Ok Fondant making pro's I need help

offroader1, Nov 9, 8:58pm
I put a post up the other day, finally have my paste to make colours darker, now am putting together, sadly I have corn flour blotches all over the show, whats the best way to remove them,

also how to I make the fondant shinny once all done?

kiwitrish, Nov 9, 9:10pm
Keep kneading until the cornflour is absorbed.Brush off excess. For a shinny finish take a piece of the fondant you have covered the cake with and use that as a polishing cloth, smoothing all over the cake.You can use smoothers but this is what I do. Cake decorators tip here.Remember to take of your rings and watch as you do this or it will mark the fondant on the cake.
Best of luck.

levintofu, Nov 9, 9:11pm
ok i know this sounds a little weird but if you do a very light brush of your fondant once finished with some cooking oil (vegetable or otherwise) it will come out very shiny and polished.
i know some people spray with crisco or pam spray but i think it comes out a little to slick... you could spray from a distance and spread with an art brush if you can't be arsed doing a dip and brush but i think the dip and brush gives you a little more control

even works well on airburshed fondant

levintofu, Nov 9, 9:57pm
the traditional method is to steam but unless you have a something to steam it with it seems like a tall order
also over time the fondant will absorb a large amount of the spray whereas the steaming method will go from glossy to more of a leathery look...

we are talking several hours between glossy and matt/leathery

chicco2, Nov 10, 2:59am
Cake decorator here. I rarely use cornflour now. Used to, but that was many years ago. I use cooking spray now. Use it for kneading, colouring, spray it on the bench before rolling out. Use it when working with Flower Paste. The ony time I would use cornflour is lightly in a mould before presing Flower Paste or Fondant in the mold. I am sorry I dont have any suggestions to remove your patches OP, but, try the suggestion in # 2. I sometimes tightly wrap Gladwrap around a piece of Fondant and use that to rub.

redrose, Nov 10, 4:56am
would you just spray on the board with cooking spray when rolling out flower paste. I generally use cornflour but not that happy with it.

chicco2, Nov 10, 5:08am
Yes, spray board, hands and wooden rollers. Repeat as things get sticky again. It works like a charm and I have been usng spray for years.
I will post a pic of a cake I did for last weekend. just gotta find it.

redrose, Nov 10, 5:26am
wow, Thank you, beautiful cakes. I wish I could decorate like that.
will be buying cooking spray tomorrow.

redrose, Nov 10, 5:28am
chicco2, receipe I want to use says Couverture Chocolate, what would you suggest is the best from the supermarket please.

chicco2, Nov 10, 5:43am
Please tell me what you are doing? I missed your post the other day.

redrose, Nov 10, 5:52am
rich dark chocolate cake, recipe from peggy porschen book.

chicco2, Nov 10, 5:57am
I believe Coveture choc is higher in cocoa content, better Google it to check. I am sure it wont make much difference to the end result. When push comes to shove, it will be melted and mixed with all the other ingredients. It may be in the recipe to make the cake a little darker or richer, but I wouldnt bother. just use dark melting buttons and good quality Butter, not the cheap stuff that contains water.

redrose, Nov 10, 6:05am
Thank you,yes I googled it and it is higher in cocoa. Appreciate all the help.wish you lived near me then you could teach me how to do beautiful cakes. I learn fromlibrary books but nothing like being shown.

chicco2, Nov 10, 6:14am
Thanks, I wished you lived near too. My friend and I have been doing classes today. The ladies that came along had a ball, lots of laughs and went home with a completed asiatic lilly. Great fun. Have you checked your local High School to see if any one is taking classes. There is a Cake Decorators Guild that have groups all over the country, perhaps try and track them down.
Here is my friends web site, we work on many of the cakes together.
http://www.ediblecreations.co.nz/
click on Gallery to see some of the cakes. Good luck with your cake.

chicco2, Nov 10, 6:20am
Just checked and it looks like there is a Tauranga Cake Decorators Club. They meet 3rd Thurs of the month at 7.30. wesley Church Centre, 13th Ave. Why not check them out, I am sure they would help and maybe even run classes sometimes.

redrose, Nov 10, 6:29am
Thank you, will check it out. and look at the web site.

rosathemad, Nov 10, 6:38am
redrose, couverture chocolate contains cocoa butter whereas compound chocolate doesn't - this means couverture requires tempering if you're using it to coat stuff or want it to set hard (which you don't need to worry about for your cake). Eating chocolate (e.g. Cadbury, Whittakers) tends to have other stuff added to make it last a longer time on the shelf.

For putting in cakes and other similar recipes I would choose a chocolate I like to eat - I really like Lindt but it is quite expensive, so usually use Whittakers, unless it's for something extra special. :-)

offroader1, Nov 10, 7:31am
Just for fondant strips, going over cake, more of a choc colour then any thing else

redrose, Nov 10, 7:45am
I can see me tomorrow at the supermarket studying all the chocolates,I have a sweet tooth,wonder if they will allow me samples.lol

rosathemad, Nov 10, 8:59am
Hehe, well if you find a supermarket which lets you sample the chocolate let me know and I'll be there in an instant! ;-)

chicco2, Nov 10, 9:03am
Offroader, you can buy chocolate fondant (Bakels), at the supermarket. Its brown and tastes like chocolate.

redrose, Jul 26, 1:08pm
I just looked at your site, (profile told me) fantastic, put in favourites to read tomorrow.