How to Make Homemade Marshmallow Fondant {Yummy!!}

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Well, since I've been worrying myself sick practicing on the wedding cake for my brother Jake and his fiance Ariel, I've read more cake related articles than I ever thought I would!

One thing that I needed to resolve from the get-go was how I was going to cover the cake!  Ariel was pretty sure she wanted fondant, but Jake didn't because it tastes so bad.

So... I set out to find a solution!  Remember, I told you, I'm an amateur at this cake decorating stuff...

That's when I found Marshmallow Fondant!  The quality (in my humble opinion) is as good, if not better than store-bought fondant and it tastes yummy!  So, I made it for the first time on the Valentine's Cake and it was a hit!

I made it again when I did the two mini wedding cakes, so that they Jake & Ariel could make a final decision.  She They chose the  marshmallow fondant!  Yay!  I'm really starting to love fondant work, if you couldn't tell!

Well, when Ariel's Mama asked me to make a cake for her bridal shower at church, I was thrilled!  This time, however, I decided to start work early so I wasn't killing myself trying to do everything at the last minute.

Since Marshmallow Fondant lasts for weeks in the frig, I decided to do it first (about 5 days before the shower)...and I decided to share the recipe and process with you!  Here's how I make homemade fondant...

Marshmallow Fondant

You'll need these 4 ingredients..

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 16 oz. marshmallows*
• 3-5 tbsp. of water
• 2 lbs. of powered sugar, sifted

*Generally, as you can see, generics work well for me, but I use only brand name marshmallows - the generics didn't cut it for this.  I've also found that marshmallows are hard to find in 16oz. bags anymore, so I have to get two 10 oz. bags and weigh them out to get 16 oz.

First, you're going to melt the marshmallows.  You could do this in a double boiler, but I've found that my microwave is my friend for melting marshmallows.  Just dump them in a microwaveable bowl and add 2 Tbsp. of water.

Now you'll want to microwave these for about 2 minutes.  I microwave them for 1 minute, then stir...

...then I microwave again for another 30 seconds, check them, then another 30 seconds, until I get them fully melted and smooth when stirred...

You'll have to do trial and error with your microwave to know exactly how long to microwave them.

Next, pour in about 3/4 of the powdered sugar and stir to mix as well as you can...

It's messy... very very messy!  After you've mixed it up as best you can with a spoon, you're going to have to get into it with your hands!

First grease your hands and counter-top (or whatever surface you'll knead on) with shortening.  Be generous!  This mixtures is very, very stick and you're going to be glad you did this.

Note: at this point the marshmallow mixture may still be too HOT to put your hands into.  If so, stir it a few more minutes until it cools some.  Then just dig your hands in and knead it until you get a ball.

That could take a few minutes, but when you're done, transfer it to your greased surface.

You'll want to knead it for a few minutes, then gradually add more sugar until you've added all of it.  You may also want to re-grease your hands through-out this process, but they'll be baby-soft when you're done!

Then just keep kneading... and kneading... and kneading.  Usually 8-10 minutes until it's smooth...

If it starts to feel dry before you get all the sugar added, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time to moisten it and then just knead it some more...

You'll be able to tell when it's kneaded enough.  It starts out lumpy and rough, but when it's done, it will be very smooth and elastic.

At this point, you'll want to roll it into a ball for storage.  If you want to use it right away you can, but know that when it's warm, it may sag on your cake.  It is better if you can let it rest for at least a day...

What I do is coat the ball in shortening (just a thin layer) to keep it moist and so it won't stick then wrap it in plastic wrap.  I place that whole thing in a zip bag and press all the air out.

At this point, it can be kept for weeks if need be.  When you get ready to use it, simply let it come to room temperature, knead it until pliable, then roll it out...

I'm going to use mine in the next day or so to start making a fondant bow for the bridal shower cake.  Stay tuned for that step by step process!

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