Common Issues with Fondant and their Fixes
Fondant icing can be used for many things when it comes to baking and often takes a lot of hard earned practice to use in the most efficient manner. The texture does not take the same form as other icings, rolled fondant could be compared to a stiff clay whilst poured fondant is a thick liquid. If you’re just starting out it’s not the easiest icing to work with and there are some common problems that many will undertake rolled fondant can be fixed pretty easily if you know what to do.
It's Not Smooth
Sometimes layers of fondant can be rolled to finely allowing imperfections, lumps and uneven layers to become more noticeable. Therefore you must fix the issue before you place the fondant onto the cake, make sure the cake is smooth with no creases or noticeable edges and most importantly no holes.
Bulging
It’s not uncommon for perfectly smooth fondants to develop bulging without warning, this is usually caused by trapped air between the cake and fondant that is not connecting properly with the cake's surface. There are a few ways this issue can be fixed it all depends how fresh the icing is and what tools you have at hand, cake bubbles can be compared to wallpaper bubbles trapped are can easily be finely popped and freshly iced, it’s quite easy to stretch the fondant over the bulge and gently press to flatten it back into place. You may find the bulge near the bottom of the cake. In this case you can use an offset spatula to gently peel the fondant away from the cake, then wet the cake with water and carefully smooth it out. Unfortunately if the icing has already hardened the only other method is to camouflage the area with something decorative.
Tears and Cracks
If you have rolled your fondant too finely or too thickly, issues such as tearing and cracking may arise, you may find the damage is irreparable. In this case it’s best to take it off and use a whole new piece. It’s easier to use a small piece simply because the old piece may have bits of cake attached. Using it could cause other problems and it’s just not worth the headache. Dont worry some tears and cracks are completely repairable this can be achieved by filling them in with more fondant and gently smoothing over the area with your fingertips or an icing smoother. Avoid using water as this will melt the fondant and cause more damage. In extreme cases of damage a cover up may be the best solution.
Sweating
The most common cause of sweating is because your cake has been covered incorrectly in the fridge. Always make sure your cake is completely covered in a cake box big enough to cover the whole cake including the sides and top. Sometimes sweat marks on cakes are visible. Try applying icing sugar on the damp patches with a clean paintbrush. If you're not pushed on time, leave your cake sit out for a while this allows the sweated areas to dry back up.
