The Simple Fix For Cracked Fondant That Will Save Your Cakes
If you want to enhance the look of a homemade cake, fondant is the way to go. It creates a polished, elegant look to any layered cake. However, if you've ever worked with fondant you know it can be a bit finicky and prone to several issues, including cracking and tearing. The many reasons fondant won't cooperate basically all boil down to moisture — be it too much or too little. If you have too much moisture, your fondant will essentially melt and/or become slimy. If your fondant is too dry, it will break and become an unworkable mess.
If dryness is the issue, never add water to the fondant because it will break down the sugar and turn it into goo. Instead, oil, such as shortening or even glycerine, is the best way to introduce moisture back into the fondant. Try spackling a bit of fondant scrap kneaded with your oil of choice and rub it over the crack. It won't give you a seamless repair, but it will save your fondant from tearing further and falling off the cake. If your cracks are small enough, you can simply pinch the seams of the tear together, dab your finger with a little oil, and rub in a circular motion over the blemish until the fondant is whole.
Prevention is key
The trick to fixing cracked fondant is really preventing cracked fondant — if you can. The easiest way to avoid the icing from self-destructing is to create a proper foundation. If you have a sturdy, moist layered cake base you should be able to keep a disaster from happening with a simple crumb coat frosting.
Buttercream frosting is a beautiful thing. Easy to make and even easier to work with, it's actually one of the best ways to keep your fondant from splitting open. Fondant is fussy; if you don't provide it with ideal conditions, it will betray you. By adding a crumb-coat buttercream frosting layer under fondant you should be able to prevent the dreaded fondant crack. Note the crumb coat should be slightly thicker than normal because you're trying to balance moisture to better support the fondant. Take your time laying the fondant, take care with any creasing or bubbling, and it'll be smooth sailing.