Fondant is an edible sugar “dough” that can be used to cover cakes that have been frosted with ganache or buttercream for a beautifully smooth finish.
Fondant is also very versatile in that it can be embellished with embossed rollers or mats, as well as crimpers for added texture. You can also pipe delicate designs onto fondant covered cakes and cupcakes using royal icing or a crusting buttercream frosting.
Most fondant recipes are sensitive to moisture and so royal icing and crusting buttercream frostings are great options when piped accents are needed as they set nice and dry.
This marshmallow fondant recipe is popular because it is so inexpensive to make, and it tastes like marshmallows! Over the years we have tried many different recipes.
We actually use Liz Marek fondant most often, which is a combination of pre-made fondant and marshmallow fondant. You can find this recipe here: Liz Marek Fondant.
While we use Liz Marek fondant most often, we wanted to keep this simple Marshmallow Fondant on our site as well since it is a great option for those who want to experiment with fondant but don’t want the expense of purchasing pre-made.
If you would like to experiment with figure modeling, you can knead in a bit of tylose powder so that the figures will be stronger and dry more quickly.
Marshmallow Fondant
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup shortening (48g.) (plus a little extra for greasing your bowl)
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla (optional)
- 2 Tablespoon water
- 2 lb. (907g) bag of powdered sugar
Directions
- Grease the inside of a microwave safe bowl with shortening.
- Put marshmallows, vanilla, and water into bowl
- Microwave it on high for 60 seconds. Stir (with greased spoon). Continue heating in 30 second intervals until marshmallows have melted.
- Stir in your shortening.
- Put your powdered sugar into the bowl and combine powdered sugar, shortening, & marshmallows with a greased spoon. As it gets harder to stir, you will need to use your hands. Grease your hands with shortening first.
- You will knead and fold, incorporating the sugar as best you can.
- You may find it easier to knead on a countertop greased with a little shortening.
- *You may not need the entire amount of confectioners sugar. Once the fondant stops accepting the sugar, and the consistency seems right (not too sticky or overly soft), it's ready!
- Finally, form your fondant into a ball, grease it with a light coating of shortening, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and then into freezer bag or airtight container. Let it rest for several hours or overnight. It will last at room temperature for several weeks.
- **Always keep MMF that you are not using wrapped in plastic wrap. To revive hardened fondant, microwave it in 5 second intervals until soft again, or knead in a small amount of glycerin (often sold in cake supply shops)
Notes:
Before rolling out your fondant, you should prep your countertop with a light coating of vegetable shortening to prevent sticking (Some decorators use powdered sugar or corn starch but we prefer shortening unless the fondant is very soft.)
When covering cakes or making cut-outs, I roll my fondant to approximately 1/8 inch thickness.
I rarely use all of the powdered sugar that the recipe calls for. Once your fondant is the right consistency, you no longer need to try to fold more sugar into it. Fondant will be a consistency a little thicker than play-doh.
Form your fondant into a ball, grease it with a light coating of shortening, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and then into freezer bag or airtight container. Let it rest for several hours or overnight. It will last at room temperature for several weeks.
**Always keep MMF that you are not using wrapped in plastic wrap. To revive hardened fondant, microwave it in 5 second intervals until soft again.
*Marshmallow fondant doesn’t do well in the refrigerator or freezer. Decorations may wilt and will become very shiny. If you must refrigerate your cake, you may wish to use pre-made fondant instead, or Liz Marek’s recipe as mentioned above.
However, if you must refrigerate, and the cake begins to sweat once removed from the refrigerator, do not touch it (as this may leave finger prints.) Instead, place it in front of a fan or over a vent so that the condensation will dry more quickly.
We hope that you enjoy the recipe!
Marshmallow Fondant
1/4 cup shortening (48g.) (plus a little extra for greasing your bowl)
16oz. (470g) mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon clear vanilla (optional)
2 Tablespoon water
2 lb. (907g) bag of powdered sugar
Instructions:
- Grease the inside of a microwave safe bowl with shortening.
- Put marshmallows, vanilla, and water into bowl
- Microwave it on high for 60 seconds. Stir (with greased spoon). Continue heating in 30 second intervals until marshmallows have melted.
- Stir in your shortening.
- Put your powdered sugar into the bowl and combine powdered sugar, shortening, & marshmallows with a greased spoon. As it gets harder to stir, you will need to use your hands. Grease your hands with shortening first.
- You will knead and fold, incorporating the sugar as best you can. You may find it easier to knead on a countertop greased with a little shortening.
I also add a tbsp of glycerin to my marshmallow fondant. It just seems to make the flexibility of the fondant much better.
michelle—you stated that this mmf doesn’t do well in the frig or freezer but it it ok to cover a cake with and let set in the refrig?
This is really nice,pls how I make the (the general fundal) without marshmelow in it, Do I just need to mmix the icing sugar with just water?
I seem to have a difficult time with MM fondant and getting my bows and figures to firm up. I’ve tried Tylose mixed with my MM but they still don’t ever really firm up and hold a good shape, ie: bows etc. Do you prefer to use the Satin Ice for bows and other decor that needs to hold its shape? I resort to Wilton fondant as it is great for bows, but not so great for eating.
One more question…how long can I prepare a cake with MM fondant prior to a delivery? I am just getting started in making some cakes for a small business and want to be sure I am on top of everything. I am guessing that a cake covered in vanilla buttercream and fondant is safe for at least two days? Is that right? I don’t want to chance it and put in refrig as I know the effect of MM and the refrigerator. It’s not a good outcome.
Hi Stacy–thanks for your questions. I usually use gum paste (Satin Ice) for bows and for figure modeling. I like the strength of gum paste–and for bows, I can roll my ribbons/loops much thinner. If I need to make a bow or figure that uses a lot of red or black, I’ll use pre-colored fondant and knead in tylose. For convenience I started buying my fondant pre-made, although many of our members love MMF for the flavor and the fact that it is inexpensive to make.
I usually like to eat cakes by the third day- If you have a cooler room in your house, just keep it in there. I can refrigerate Satin Ice with no problems…but MMF I’ve had mixed results with refrigerating. So, I think your best bet (at least until you have time to experiment a little) is to keep at room temp or in a cool room.
Can you use MMF for figure sculpting? Or is it just to cover cake?
Hi there–Yes, I have used MMF for figure sculpting. Gum Paste is my first choice for figure modeling because it dries quickly…but in my early days of decorating, I used MMF often for modeling and had good results. You can add tylose (or CMC or even gum tex) if it seems a little too soft. Have fun!
Tysm :)i
Hi! I read that i can keep MMF in plastic bag in the fridge, but for how long?? 2-3-4 weaks?? Because i have a cake to do in febuary, and the next one is in April and i wanted to know if i can keep the extra mmf for that long???
Sorry for my english!
Thank you!
Hi. I was just reading that you can add about 1/2 tsp of cookie emulsion to marshmallow fondant and it tastes great. Just wondering if anyone has done this.
Tara 07628 – That’s a great question! I was just recently looking at emulsions at the Rolling Pin and was wondering how well they work with fondant – not just MMF but Satin Ice as well! Please let me know if you have any experience with this!
Is it better just to purchase premade rolled Fondant? I’ve had friends that bake a lot & try to make it themselves and they said it didn’t turn out well.They told me to buy satin ice because it was the best tasting and easy to work with. Any suggestions?
I tried this tonight and after all the sticky, not that great taste I think I will just use this in a crunch. It has been on my Cake bucket list so I can cross it off.
I have made this many times and have had no problems. However, I do want to know what the optimum finished consistency should be once the powdered sugar has been added. Should it be the same consistency as store bought fondant or will it be a bit more pliable since it is homemade? It has been quite some time since I’ve messed around with Play Doh!! :)
Hi, yes, I think it is a bit softer than store bought fondant.
Hi, I was wondering if anyone has tried Michele Foster’s fondant recipe from cake central? I’ve used it twice now and I love it. It is a lot of steps to make but in the end it is so worth it.
Hi, this is probably a stupid question, but I live in Australia & I think we have different names for some things, so I was wondering what is shortening? and Tylose? Thanks :-)
Hi Vicki, it is a vegetable fat that remains solid at room temperature. This would be a good question to post on the forum. We have a number of members from Australia so I’m hoping they can tell you what brands are available there.
Tylose is a fine powder that we add to our fondant to make it more like gumpaste. Sometimes you need your fondant to be just a bit firmer for certain projects. We use gumpaste when modeling figures, making bows, flowers. It is edible, but no one eats it because it dries so hard and taste terrible. We usually buy pre-made gumpaste
hi!! im a new classmate from Colombia, my first lenguage is spanish, so please excuse my mistakes. i want to ask, do you have a great fondant (rolled fondant) recipe to share whit me? i’m starting a small cake bussiness, so i’ll be thanfull if you can helpme. thank’s!!!!
Hi Candelaria, your English is fine. I have no problem reading your question.
If you google Carrie Biggers fondant you will find a recipe online. I have tried it and think it is good. Many people also like Michelle Fosters fondant recipe.
Will you be able to find all the ingredients in Colombia?
Hi,
I’m new to your site and also to the world of cake decorating.
This recipe asks for 2T of water. Is this 2 tablespoons?
Hi Deanne–I’m sorry, we are in the process of changing these over to cut down on confusion ;0)—- T=tablespoon, and t=teaspoon.
Hi Lisa, yes, you can bake your layers now and freeze, just be sure to wrap properly. Wrap each layer in plastic wrap then wrap in aluminum foil. You can also make your MMF in advance. Coat the outside thinly with Crisco, veg. shortening , wrap in plastic wrap and store in a plastic bag….press most of the air out of the bag before sealing, the refrigerate for 2 weeks, probably longer.
I have been making my own fondant for a while now. I let my mixer do most of the work. Check out the video on Youtube put out by the TwistedSifter. I also use 1/2 cup shortening , 2 pounds of powdered sugar, 16 oz mini marshmallows, 3 Tblsps of Water, 1 tsp clear vanilla, 1 tsp clear butter flavoring, and 1 Tblsp light corn syrup. If you have access to a commercial size mixer, let the dough hook knead your fondant for a couple of minutes. Works great!
I add about a baseball sized clump of Satin Ice to 1 1/2 pounds of my home-ade fondant and it rolls out nice and smooth.
Hi Wanda, thanks for posting your recipe.
Hi,
Do you use this MMF in your videos that require fondant?
Hi kyukee, for convenience we use pre made Satin Ice.
Hey Melissa, I made the MMF tonight for the first time and it turned out awesome..instead Of kneading by hand, I used the dough hook on my kitchen-aid..so much easier!
I love your site!! You are my go to when ever I’m making my cakes..
Thanks so much :-)
Hi Melissa, I got my second order of wedding cake but this is the first time I’ll be using a fondant frosting. Does Satin Ice have a pre-colored fondant in the shade of off-white or cream? If there is none, what color do I use to achieved the said color.
Okay, so I’ve just realized something that may make a difference with my mmf…adding the shortening to the melted mm. Will try that next time, I just usually have it to the side and use it liberally when kneading. Trying to help a friend making and using mmf for the first time.
Hi Maria, we are just seeing your question. There was a period in November when we were not receiving notification of questions posted in certain areas of the site. I’m sorry, and you have probably already found your answer, but Satin Ice does have a pre-made Ivory color that is nice.
Hi Joann, yes, that should make a difference.
Hi Elizabeth, if you are going to color the entire amount of fondant, stir in the color before adding the powdered sugar. If you don’t want to color the entire batch, you will complete making the fondant then break off portions and knead in your color. Remember that color will intensify over a few hours.
I have noticed that my MMF is turning out shiny. Is this normal? If not what do I need to do differently?
Hi, Melissa! I was wondering if you could respond to my question? I have a cake order coming up and would like to get my issue fixed soon. Thanks so much! I am a new member and am enjoying your site so much. :)
Hi Kelly, I’m sorry this was overlooked and I’m glad you posted a reminder.
Your MMF shouldn’t be shiny, if there is a shine it would be a soft satin shine. It sounds as though you may be using too much shortening on your hands or countertop. Do you use The Mat? When using The Mat one side of the fondant will look more shiny. You could dust your completed cake with powdered sugar and smooth it in with your fondant smoother to dull the shine.
Did you see the topic on the Forum this week posted by Spooky_789 on making MMF? She posted this link, link to youtube.com Melissa and I tried it this week and it does make a fondant that is very easy to work with. We also liked the fact that you could make it and use immediately…..no waiting period
Let me know if you think too much shortening is the issue.
Thanks for the response. I will make sure to use less shortening next time and see if that resolves my issue. Thank you for the tip and I will check out that link :)
I do not have Gum Paste where I am. Is there a recipe for it? I have seen where we can add the CMC powder to the fondant but have not seen how much to add. How do we know how much CMC to add to the fondant? Thanks
Once I find out how much CMC powder to add to the fondant to made Gum Paste, how is it stored? How long will it last? I wanted to make maybe a pound or two then just color it and use it as I need it. What works best?
Thanks
Hi Ruth– Re: the amount of tylose (or CMC) that you can add to the fondant in order to create a gum paste consistency– I usually eyeball it and go by the way that it feels. You can feel the consistency change as you work it in. I also don’t make large amounts of this fondant “gum paste” at a time…I’m always working in fairly small amounts. I usually use Gum Paste Satin Ice, but when I need deep colors (like red for example), I will use pre-colored fondant and knead in tylose. 2-3 rounded teaspoons or approx one tablespoon of tylose per pound of fondant should give you a consistency that is close to gum paste. However, you can start with a little less and then add more until you’ve reached a good level of elasticity and the fondant is easy to model and holds it’s shape nicely, etc.
Once finished, you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and a zip lock, and store it in an airtight container. It should be fine for at least a month or two!
Also, if you’d like to look into making your own, you can search the internet for Carrie Biggers or Nicholas Lodge’s gum paste recipes–those are two popular homemade versions. Good luck!
what is the best way to add color to this fondant?
Hi Lisa, we add a small amount of Americolor Gel Color at at time to the fondant to achieve the color we need when using this recipe. For dark colors such as black or red it is best to buy pre made, we use Satin Ice most often.
One of the members on the site shared this link link to youtube.com to Elizabeth Marek’s Youtube video of her recipe for MMF. We have tried it and like it very much. She makes hers using the dough hook of her mixer…..adding color to the mixer if you are coloring an entire batch. The fondant has a nice elasticity.
I’ve never had any luck with BLACK fondant, so I’ve avoided using it whenever possible. I always make my own Marshmallow fondant, but for some reason black gel and fondant always ended in up in a sticky mess for me…until I found the following recipe!! Not only does it taste INCREDIBLE, I actually only needed a VERY small amount so I broke the recipe down so that I ended up with only a ‘tennis ball’ size amount of fondant. I prefer to make my fondant’s fresh, though they store very well for later use. Here’s the link to the fabulous TRUE BLACK FONDANT. link to cakecentral.com
I was apprehensive using it when I read that one of the ingredients was corn syrup…I never use corn syrup in my regular mmf.
btw…my breakdown for a smaller amount was 1 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows, 1/8 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, 1/2 TBSP Karo, 1 tsp Vanilla (my version), 1/2 TBSP water, approx. 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. black gel (I use Americolor).
I have been pretty fortunate with home made MMF, I do not add shortening to it but, I should try it next time. I have covered cakes with it, make figures like penguins, owls and even the baby that Melissa has on the baby shower cake and they have stayed fine. I have also kept my MMF double wrapped in plastic and stored in zip lock bags in my refrigerator in my garage for weeks until I need it to cover cakes and such, and so far so good, I have had no problems refrigerating it. I have also made cakes with it the day before delivery and have had no problem.Thought I share this with all of you.
what does satin ice pre made fondant tastes like?
Can you give us ur recipe for gum paste and fondant without marshmallow.
Thanks.
Hi
Sorry English weighing question, how much is 1/4 cup of shortening in grams? X
Hi Laura, 48grams
Thanks for the recipe Malissa. a couple of questions…should the shortening be at room temperature? also, are you saying we should not put the entire 2 lbs of icing sugar at the same time? to gradually add it in till the right consistency is reached?
thanks xx
Hi Malissa, my MMf became very hard and leathery. i keeps shrinking back when i tty to roll it out.can you please tell me what i have done wrong. it looked very nice and pliable when i made it. sealed it, kept it over night, now now when i want to work with it, its just not pliable. ive tried adding shortening, but no use.
thanks
Hi Seema, It could be that more powdered sugar was added than needed or it somehow dried out overnight. Was your bag of marshmallows 16 oz. (470g)?Did you try softening it up in the microwave….just a few seconds at a time? Since adding shortening did not help, if you can soften it in the microwave, you can add 2 to 3 teaspoons food grade glycerine or corn syrup to help with pliability. I’m sorry that it did not turn out for you, I know how frustrating that can be. We have recently been making our fondant using Marshmallow Fondant plus adding Wilton pre-made fondant. It has great elasticity. It is Liz Merek’s recipe, here is a link link to artisancakecompany.com she has a video on this link showing how she makes it.
Hi Melissa & BeBe,
Is there a way to speed up the drying process of fondant? Is putting your pieces in a warm oven a bad idea?
Thanks
Hi Jennifer, We don’t recommend a warm oven because we worry that pieces could melt, especially if using marshmallow fondant. I have read that some bakers have success drying pieces made with commercial fondant in the oven with just the oven light on and the door slightly open. When we are in a hurry we put our fondant pieces in front of a fan, the air movement over the pieces does speed the drying time. If your fondant has Tylose powder or gum paste kneaded into it, the drying time will be shorter.
In your experience, whats the coverage for this amount of fondant? How many rounds will it cover?
Hi Tara, We use the Wilton fondant chart as a guide, link to wilton.com Our favorite fondant to use the Liz Merek recipe, link to artisancakecompany.com
Hi melissa.. I’m sorry if I’m being a pain :-( But I truly love your site and i’ve learned so much and I can’t believe the things I can do with your help (and BeBe ;) ) I made the fondant and it turned out beautifully!!! BUT.. when I went to make the bow you have on tutorial, the curly pieces crumbles when I tried to insert it into the ball of softened fondant. I might not have rolled it out thin enough?? It feels “hard” but when I pick it up they still flop a little and crumble at the bottom. It’s been 1.5 days. Is that just not long enough?
Also, is there a trick to getting the fondant and the icing to match? One is always lighter than the other.. or o you just have to play around with it?
I have my double barrel (first ever) cake in the freezer firming up and i’m rolling out my fondant :-) wish me luck. You’re the best.. thank you so much!!!
Just made this for the first time as I’ve always been intimidated to try making it…IT CAME OUT WONDERFULLY…. will see how it does now when I put it on the cake…
Hi Cynthia, I am glad the recipe worked well for you. I just wanted to say that now Melissa and I almost exclusively use the Liz Merck Marshmallow Fondant recipe. Here is the link, link to artisancakecompany.com and the written recipe is below the video. We find it to be much easier to use.
Hello Melissa, I was wondering, can you use marshmallow fluff instead of the mini marshmallows?
Hi Paula, I’ve never tried substituting marshmallow fluff. I would go with a recipe that specifically calls for marshmallow fluff to be on the safe side. If you google it, you’ll see a few…here’s one example (but I’ve never tried it):
link to missanthropistskitchen.wordpress.com
*As a side note, if you’ll be working with fondant often, you may be interested in Liz Marek’s recipe. (A quick google search will pull it up as well as her video). It is a combination of marshmallow fondant & store bought fondant and has a nice consistency. It’s what we use most often. I hope this helps!
Thanks Melissa!!! I’m going to try the fluff!!! I’ll let you know how it works!!!!!