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
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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.
Video
Nutrition
Jennifer K. says
This recipe is awesome...I know I did not measure out the ingredients precisely and it STILL was easy and came out delicious!!!
Blessing Joseph says
I was thrilled
kishin says
hello, how long is the shelf life of the fondant? And do i need to store it inside the fridge to prolong it? Thank you!
Elizabeth Marek says
Hi, all that info is in the blog post 🙂
Angel says
First time making Liz's LMF fondant today. It's "Da Bomb." My daughter kept eating the fondant scraps while I was finishing up my son's X-box controller cake. Not a fan of store bought fondant. Liz's recipe of incorporating fondant + marshmallow fondant, tastes SO GOOD and it was EASY TO WORK WITH...doesn't tear or dry out. My "go to" recipe from here on out. Thanks for sharing, Liz!!!!
Rupa says
Hey it’s going to be my first time trying to make and work with fondant. You mentioned using marshmallow fluff for a kosher recipe , how much of that do you use is it the same amount as the marshmallow?
Thank you can’t wait to try!!
Elizabeth Marek says
There is a link in the blog post for the exact recipe for DKF
Sasha says
Amazing
Cakeycakerson says
This recipe literally changed my life. I used to get anxiety when someone would order a fondant covered cake because it would take hours and tons of fondant because of the tearing and cracking. This weekend I had THREE fondant covered cakes and I was stressed. I tried this recipe yesterday and it took me 5 minutes to cover a cake. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to cry tears of joy. Thank you!
Kristina says
Can this recipe be made using pre colored fondant? I already have colored fondant but would like to make it taste better and be easier to use. Thank you.
Elizabeth Marek says
The pre-colored fondant will not improve the recipe in any way but you can use it if it's all you have
Laura S says
I just want to say this is the BEST fondant recipe!! From now on using store brought fondant for my cakes is out the door. This fondant taste so good and stretchy. I had no elephant tears and I didn't have to rush when applying the fondant to the cake. My application came out so smooth and had a wonderful finish. Thanks, Liz !! (also I wasn't able to find any of the brands you have listed there for marshmallows, I just used the stop and shop brand)
Danni says
This is such a good fondant! I’ve never made fondant before, I fact never made a birthday cake before. This recipe was so easy and tasted delicious. The cake eaters were very happy!
I left out the shop bought fondant and it still tasted perfect and easy to roll nice and thinly.
Christina says
Hey Liz! If I'm not able to get the store bought fondant, is it ok to make it without? Also, would that alter the amount of ingredients. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and technique!
Elizabeth Marek says
This recipe won't work without the storebought fondant
Nancy says
First time using fondant and it went perfect! One question, if I made my cake today but am not serving it for a couple days. How should i cover and store the cake?
Elizabeth Marek says
In the fridge
Becks E says
It just doesn't get better than this... Tastes amazing wirks beautifully..
Joy says
This is the third time I’m using this recipe and it always comes out great
Claire Wynne says
Hi , I would love to make your marshmallow fondant , however I live in the uk and we don’t have shortening, do you know what I could use as a substitute... would so love to try this as my daughter doesn’t like regular bought fondant but I’m sure she would love this.
Thank you 😊
Elizabeth Marek says
TREX is virtually the same thing in this case
CAROL says
I Desperately Need Help!!!!!, I Only Use Your Fondant, I Use All Shortening Buttercream because i live in the south and it works, I don't do very many fondant cakes but follow your channel and Must Say That i have learned a whole lot, Thank You So Much!!!!!, Last week i covered a cake using your upside down method did everything from start to finish & everything was perfect and beautiful, I left the cake covered in a box on my table in a cool room over nite to make the delivery the next morning, it started shagging to , I know this has nothing to do with your fondant, It has to do with me, What Did I do Wrong, Please Help Me, I Have A Order Coming Up for the week, the customer will pick it up on Saturday morning, she will be traveling at least 1 hour and half to the boat and the party will be celebrated on the boat, please help!!!!, Should i not be using all shortening buttercream??, I use sweet-ex, Please Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sugar Geek Show says
Hi! Thanks for all your support 🙂 Make sure to always chill your cakes in the fridge after applying fondant to prevent them from sagging. If you're nervous about the frosting, Italian buttercream is a very stable frosting. You can always replace half the butter with shortening and it should work just fine under fondant.
CAROL says
PLEASE HELP, THIS IS THE ONLY FONDANT I USE, I LIVE IN THE SOUTH AND IT'S HOT, SO I USE A ALL SHORTENING BASE BUTTERCREAM (SWEETEX), PLEASE TELL ME WHAT I DID WRONG, I FOLLOWED YOU INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FONDANT A CAKE USING THE UP-SIDE DOWN METHOD, I DID USE ACRYLIC CAKE DISC THAT I WATCHED YOU USE IN ONE OF YOUR TUTORIALS I USED THE (.25) AND I WAS PROUD OF MY SELF, I PLACED THE CAKE IN A BOX COVERED,IN A COOL ROOM FOR THE DELEIVERY THE NEXT MORNING, OVER NITE THE CAKE STARTED SAGGING AND LENDING TO ONE SIDE, I PANICKED STRAIGHTEN THE CAKE UP AND PLACED IN BACK IN THE FRIDGE, UNTIL IT WAS FIRM. THIS WEEK I HAVE ANOTHER CAKE, YOU HAVE REALLY CHANGED THE MINDS OF PEOPLE WHO HATE FONDANT, BECAUSE NOW THEY LOVE THIS FONDANT, THIS CELEBRATION WILL BE ON A BOAT RIDE, TRAVELING A LITTLE OVER ONE HOUR TO GET TO THE BOAT. SHOULD I NOT BE USING ALL SHORTENING???? SHOULD I NOT LEAVE THE FONDANT CAKE OUT OVERNITE?? PLEASE RESPOND!!!!!, THANK YOU, YOU MAY HAVE GOTTEN THIS 3 TIMES, MY COMPUTER KEEPS ACTING CRAZY.
THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!, YOU ARE TRUELY A BLESSING TO THE SMALL HOME BAKERS!!!
Emily Jung says
Hi! Make sure to always refrigerate your cakes, even when they have fondant on them. This will keep them safe while traveling. Check out my how to make your first cake blog post for more information!
Anika says
Probably dumb question but can this marshmallow fondant be used to make fondant accents as well or is it mainly to cover cakes? Wasn’t sure if it would dry hard like store bought fondant (specifically making things like mermaid tails, unicorn horns, ears and little dinosaurs...etc).
Elizabeth Marek says
If you want to sculpt with it you will need to add tylose powder or cmc to make it harden
Lisa A Costa says
I do not ever bake cakes nor do I decorate them, but I had a child meet a huge milestone in her life, and decided she needed a cake. No bakery could accommodate me, so I set out to make this cake that I had in my mind. I dont have a stand mixer vutnhad my hands and a pizza cutter.I used your recipe for the fondant and it turned out beautifully. I am so pleased, and I know she will be shocked that I made it myself. Thank you for your help!!
Emily says
Hi,
Love this recipe but it's been many years since I made a worthy cake. But now very excitedly planning my daughter's first birthday cake and wondering if could I use this recipe to make fondant animals and maybe a palm tree or two? (I've always used sugarpaste to make leaves in the past but she will undoubtedly try and eat them so thought fondant might be better!)
Thanks
Joy says
Hi,
I have a KitchenAid, but no dough hook. Is that okay?
Elizabeth Marek says
I wouldn't recommend using a paddle attachment because it can burn out your motor
Suzi Pintarelli says
Can I color the fondant after it’s been made (making a scrabble cake and need many colors)
Sugar Geek Show says
absolutely!
Dominique says
I found this recipe last night and it’s definitely the best fondant recipe ever! Thank you for sharing!
Tevia says
First time using fondant or making fondant for that matter... this recipe was SO easy and I was so proud of myself for venturing out of my comfort zone!
You make everything look so easy but you also show how to do things step by step which I love! Thanks for this recipe! I’m a new fan of your shows! LOVE Sugar Geek!
Beata says
This totally works and it wasn’t as hard as I expected! I did use Kraft jet puffed mini marshmallows bc I already had them at home. Not sure where I could find Winco brand marshmallows so I can’t compare the two. Idk if it’s the type of marshmallows I used but I did find the fondant to be a little dry. After mixing the marshmallow fondant with the premade (Wilton) fondant I found that it would tear easily when I tried to stretch it so I just kept dipping my fingers into shortening and working it in until I was able to stretch the mix like “taffy”. It honestly turned out even better than I expected (this was my first time working with fondant as well as making it!) And flavor wise this really is actually pretty tasty...I mean I’m not going to make a batch just to snack on but it’s the tastiest fondant I’ve ever tried.