Uncooked Fondant

Mixer beating yellow cake icing
Nicolas McComber / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 26 servings

Unlike cooked fondant, which requires technical knowledge of candy making, plus a candy thermometer and some experience, our uncooked fondant recipe is a go-to preparation for novice bakers. It's as tasty and versatile as its cooked counterparts. Made in a standing mixer in just a few minutes, the fondant can be rolled out flat to cover cakes, cut into decorative shapes to adorn all sorts of baked confections, or made into cute shapes to place on cookies. Our recipe also serves as a basic fondant that you can adapt to your needs by adding food coloring and/or flavored extracts.

Fondants are a key component in advanced cake decoration and this is a great recipe for starting with it. Don't be intimidated by reality television competitions in which fondant and sculpting fondant—similar but sturdier than classic fondant—are used to make what looks more like a piece of art than a cake. Your humble, round two-layer cake can also use a pretty fondant outer layer. With our recipe, you definitely can make a simple, yet elegant cake. Use edible flowers to add a finishing touch to your cake, and keep experimenting with our recipe, adding colors and texture to the fondant. Specialized online baking suppliers have an infinite amount of decorative shapes and molds, and plenty of tricks to share on how to best use fondant. This is an easy first step. No cooking, no standing near the stove, no measuring the temperature, and no dangerous handling of hot sugary syrups.

Fondant is also a great way of extending the shelf-life of cakes, as it acts as a protective outer layer, keeping the cake from spoiling and drying out at the rate it would if left unprotected. Using it allows you to make the cake ahead of time. If the fillings of the cake are not perishable—such as including dairy or fruit—you can keep the cake at room temperature for up to three days. If the cake does have perishable ingredients in the filling, you can wrap the cake in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge with the fondant on until it's time to use—though allow one hour outside of the fridge still wrapped in the plastic before unwrapping. This will ensure the fondant comes down to room temperature for easy slicing.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, blend the butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt on medium speed with a paddle attachment until smooth and well-combined.

  3. Add the powdered sugar all at once, and mix on slow speed, gradually increasing speed to medium until well-combined. The mixture should cling together in the bottom of the bowl and be smooth to the touch.

  4. The fondant can now be rolled into balls, rolled thin and cut with cookie cutters, or stored for later use. Store in a cool dry place wrapped tightly and placed in an airtight container.

  5. Enjoy.

Recipe Variations

To flavor, add extracts or oils in the beginning with the butter and corn syrup. To color, knead a small amount of your desired food coloring into the ball of fondant and work with hands until thoroughly combined.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
107 Calories
2g Fat
22g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 26
Amount per serving
Calories 107
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 6mg 2%
Sodium 62mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 1mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 1mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)