Gold Crackled Fondant Is A Beautiful Texture For Many Different Cake Applications
Gold crackled fondant is so beautiful and easy to make! All you need is some fondant, non-toxic or edible gold paint, everclear or rose water, confectioners glaze, a blow torch and a rolling pin! I love the beautiful effect the gold crackle has on a simple tiered cake or you can use it on sculpted cakes for a reptile scale or weathered look. Check out my cute sea turtle cake tutorial to see how this gold crackled fondant looks on a sculpted cake.
I first fell in love with the gold crackled look from that amazing work from Angela Morrison. Her technique uses gumpaste over fondant and is really beautiful as well!
How To Make Gold Crackle
Making gold crackle is easier than you think. Here are the supplies that you're going to need.
Gold Crackled Fondant Materials List
Fondant
Creme brulee torch
Confectioners glaze
Corn starch
Non-toxic gold or edible gold (note: if you use the edible gold paint then you don't need confectioners glaze)
Everclear, rosewater or lemon extract
Rolling pin
X-acto blade
Fondant smoother
Chilled Cake
How To Achieve Crackle Fondant On A Cake
First roll out your fondant to about half as thick as you normally would. Torch the surface with your creme brulee torch until the surface is nicely toasted. If there are any light spots, that place will not crackle.
Paint the surface with confectioners glaze then paint it with your gold/everclear mixture. Let dry completely to avoid the gold from flaking off when you crack it with your rolling pin.
Crackle your fondant by rolling it out with your rolling pin. Go in both directions. The more you roll, the bigger the cracks will be. I prefer to keep my cracks pretty small.
Now you can cover your cake in one piece or you can panel it depending on the final look you are going for.
Edible Crackle Paint
If you want to make a crackle that isn't gold, you can paint the surface of your fondant with food coloring and it will crackle the same way. I used black airbrush for this crackled fondant tutorial but you could use any type of food coloring. Just paint it on and let it dry. Edible artist decorative paints are great for this because it dries really fast.
For the inside of this cake I used my delicious vanilla cake recipe from scratch filled with easy buttercream frosting. I always make sure my cakes are fully chilled before covering with fondant.
Recipe
Ingredients
Gold Crackled Fondant
- 1 ½ lbs fondant
- 1 teaspoon confectioners glaze
- 2 teaspoon Non-toxic gold or edible gold
Instructions
Tools Needed
- Creme brulee torchCorn starch dusterRolling pinX-acto bladeFondant smootherChilled Cake
- Roll out fondant to half as thick as your normally do. Torch the surface of the fondant until it's brown and bubbly. Let cool.
- Brush the surface of the fondant with confectioners glaze. Combine your everclear and gold dust to make a paint. Paint over the glaze and let dry fully. At least 10 minutes.
- Use a bench scraper to loosen the fondant from the table and then using a rolling pin, roll out your fondant to the desired thickness. The more you roll, the thicker the cracks will be. I like thinner cracks.
- Cover your cake in one piece as you would normally or panel to keep the texture more intact.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Irma says
Has anyone attempted this technique with MMF?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I have with my LMF recipe
Faith says
I will give it a trial
Pilar arrias says
Hello, I loved IT. I have a cuestión. What do you use whit This non-toxic gold from Truly Mad Plastics to make the paint? Alcohol, water??
The Sugar Geek Show says
Grain alcohol, I use everclear
Amber S says
You say to roll the fondant half as thick as normal. But I think you mean twice as thick right? Since you'll be rolling it again it should be thicker.
This looks amazing and I will be trying soon.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Haha yes you are correct, sorry about that
Anne says
Wow this is amazing, cant wait to try this, one quick question after torching the fondant could you air brush with gold airbrush paint?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you could! Great idea
Pip says
Hi,
Love the gold crackle, but I was wondering do you have a photo of the same crackle affect in silver please. Really would love to use this on my daughters 21st cake but not sure if the silver will look as impressive as your gold. Thank you.
The Sugar Geek Show says
No I don't but I imagine it would look just as good
Pip says
Hi,
Thank you for replying.
The base cake is 8” round, what thickness fondant do you recommend to use on all your cake sizes please?
I have the brand satin ice in fondant.
Sorry for all the questions, is your cake crumb coated in butter cream and do you mine if you could give me the recipe for your butter cream. Last question could I crumb coat in white ganache and use your crackle fondant and if so do I need to dampen the outside for the ganache for the crackle fondant to stick. Thank you again
Pamela says
Hi, you are amazing, actually awesome cake decorator and I desperately need your advice. I love love your crackle affect but I only have Satin Ice fondant and need to know will I be able to get this same crackle affect using this Satin Ice fondant please? Did you use
The Sugar Geek Show says
You can use whatever fondant you want 🙂
Pamela says
So sorry but I was going to ask what is the name brand of the fondant you use with this crackle affect please?
The Sugar Geek Show says
It's my fondant recipe or you can use whatever brand you like to buy. I buy renshaw americas when I don't make my own
Anna R says
I imagine this wouldn’t work on a fondant- modeling chocolate mix? Versus just on fondant alone..?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I think the chocolate would melt