Birthday Fun With Fondant

Make a celebration even more memorable with a decorated cake. Balloons and stars cut from fondant bring festivity and fun to a frosted or fondant-covered cake.

A birthday isn?t complete without a cake ? especially a decorated cake! For a fast and easy way to add panache to a cake, try fondant. The sweet confection can be molded, like modeling clay, or cut into just about any design imaginable. Pliable fondant can be rolled into a sheet large enough to cover an entire cake or it can be cut into shapes, like balloons or stars and used to decorate a cake.

Once reserved for professional cake decorators, packaged fondant is now widely available and can be used by anyone, even first-time cake decorators. It comes in a variety of colors, including neon, pastel, and natural hues.

Fondant also makes a fabulous finish. Use fondant to create unique borders that can easily turn an ordinary cake into a decorated delight. To make a ruffled border, slice a strip of fondant with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife and gently pinch to make ruffles. Place the border flat or stand it on edge for a different look. Even the simplest fondant borders ? hand-rolled balls or ropes ? can enhance a frosted or plain cake.

Fondant makes a great medium for kids to decorate with too. Let your little ones roll or cut it.

For even more fun, have kids paint or draw on fondant using edible brush-on color or color markers. Or try decorating frosted cupcakes or cookies with fondant as a fun party activity.

To make decorating with fondant easier, follow these tips:

– Before decorating, make sure the cake has a sturdy and attractive base such as a cake board covered with foil. Turn the cake onto the board after it has cooled.

– If fondant feels a little sticky, knead in a small amount of confectioners? sugar. Lightly dust work surface and rolling pin with confectioners? sugar to prevent sticking.

– When covering a cake in a layer of fondant, frost the cake first with a light layer of buttercream icing. Icing seals in moisture and helps fondant stick to the cake.

Visit www.wilton.com for instructions, to purchase fondant and tools or to order a copy of “Celebrate! With Fondant,” a full-color book filled with decorating ideas and instructions. For more tips and great project ideas, visit www.bakedecoratecelebrate.com.