Why do fondant cracks

Join Search Classes Review Cart. Why is my fondant dry and cracking? What is fondant? What is fondant made from? Why does my fondant crack or have elephant skin?

Learn Now. Previous Blog Post. Next Blog Post. Hi my fondant is quite like icing have any ideas on what to do thanks.

I used marshmallow fondant, it went on great but the next day it was cracked all over. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Every brand of fondant is different and every person has their own opinion. Just remember that price is not an indication of quality.

It is important to find a brand of fondant that suits you. Certain brands are formulated for particular climates and might not suit your climate.

If in doubt, try a small pack first. Knead it, roll it out and move it around to see if it is a good match for you. If your fondant used to be fine and you only recently noticed that it is dry and cracking, it could be that the fondant is old and has been exposed too much. Try to purchase small packs or wrap any unused fondant in cling wrap and then a zip lock bag. As you practice and get better at working with fondant this will happen less and less. This is a result of cutting the fondant too close to the board and is easily solved.

Adhere it to the cake with extract around the base covering the showing cake board. Cut the excess fondant at the back of the cake and line up the seam. There are three main reasons fondant can look lumpy: 1. If buttercream is used to cover a cake instead of ganache it is much harder to smooth and often has a lumpy texture. If your layer of ganache is too thin and as gravity settles your cake the buttercream filling can start to bulge the ganache between the cake layers.

Definitely don't skimp on the ganache!! Smoothing fondant with your hands make it more likely to get lumps. Dry cake doesn't exactly have anything to do with working with fondant, however, I thought I would just mention this as it's a common problem in baking. To remedy the dryness, you can make a simple syrup to drizzle on the leveled cake layers before you fill and stack them. This will moisten the cakes back to deliciousness!

I would suggest two to three tablespoons of simple syrup per layer if your cake is super dry. Just make sure not to get the cakes too wet or filling and stacking will become difficult. I would recommend this simple syrup recipe - it's quick and easy! Decorations Falling Off — If you find that your fondant decorations are falling or sliding off the side of the cake this is usually a result of either using too much extract or not enough.

If you get a ton of extract on a piece and try to stick it on the cake it can easily slide off. Try using as little as possible for the piece to stick. This can also be a result of the cake getting very hot and collecting condensation. Condensation — Fondant does not love to be stored in the refrigerator. If you place a cake in the fridge and later remove the cake it tends to get shiny and slimy. The longer it takes for you to roll out and cover that cake, the more the fondant dries out.

Once fondant has been rolled out, place it right away over the cake. While kneading, if you feel that the fondant feels dry to the touch, you can prevent it from drying out by using vegetable shortening instead of cornstarch.

Another reason for the cracking is if the fondant has been rolled too thick or too thick. You can still repair tears and cracks even if the fondant has been placed on the cake by filling these out with fresh fondant. If the flaw is still visible, you can pipe or put a design element over it to hide it from sight.

Also take note of the weight of the fondant. If the fondant is too heavy and you drape it over the top of the cake, the weight will pull down the fondant, which could create a tear or a crack near the top edge of the cake.

Prevent this by bringing the outer sides towards the cake. Elephant skin. Those wrinkles you see appearing at the edges near the top of the cake is called elephant skin, and it usually happens when the fondant has dried out. Using vegetable shortening, instead of cornstarch, will help you troubleshoot fondant. Rub some of the vegetable shortening on the wrinkles of the cake to help reduce their appearance.

Sweaty fondant. When working with fondant, having a humid weather can work against you, resulting to a sticky and sweaty fondant. Sticky or hard fondant. If the fondant is too soft or too sticky, you may have kneaded it too much.