Want a cake recipe to decorate with fondant? Keep it simple with a homemade Yellow or Chocolate cake or make it fancy and fill your cake with Chocolate Mousse!
What I love about this recipe:
Inexpensive: Store-bought fondant can be pretty expensive but this fondant recipe only costs about $2 for per batch (about 3lbs of fondant)!Fast: Only takes about 10 minutes to make homemade fondant!Texture: This fondant is perfectly smooth, pliable, and can be made any color you’d like! It is perfect for cake decorating!
How to make Marshmallow Fondant:
Microwave: Place marshmallows and water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave. Mix in Powdered Sugar: Grease your hands with shortening and use your hands to mix in powdered sugar with the melted marshmallow mixture. Knead: Grease your hands and your counter-top generously with shortening. Turn marshmallow mixture onto counter and start kneading it like you would dough. Add more powdered sugar as needed and re-grease your hands and the counter-top as needed until the dough is smooth and soft. 4. Add color (if desired) and Roll Out: Roll it out thinly (about ⅛ inch thick) for covering cakes or creating decorations.
How much Fondant do I need to cover my cake?
This recipe makes about 3 pounds (48 oz) of fondant. Here is a conversion chart to help you determine how much fondant you need to cover your cake.
Coloring and Storing Instructions:
To Color: Add a little icing color to your desired amount of fondant. Knead the fondant with your hands until it absorbs all of the color (I recommend wearing plastic gloves). Add more color as needed to reach the desired hue. To Store: Coat homemade marshmallow fondant with a thin layer of shortening then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a resealable bag with all the air squeezed out. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Recipe Variations:
Stovetop instead of microwave: Add water and marshmallows to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir well until melted. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar.Substitute large marshmallow: To substitute large marshmallows, use a 16 oz. bag of large marshmallows. Follow directions exactly, using a little more water and/or powdered sugar in step 6 to find the right consistency for a smooth dough.To use a stand mixer: If you don’t want to knead the dough with your hands, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook. First grease the bowl and the hook with shortening. Then dust the bowl gently with powdered sugar. Add marshmallows and slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar (about ½ cup at a time), mixing between each addition.
*I originally shared this recipe December 2013. Updated April 2020 and July 2022.
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