Food & Party Planning Ideas

Have a Festive Birthday with Fast and Fun Fondant

Everyone´s in the mood to sing "Happy Birthday"! Birthdays are the celebration most frequently attended by Americans and the second most memorable celebration after Christmas, according to the 2006 Celebration Report from Wilton Industries.

Of course, a birthday isn´t complete without a cake—a decorated cake! Fast and fun, fondant is an easy way to add panache to a cake. Fondant—a sweet confection —can be shaped or cut into just about any design imaginable. Fondant is as easy to use as modeling clay. Once reserved for professional cake decorators, packaged fondant is now widely available and can be used by anyone, even first-time cake decorators.

Packaged fondant can be purchased in a variety of colors, including neons, pastels, and natural colors. 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.

Fondant makes a fabulous finish. Fondant borders 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 is so easy and fun to work with even kids can decorate with it. Let kids roll, cut or even paint or draw on fondant using edible brush-on color or color markers. 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 confectioner´s sugar. Lightly dust work surface and rolling pin with confectioner´s 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.

For more information, visit www.wilton.com for instructions, ordering fondant and fondant tools or Celebrate! With Fondant, a full-color book filled with decorating ideas and instructions for using fondant. For still more tips and great project ideas, visit www.bakedecoratecelebrate.com.