Fondant Snowflake Cake

Isn't it so peaceful, this sparkly little snowflake cake? It's what a snowy day is supposed to look like.

If you want to make this cake with me, I will be teaching classes at a few community education locations around the Twin Cities that will teach you how to cover a cake with fondant and decorate it like this. A perfect wintertime activity with a few friends! (See below for class information.)

If you're ready to go it alone...

What You Need:
8" round cake baked & cooled
2-3 cups icing
Spatula
Approx. 20-24 oz. white fondant*
Wilton Pearl Dust (white, silver or blue)
Blue Gel Coloring
Clear Vanilla Extract
Rolling Pin
Vegetable Shortening (to grease rolling surface)
Roll & Cut Mat or Parchment Paper for rolling fondant
Food-Safe Paintbrush
Snowflake Cookie Cutters

*Note on Fondant: Please click these links to see my posts about
Making Fondant from Scratch
Making Marshmallow Fondant
Which Fondant is Best for Cakes

Start by coloring about 2/3-3/4 of your fondant a very pale blue. To color fondant, use a gel-based coloring, and add a little bit at a time, kneading the color until it is uniform throughout the fondant.
*Remember that you always want to keep fondant covered when you are not using it. Click the link to see my "Fondant 101" tips and information.

To cover the cake with fondant, you want to first cover the cake with a thin layer of icing.
*You could also make this cake without the fondant covering, and just use the fondant cut out snowflakes on a cake covered with icing... totally your call.

This will be an abbreviated tutorial on covering a cake with fondant. Click the link if you want to see my complete step-by-step tutorial on how to cover a cake with fondant.

Next, you'll want to roll the fondant out into a circle that has a diameter equal to: the diameter of the cake + 2x the height of the cake.
(For this cake, it is 6"x2", so I needed 6" + 2x(2") = 10" of fondant.

Drape the fondant over the cake. Smooth the cake down the side of the cake using your hand as you see in the photo above.
I prefer to raise my cake on a bowl or pan that is smaller around than the cake so that I can have better access to the fondant. To do this, you need to first place the cake on a round of cardboard that is equal to the size of the cake.

When you get the fondant smooth, use kitchen shears or other clean scissors to cut off the fondant that remains below the bottom of the cake.

If you end up with a few wrinkles or tears on the cake, no big deal! That's the beauty of this kind of cake, you can cover up any mistake with a snowflake!

Now for the snowflakes:

Roll the fondant to about 1/8" thick. Use snowflake cookie cutters to cut out the fondant. If it will drape over the sides or corners of the cake, be sure you place the snowflakes immediately. If you want them to dry out so that they can stand up, you will want to leave them out to dry for about 24-48 hours.
(Remember, though, that the ones you want flexible enough to wrap on the cake can not sit out for 24 hours!)

To add sparkle (to the cake and to the snowflakes), using a dry food-safe paintbrush, brush on pearl dust (also called luster dust). I tried the "shimmer dust" as well, it did not make it sparkle as well. And a wet paint brush will give you a very, very shiny look, almost metallic, which was too much for me.

To stick the snowflakes on to the cake, brush the back sides of the snowflakes with clear vanilla extract. You can also use vodka or everclear alcohol, but I prefer the flavor you get when you use the clear vanilla.

Now, if you want to make the cake with me, here are the links to the Community Education classes.
For each class, you must register ahead of the class, and you must bring some supplies with you. Please follow the links for more information.
Tuesday, Jan. 31: 6-8:30pm White Bear Lake South Campus 
Wednesday, Feb. 1: 6-8:30pm Sibley High School, West St. Paul

Click here for a more complete listing of my Cake Decorating Classes offered though Community Education programs in the Twin Cities.

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