Time to share my perfectly smooth & elastic marshmallow fondant recipe, after many attempts and fails I have figured out the ideal amount of each ingredient needed to get a smooth and elastic fondant.
I have made marshmallow fondant so many times and finally feel confident to share my recipe with you. Making cakes should be fun not stressful, so here is my recipe.
Measure all your ingredients and before you begin, put all the extra ingredients away or far from reach or you will be tempted to add a little more of this and a little more of that.
Adding too much sugar will make the fondant crack, too much water and you will have a sticky mess, too much shortening and you won’t get the right consistency.
Melt
First, place all your mini marshmallows in a microwave safe container.
Next, pour the water over the mini marshmallows and stir.
Now, microwave the marshmallows and water for 30 seconds, Open the microwave and stir. Microwave for another 15 seconds and stir again. Again, microwave for 10 more seconds and mix again. At this point, the marshmallows should be melted entirely, if not. Return to the microwave for 5 – 10 more seconds.
Add sugar
Once the marshmallows melt, pour one cup of confectioner sugar at a time and mix with a wooden spoon. Don’t use your hands at this time or you will be a sticky mess.
Add the fifth cup of sugar, mix until is thoroughly combined into the fondant, cover your hands with vegetable shortening now you are safe to put your hands in to knead the marshmallow fondant.
Add, the last cup of sugar and knead until all the sugar has incorporated.
Next, transfer the marshmallow fondant to a cutting board and knead until all the sugar lumps have dissolved. If needed add a little bit of confectioners sugar to your working surface and a bit of vegetable shortening to your hands as needed.
Then, with your finger make a hole in the middle of the dough and add one teaspoon of glycerin. Continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and elastic. If you hold it with your hand and let gravity do its thing, then your dough will begin to drop slowly without breaking or cracking.
Congratulations, you have made a perfect marshmallow fondant.
Store and color
At this point, you can use food coloring gels to color the fondant. Use disposable gloves to prevent staining your hands. Remove them once all the color has integrated into the fondant.
Another option is to leave the fondant white and decorate with Edible art paint.
Lastly, make a ball and slathered it with the remaining shortening to keep it from drying. Cover with plastic wrap and put it in an airtight container away from sun and humidity. Do not refrigerate.
I highly recommend to make the marshmallow fondant ahead of time. It needs to rest at least 24 hours. You can make it 1 week or 1 month ahead of your event.
If you are not sure of how much you need, than make an extra batch and leave it white. You can always add color at the last minute.
Roll
Once you are ready to use it. Place the marshmallow fondant in the microwave for 5 – 10 seconds to soften.
Once again cover your surface with very little confectioners sugar and cover your hands with a bit of shortening to knead again.
Also, Cover any unused fondant to prevent it from drying.
If you are covering a round cake make a disk and rolled it out.
If you are making a square cake then, make a square patty and roll it out.
For strips, roll the fondant between your hands to make a cilinder. Flatten a bit and roll it out.
To keep the same thickness use a roller with guide rings.
Adhere
Finally, after you cover your cake with ganache or buttercream, I find that the most forgiving way of adhering the fondant is to lather the cake with vegetable shortening. If you make a mistake, the shortening will allow you to remove the fondant without issues. Roll and try again.
I hope you find this post helpful. Here are more sweet ideas.
