). Can I assume that using a double boiler on the stove to melt the marshmallows is also acceptable or is it best to use a microwave? Also, I’ll need to make some black, red and possibly blue fondant. Will this recipe stand up to that much food coloring?
    Thank you!

    1. I haven’t tried double boiling the marshmallows – we always use the microwave and it turns out great. It should hold up really well to food coloring! We like to use gel food coloring for the best results.

  7. It’s my first time making this recipe. I’m trying to roll the fondant with a lite coating of shortening it sticks to the rolling pin. Then I add a bit of powdered sugar to avoid it; it helps a bit. Then I roll it out and it starts cracking. What have I done wrong or what can I do to adjust?
    I had to add more powdered sugar since mine was still shiny and sticky on the mixer. Till I took it out and started kneading it and adding a bit more sugar it finally got to the consistency I needed.

    1. I’m sorry I don’t think I understand the question – was the fondant too sticky or too dry?

    1. 32 ounces of powdered sugar is about 908 grams. 16 ounces of marshmallows is about 454 grams. I hope this helps!

    2. FYI in your FAQs about Fondant it says, “Is there a way to make cake fondant without using gelatin? Yes! Our recipe does not require gelatin and instead uses marshmallows.” However, traditional marshmallows, including the ones linked, do contain gelatin, which makes this statement incorrect. Along those lines, I wonder if the recipe would still work with vegan, gelatin-free marshmallows, such as Dandie’s. https://a.co/d/ib13MjW

      1. We haven’t tried making it with vegan marshmallows so we can’t say for sure. Let us know how it turns out if you try it!

  8. Would it be best to halve this recipe if I’m only needing to make a decorative treasure map for a 9×13 cake?

  9. 5 stars
    Omg so easy and to make from scratch is so much better
    This web site is so prefect
    Thank you for making cooking so easy

  10. Hi there! I am wondering how this dries and if it can be used for decorative elements, disks for cupcakes for example? Thanks!

    1. It is very soft and stays fairly soft when it dries. I don’t think it would work for discs.