Directions

• 1

  Prepare your cake. Coat it with a thin crumb coat of ganache or buttercream frosting--this crumb coat should be no more than 1/8" thick. Once the crumb coat is applied, chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and keep it chilled until you are ready to wrap it in fondant. Ensure that you're working with a cake that has a flat top and even layers--this will make smoothing the fondant over the cake easier.
  
  Why chill the cake? A colder cake is easier to work with. It will be more firm, and will hold its shape as you apply the fondant.
  
  Why frost the cake? A crumb coat is a very thin layer of frosting that traps all of the crumbs so that they don't end up in your finished frosting (or fondant) layer. Don't get too finicky about this layer--it does not have to be super neat, however, it should be fairly smooth. A relatively smooth crumb coat will result in a smoother fondant layer.
  
  A light buttercream or ganache layer also helps the fondant to adhere to the cake.

• 2Knead your fondant. Use vegetable oil or shortening to grease your hands, then remove the fondant from its container and place on a silicone mat or parchment paper. Knead until the fondant is elastic and pliable.
  
• 3

  Measure your fondant. One package of Ann Clark Premium fondant can cover one two-layer 9" cake. If your cake is smaller or larger, you can use the following formula to determine what size you need:
  
  Diameter of the Cake + Height of the Cake (x 2) = Diameter of Fondant Needed
  
  So, for instance, if you have a 6" round cake that is 8" tall you will need: 6+(8*2)=22" diameter fondant

• 4

  Sprinkle corn starch over your work area to prevent the fondant from sticking to your mat or parchment paper. Roll the fondant out to the desired size using a plastic or wooden rolling pin. 1/8" thickness is the standard fondant thickness for wrapping cakes. If you see any air bubbles, pop those with a toothpick or scribe tool.
  
  Note: The fondant will stretch as your wrap your cake, so no need to roll out more than what you need based on the equation in step 3.

  
• 5

  Now, you're ready to cover your cake. Work quickly, as the fondant will become difficult to work with if dries out.
  
  Place your chilled cake on your workspace.
  
  Place your rolling pin in the center of your fondant sheet. Gently drape the fondant over the rolling pin, making sure that you can lift the entire fondant sheet with your rolling pin.
  
  Lift the fondant-draped rolling pin over your cake and prepare to place it. Gently position your pin, working from the back to front (or front to back if it's more comfortable) to cover the whole cake, ensuring that the fondant is evenly draped over the cake. If not all sides touch the cake board, that's fine! The fondant will stretch as you smooth it, and you'll be able to coax those shorter areas down to the base of the cake.

  
• 6

  Using your fondant smoother, gently smooth the fondant.

  Start with the top of the cake, smoothing it until there are no creases.

  Next, smooth the sides of the cake. Gently pull the fondant into place, smoothing one section at a time from the top of the cake to the bottom. You will likely end up with one section where the fondant has bunched. To smooth this out, keep stretching the fondant downwards as you smooth, coaxing all creases and bunching to the bottom of the cake.

  If you find your fondant is not adhering to the cake, gently brush the cake with water before smoothing the fondant onto it. A bit of moisture will encourage better adhesion.

  If you tear your fondant, never fear! To repair a tear, break a small piece of excess fondant from the base of the cake and place it over the tear. If your fondant is dry, you may need a tiny amount of water to get it to adhere. Smooth this patch with your fondant smoother until the seams disappear.

  
• 7Once you've achieved the desired smoothness on your cake, cut away the excess fondant. Use a sharp knife, fondant knife, or even a pizza cutter to cut away the excess, leaving a bit extra. You can tuck the extra fondant under the cake, or smooth the fondant again and cut off another round of excess from the base for a crisp, smooth look.
  
• 8

  Decorate and embellish as desired!
  
  Wrapping a cake with fondant can be intimidating, but by using the right tools and with a bit of prep work you'll be making bakery-quality desserts in no time!

  
• 9

  See the full steps for wrapping a cake with fondant here.