There are many different fondant recipes out there but this one is my favorite. It is not overly sweet and easy to work with. The best part about marshmallow fondant is that if it starts to become difficult to work with you just need to pop it into the microwave for a few seconds and it will regain it's elasticity; not to mention it is VERY easy to make.

To make this recipe you will need...

16 oz white mini marshmallows

2 tbs water

2 lbs powdered sugar (approx. 8 cups) (YOU WILL NOT NEED ALL OF THE SUGAR)

1. Melt marshmallows and water in a double boiler or microwave. Heat until melted.

2. Place half of the sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the middle. Pour melted marshmallow in and mix.

3. Add remaining sugar and continue kneading. (add more powdered sugar in tablespoons as you are kneading. Mixture should not be sticky)

**Decorator's Tip** Spray your hands with cooking spray to prevent the mixture from sticking to you.

4. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container overnight. The next day it will be stiff. To loosen it up, place the fondant in the microwave for 5 second intervals.

Frozen Buttercream icing is a great way to put cartoon like pictures on your cake. When making a transfer, you will need to use a special icing recipe. The reason for this is that the icing must be able to freeze in order to place it on the cake. Below you will find the recipe I use and I will post directions on making a transfer later this week.

1 cup Crisco

3 sticks butter

2 Tsp flavoring

2 pounds powdered sugar

1. Cream the butter and shortening well.

2. Add the flavoring.

3. Slowly add the powdered sugar.

4. Mix on 8-10 speed for approximately 5-10 minutes for a smooth consistency. Add more sugar if not stiff enough.

For those of you who have never heard of if, ganache is a chocolate glaze icing. It can be used to cover cakes, thickened to fill truffles, or whipped to fill cakes. Once ganache cools, it become a hard coating on your cake.

Before covering a cake with ganache, take a wire cooling rack and place it in, or on top of, a cookie sheet. This will catch all of the chocolate that drips down. Make sure your cake is as level and smooth as you can get it as ganache can pick up imperfections in the cake.

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

1 1/4 lbs of bittersweet chocolate

1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces (or use small chocolate chips) and place them into a large stainless steel bowl.

2. In a large sauce pan, heat the cream over medium heat. Be sure to stir frequently until it starts to boil. Watch the cream closely as it will want to boil over. Once heated, pour the cream over the chopped chocolate.

4. Cool completely on the kitchen counter before use. Ganache can be stored in the refrigerator but will need to be reheated. To reheat, use a stainless steel bowl over hot, but not boiling, water.

5. Once cooled, place the cake on your wire rack and pour the ganache on top. With a spatula, lightly guide the chocolate down the sides of the cake. Keep doing this until the cake is completely covered with ganache.

For those of you who are not familiar with it, royal icing is an icing that, when dry, becomes hard. It is especially great for flowers but I have used it to make small plaques that can be placed anywhere on a cake.

An important thing to note about royal icing is that until it is hard, it cannot touch oils in anyway. When it touches oil in it's icing form it will break down and become very runny. It is best to use glass measuring cups, metal spatulas, metal mixing bowls and attachments, and disposable piping bags. Reusable, plastic, piping bags and plastic baking utensils hold onto oils after they are washed so it is best to steer clear of them.

With that being said, royal icing is a great medium to work with and can make wonderful embellishments for your cake.

Ingredients:

3 level tablespoons Wilton Meringue Powder

1 lb confectioners' sugar

5-6 tablespoons lukewarm water.

Directions:

Place confectioners' sugar and Meringue Powder in a bowl. Stir or mix at low speed until blended. Add water and mix 7-10 minutes at low-medium speed until icing loses its sheen. To prevent drying, be sure to cover the bowl with a damp cloth while working with icing.

Store in an airtight glass or metal container for up to 2 weeks. To reuse, beat on low speed to restore original texture.

My first recipe is for buttercream icing. I learned to make this during my Wilton cake decorating classes. It is a little sweet but is the best icing you can use for decorating cake because it is very easy to work with.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Crisco or any white vegetable shortening
1 tsp. of flavoring (vanilla, almond, butter, etc.)
2 tbls. milk or water (I always use water)
1 lb. or 4 cups of confectioners' sugar
1 tbls. of Wilton Meringue Powder
A pinch of salt (optional-cuts down on the sweetness)





Directions:

Cream shortening, flavoring and water (or milk). Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy

*Decorator's Tip* Add the confectioners' sugar a cup at a time or your whole kitchen will be white.

This will give you a stiff consistency icing. It is great for making flowers with upright petals like roses (post on how to make buttercream roses to follow).

Medium consistency icing is used to create stems, figure piping, borders and flowers with petal that lie flat. Add 1 tsp. of water to each cup of stiff consistency icing. Mix well until blended.

Thin Consistency is used or writing, making stems leaves, and icing a cake. Add two tsp. of water for each cup of stiff consistency icing (2 tbls. of additional liquid for the full recipe). Mix until well blended.