Not just can you shape your fondant the way you want but also complement the design with the right colors. Here is how to do it smartly. There are two ways: transferring image from an edible sheet, or applying poppy paints directly on to its surface.
Whatever you choose, you need to get the fondant ready in the first place.
Making the fondant well
The fondant serves as the foundation of your cake decoration; hence, it must be prepared well using the right ingredients. There are two types of fondant, viz., poured and rolled. You need the latter to decorate it with paint. Glucose sugar, water and corn syrup are the usual ingredients but to make a pliable dough, add a trace of gelatin and/or glycerine. Create a non-sticky dough that will allow the paint to set well. Leave the dough for 24 hours. So, the fondant is ready, but this time you want to give your fondant a distinct look! Sounds great! Move to the next step.
- Using Edible Sheets
This is the easiest and fastest way to decorate your fondant. Print your edible icing sheets with the image you want, remove the backing sheet from it, and apply it to your fondant. Pat down the sheet nicely leaving no air trapped inside it. The edible ink gets soaked on the food, and you get the image printed on the fondant.
- Using Poppy Paints
- Get the edible paint-ready
Take out your artist palette and brush to create and hold the edible paint colors. Use the prescribed thinner or alcohol provided to dilute the color paste. Shake the bottle of the edible color well. Sometimes, you may need a thin scoop to take out the paint from the bottle. Get all the colors placed in different sections of the palette, and add thinner or alcohol you have as solvent.
Stir well until you get a consistent coloring solution. Remember, you need different types of paintbrushes (keep one for each color) to start painting your fondant. The right combinations of paintbrushes help you obtain the desired thickness and perfectly decorate your cake.
- Paint the fondant surface
Fondant painting doesn’t require any expertise. All you need to be creative and patient. First outline the design of your art – cartoon, flower, or any other artwork matching the theme of your celebration. Outlining helps you to have a clear idea as what you want to get done. This also helps you with the selection of color. Fill up the different colors. While you do so, keep stirring the color on the palette to avoid coagulation or maintain uniform consistency.
- Maintain a gap between layers
If you are adopting a complex fondant decoration, allow the previous layer of painting some time to dry and set. Usually, poppy paints are known for their quick-drying feature, so you do not need multiple sittings to complete the fondant painting. Based on the ingredients used by your edible supplier, the drying time of poppy paints vary as follows:
- Poppy Paint - 10-30 seconds
- Poppy Paint Pearlescents - 30-60 seconds
- Poppy Paint Super Shine - 5-10 minutes
