This fondant recipe is a favorite amongst hobby bakers and professional bakers alike. Soft, smooth, easy to. work with and so delicious! This fondant recipe is so good you won't ever have to buy expensive fondant again.
My fondant recipe (LMF fondant) was one of the first ever published back in 2010 back when I was still Artisan Cake Company and is still my most shared recipe.
Fondant is basically the edible playdough your eight-year-old self always wanted. If regular fondant is edible playdough then marshmallow fondant is edible clay. It's much more versatile, easier to use and much tastier (I don't recommend you eat clay though).
Marshmallow Fondant vs Regular Fondant
When I first started cake decorating as a hobby in 2008, the only fondant I knew about was Wilton. I didn't even know other brands of fondant existed. I didn't know it was hard to use because it was all I was used to. I just assumed it took 2-3 tries to cover a cake. This was also before social media and facebook groups so most of my caking came from pure struggle.
The first time ever attempted to make fondant was out of pure necessity. I had took on a last minute order and suddenly found myself without enough fondant to get me through my project! Cue panic mode! I looked up a recipe on how to make fondant and it required a ton of cooking and ingredients I didn't have. Ok strike one. I checked another "easy homemade fondant" recipe that only required two ingredients. Marshmallows and powdered sugar. EPIC FAIL. It cracked, tore and was really oily? Not sure how that is even possible. In desperation, I combined the failed fondant with about ½ pound of leftover wilton fondant. I mixed it up, rolled it out and was AMAZED at how easily it covered the cake! No tearing, no pock marks, no bubbles! And that's how my famous fondant recipe was born.
For even better results, try putting this fondant over the top of our white cake recipe and see how delicious the two work together.
Why Are You Adding Fondant To Fondant?
I get that question a lot. I get it. It seems a little backward to add fondant to a fondant recipe but hear me out.
It is possible to make marshmallow fondant without adding the pre-made fondant BUT it won't be as stretchy. It just won't. I know lot's of people who make marshmallow fondant without pre-made but it just doesn't perform as well and you're here to learn about the BEST homemade fondant out there right?
The reason for adding in the pre-made fondant is to improve the workability of the homemade fondant and you're basically making a cheap batch of fondant that may not perform or taste very good into a larger batch of high-quality, super yummy fondant.
What Is Fondant Made Of?
Store bought fondant can be made of many things but in general, it's made from sugar, flavorings and some sort of gum (to make it stretchy). Depending on the exact combination, your fondant texture can range from soft and sticky to chewy or even tough! I often tell anyone who says they don't like the taste of fondant that just likes cheap grocery store chocolate compared to couverture, quality matters. Not all fondant is made the same!
Anyone can tell you that good fondant DOES exist.
Marshmallow fondant doesn't have that many ingredients. Marshmallows provide the main structure. Marshmallows contain mostly sugar and gelatin. A little bit of vegetable shortening helps the fondant from drying out. The best part is that LMF works best when you use really cheap marshmallows which brings the price per batch down even further.
Does Fondant Really Taste Bad?
Fondant is one of those things that my clients used to tell me they HATED right before a wedding cake tasting. I would smile and nod and say "ok" but I knew that once they tasted my homemade marshmallow fondant recipe (dubbed LMF by fans) I would have them hooked. Nothing was more satisfying than handing them that little cutout of fondant and seeing the look on their face go from "I'm definitely not going to like this" to pure shock, then a little more chewing, a big smile, then finally "OMG this is really good!"
BOOM.
My marshmallow fondant has been my secret weapon for years and now it can be yours too.
Easy Fondant Recipe For Beginners
So you want to work with fondant but you're scared! I get it! A lot of beginners are nervous to work with fondant because they have heard how difficult it can be to work with! But you know what? The secret to success really is in making it yourself. If you are getting cracking, tearing, elephant skin, pockmarks, bubbles or even dryness, you're probably using store-bought fondant that is just plain bad.
If you really want to learn all about the basics of decorating cakes you can watch our series on Sugar Geek Show and if that doesn't hook you, our wedding cake basics series will!
This recipe is easy to make, doesn't take any fancy ingredients and works best right after you make it (still warm).
Can You Make Fondant Without Marshmallows?
One of the coolest things that ever came from my LMF recipe has probably been DKF (Danettes Kosher Fondant). My friend Danette can't eat gelatin so she devised a fondant recipe that is just as easy to make as LMF but uses marshmallow fluff instead of cheap marshmallows. It works just as well and is kosher!
Tips
Here are some other tips for working with homemade fondant. You can learn more about the basics of cake decorating in our basic cake decorating series.
- Roll your fondant thin. ⅛" is a good place to be so that your fondant doesn't tear, you can get those sharp edges and you get the most out of one batch.
- Chill your cakes before you cover them. Make sure your buttercream or ganache is nice and cold (but not frozen) before you cover the cake for best results.
- Roll your fondant out bigger than you need. A common beginner mistake is rolling out the fondant too small and then you get tons of ruffles and tears around the base of the cake. If you roll out a bigger piece, it practically covers itself.
- Condition your fondant before you use it. Unless you just made it, then always warm your fondant and knead it well until it's nice and stretchy. Cold fondant likes to tear.
- If you have multiple tiers to cover, cover the largest one first and make your way down to the smallest to get the most out of your fondant. One batch of LMF will cover a 10"-8"-6" round with a little bit leftover if you roll it out to ⅛" thick.
How Do You Color Fondant?
Once you master making your delicious homemade fondant recipe, you might want to color your fondant recipe. The key here is making sure you don't use too much food coloring. If you use too much it could cause ruin the consistency of your fondant and it will look like it it has little holes in it.
If you want a light color of fondant you can simply add a little color to your white fondant but if you want a super bright color or dark colors like black fondant or red fondant then you need to add the color during the process of making it for best results.
Tools
Kitchenaid mixer When I first started decorating, I had a simple second-hand KitchenAid. That's all you really need! This recipe works best when made in the classic size.
How To Make Fondant
- Microwave 1 lb of marshmallows in 30-second bursts until fully melted
- Add your water and pour melted marshmallows into the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached
- Add in your vegetable shortening
- Start adding in all your powdered sugar one cup at a time, leave one cup out
- Let your fondant mix on low until smooth, this can take 5 minutes or so
- Scrape the fondant out of the bowl with a spatula into your bowl of remaining powdered sugar
- Knead the mixture until all the powdered sugar is incorporated
- Heat up your store bought fondant for 30 seconds and add it to the marshmallow fondant
- Knead until fondant can be stretched like taffy without breaking
To make this recipe, you'll need a little store bought fondant. It doesn't have to be Wilton but that's what I have available here and is super cheap BUT you can get it for even cheaper if you use a coupon. I get my fondant from either Jo-Anns or Michaels and there is always a coupon either online or in the app. You're going to want to buy the big box (5 lbs) and then use a coupon to get 40% off. You can sign up to get coupons right in the app or on the website. Each 5 lb box will make FOUR batches of fondant and is much cheaper to buy the big box than to buy one small box.
You can also buy fondant on Amazon and sometimes it's cheaper than buying it in person even with a coupon and you get free shipping with Amazon Prime.
Next thing is the marshmallows. I buy mine from Winco but if you don't have a Winco, just look for the cheap store brand marshmallows. Jet-puff tends to be too tough for me and dry. You'll need a 1 lb bag. At my Winco one bag costs .87!
Those are the main ingredients of making marshmallow fondant that tastes amazing and doesn't tear or get dried out. If you have a question go ahead and leave it in the comments for me and don't forget to watch the video in the recipe to see how I make my marshmallow fondant recipe.
Other recipes you'll love
The best vanilla cake recipe
How to cover a cake in fondant
Easy buttercream frosting recipe
Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 32 oz powdered sugar sifted (also called icing sugar, confectionary sugar)
- 16 oz marshmallows WinCo, Hy-Top, Aldi, and Campfire brands work best
- 20 oz Wilton fondant Satin Ice fondant will also work
- 2 tablespoon warm water For dark colors, use 1 tablespoon warm water and 1 tablespoon food color gel
- 4 oz vegetable shortening Also called white vegetable fat, trex, copha
Instructions
How to make fondant
- Sift the powdered sugar and set aside in a large bowl.
- Place vegetable shortening in a stand mixer bowl.
- Heat marshmallows for 40 seconds in the microwave on high (or on stove top). Stir with spoon.
- Place marshmallows back into microwave and heat for another 30 seconds (or on stove top). Stir with spoon.
- Heat marshmallows (last time!) for 30 seconds in the microwave (or on stove top).Marshmallows should be ooey-gooey at this point and ready to be added to the mixer bowl. Pour your water on top of the marshmallows to get them to release from the sides of the bowl. Pour into bowl with vegetable shortening
- Turn stand mixer on lowest setting (setting 1 on Kitchenaid stand mixers) with dough hook attachmentAdd in half of your sifted powdered sugar, a measuring cup at a time, and let mix for 2 minutes. It will be really rough looking at first
- Don't stop mixing until it's sticking to the sides of the bowl and looks smooth. Add in another cup of powdered sugar.
- Pull fondant off the dough hook attachment by putting vegetable shortening on your fingers and pulling it off the hook.
- Take the soft mixture out of the bowl and put it into the large bowl with the rest of the powdered sugar.
- Warm the Wilton fondant in the microwave for 40 seconds and add to the large bowl with the powdered sugar and marshmallow mix.
- Knead until powdered sugar, marshmallows and Wilton fondant is mostly incorporated. You may not use all of the powdered sugar depending on your climate and that is completely fine.
- Pull fondant like taffy until it is stretchy and smooth. If there are still rough spots or it's tearing, put everything back in the microwave for 30-40 seconds to make it really hot and pull like taffy with shortening on your hands until it pulls without breaking
- Store in a zip-lock bag at room temperature. Fondant will keep for months in a zip-lock bag. To use again, reheat and knead well until stretchy before each use. You can add color as desired but for dark colors, you should add them during the mixing process or you could get a sticky mess.
Vicki says
Oh how I wish I could get pre-made fondant but I live in rural northern Japan. So Can I just do your marshmallow recipe instead and do the best that I can?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Not for this recipe, maybe try another recipe that does not use the pre-made fondant
Tonya Rabideau says
Hi there! Thank you so much for your recipe! I would like to know that since the fondant stays soft, how well does it work for stenciling? Does the stencil leave an imprint? Can it be chilled to firm it up?
The Sugar Geek Show says
If your cake is chilled you can stencil on it no problem
Tonya Rabideau says
Thank you so much for your reply! I guess I should have asked first....I am dusting with a pearl dust and then stenciling a damask design on with royal icing. If I chill the cake after putting on the fondant and luster dust, will the stencil then stick to the cake? Or is it just make sure the room is cold and be quick? I have never stenciled or dusted an entire cake before and I am quite nervous.
Karen says
I made your fondant and I love the taste and how easy it was to make. My fondant came out a little sticky. So reading here I now know what to do. Thank you so much Liz, your wonderful and so fun to watch. Lol
blueiris says
Thank you so much for this. I can't wait to try it. One question, though: When you soften the store-bought fondant in the microwave, how much power should you use? I have a fancy microwave that offers all sorts of cooking and reheating/softening/melting options, like melting butter or softening cream cheese. Should I use one of those options or just use "cook," which I imagine is "high." Many thanks!
The Sugar Geek Show says
I don't use any special options just punch in the time and go
Tonya Rabideau says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It was very easy to make and use. My cake turned out beautifully.
Jean Witte says
I have now tried tis twice and each time it goes like elephant skin when I add the store bought fondant. What am I doing wrong please?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Im not sure, maybe your area is a little dry? Try adding a little more water and make sure you're heating the fondant until it's hot and then pulling like taffy 🙂
Nikki H says
Thank you so much for this, this recipe literally saved my life last night ?? It tastes amazing, I was one of those ‘I don’t like fondant people’ but not any moreeee!!!!!! I will never use ready to roll fondant again! Thank you! ???
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yay! I know how you feel! I was like that too!
Danielle S says
I have a question. If I needed to put my finished cake in the fridge how would this fondant hold up when it came back out? I live in Australia and am finding fondant difficult to use. I noticed in one of your tutorials (shark on) you had put It in the fridge but everything else I have read on fondant says to never refrigerate. Feeling a bit confused ?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Condensation does not hurt the cake. Just let it dry and it will be fine 🙂 Put a fan on it if it's really humid
Barbara Hale says
Just came across your site and am thrilled to have found you. You are very generous am I am anxious to try your fondant. Thanks so much.
Barbara Hale says
Just came across your site and am thrilled to have found you. You are very generous am I am anxious to try your fondant. Thanks so much. I have not done cake decorating in some time and am anxious to start again. I love making figures.
Carmen Quinquilla says
Hi! How resistant is your mashmallow fondant to humidity-heat? Thanks for answer.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Very resistant and if you use white chocolate ganache under the fondant, your cake won't sweat at all
Kerry says
I made my fondant two days ago and it has been sitting wrapped on the counter. I am ready to use it tonight, should I heat it in the microwave, and if so, for how long.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Heat until it's warm 🙂 Every microwave is different. For me I do 45 seconds because I have a very powerful microwave, yours could be more or less.
Sheryl says
Can you add colored fondant
The Sugar Geek Show says
If you read the post you can see I suggest not adding colored fondant since it adds to the overall cost of the fondant which negates making it yourself 🙂
Karen Knapp says
I found this recipe last year. I'd never used fondant before, so I practiced on my husband's birthday with a camping themed cake. The recipe is so easy & accurate, I was able to use it to make a DC Superhero Girls half Harley Quinn/ half Poison Ivy cake. My family hates the taste of fondant, but they all beg for more of the LMF! The girls are begging for another fondant cake for their birthday this week. I appreciate your willingness to share so I can make cakes my kids love! Thank you.
Deborah Rhodes says
How can I heat the store bought fondant without a microwave?
The Sugar Geek Show says
You can't but you can knead it with your hands, it will take a lot longer.
Abrie says
I have used your LMF for several cake. Now I need to use fluff can you advise How much marshmallow fluff can be used in place of the marshmallows? Can it is used on an ice cream cake and frozen with the cake. What is the recommendation when serving the ice cream cake. Thank you.
The Sugar Geek Show says
I would not recommend covering an ice cream cake with fondant. That is a recipe for a melty disaster lol.
For using the fluff check out the DKF recipe. https://www.theshortcakes.com/single-post/2015/11/05/DKF-Danettes-Kosher-Marshmallow-Creme-Fondant
Sal says
What can you sub to replace the store bought fondant? I just don’t want to use it. Tylose? Glycerin?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Nothing 🙂 If you don't want to use the fondant then you'll have to try a scratch fondant recipe. There are many out there.
Rae says
So, you recommended adding the coloring to the melted marshmallows before adding the powdered sugar. If I then add the white store bought fondant, won't that "fade" the color? And would I just knead the fondant until color is incorporated through the store bought fondant. I got a week and a day to figure this all out before I need to start working on the cake decorations. LOL My daughter asked for a very complicated birthday cake......I generally just use my mom's frosting recipe, but I need it to be more detailed, smooth edged than what I can do with the frosting.
The Sugar Geek Show says
No, it's kind of added the same time. Yes the color might lighten a bit but then darken over night. The only reason you need to color fondant while making it is if you need a very dark color otherwise you can just add color like you would store bought fondant.
Laura says
I love this recipe! But now for my next cake I need dark colors but several different ones .. I suppose I’ll just knead the color in after and hope for the best ? Would you add just 1 tbl water and then after kneading split and color with the dark colors? I need three colors as I’m making a book cake. Do you think one batch would fully cover 3 rectangles that are 8x6x3 inches? Thank you so much for this fondant recipe ?
The Sugar Geek Show says
If you need several dark colors then I would make half batches of the dark colors. If you try and knead it in after the the fondant is made then you risk breaking the fondant.
Janice Helton says
I love this recipe. Great for beginners. But mine is chewy. What do I need to do?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Have you ever had fondant before? It's always chewy 🙂
Jody-Ann Clarke says
Firstly thank you so much for sharing. I prayed to increase my knowledge of cake art and improve my skills and my cursor just clicked on links that led straight to you! I am living in Jamaica where its hot most days. On the others, we get rain. i find that the fondant i use (SATIN ICE) works best on a hot day versus rainy, and if the cake is refrigerated before covering then it sweats shortly after coming out so much that appliques will slide off. I haven't tried ganache as yet but have found that air drying shortening based buttercream will give a smooth enough finish and no issues with condensation. Do you think LMF can work the same way?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Def try white chocolate ganache, it's the best for humidity. All fondant will get sticky in extreme humidity unless you can work in a room that is running a de-humidifier and is air conditioned. I hope that helps!
Chrystal says
Hi, the recipe lists 2 tbsp of water but in the video you say 3 tbsp. I was just wondering which is correct or if it doesn't make that much of a difference. Thanks!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Hi, this recipe has been adjusted since wilton changed their recipe to make it softer so now we use less water. Thanks!
Louise Gould says
Hi. Does this recipe work with kosher marshmallows? They contain fish gelatin instead of normal beef or pork gelatin?
Thanks
The Sugar Geek Show says
In my experience no but you can use marshmallow fluff which is kosher
Stephanie says
Do I need to do anything special when I get ready to roll this fondant out?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I always re-heat the fondant and pull it like taffy until it's stretchy again before rolling it out unless it's freshly made then you can roll it out right away.
Teresa says
Hi, your recipe is the best, what i want to know is it possible to make the fondant recipe without adding that from Wilton Fondant?
The Sugar Geek Show says
No you can only make a recipe this way by adding the small amount of fondant