How To Color Fondant

Fondant is a sweet and thick paste of sugar, water, and shortening that is used for cake icing. Fondant is soft and supple and resembles dough. It can be molded into a variety of shapes or can be rolled into sheets to decorate cakes. Coloring fondant is fun and easy if you know the right procedure. The choice of how to color fondant depends on what type of food coloring you are using. Before starting to color your fondant, first decide how much fondant you want to color and how you would like your end product to be. Food colors are available in different forms including pastes, gels, and powders. You can choose any of these types of color for your fondant. However, gel food coloring is the best as it mixes well with the fondant. If you wish to know more about how to color fondant perfectly, then here are some quick tips to your aid. Read the following sections for instructions and tips to help you in your fondant coloring endeavor.

Coloring Fondant

Things Needed

• Fondant
• Toothpicks
• Gloves
• Icing Color
• Wax Paper

• Take as much fondant as you need and place it on a wax paper. There is no harm in taking some extra fondant as it is difficult to measure the exact amount, and you might end up needing more fondant.
• Always wear gloves to avoid staining your hands with colors. Using latex free gloves is recommended.
• Take a toothpick and dip it into the icing coloring. Dab the toothpick in the fondant to spread the color. Repeat it for a few times till you have tinted most of the fondant.
• Once you have spread the color evenly, knead the fondant so that the color blends well with the fondant. The more you knead the fondant, the better the color will mix. Else, the color may form spots or streaks in certain areas and that is some that is not desirable.
• After kneading the fondant, if you feel the color is not dark enough, you may dab some more color with a fresh toothpick. Nevertheless, remember to wait for at least few minutes before you re-apply color. This will help you ensure that the color has spread evenly.
• You many either store the fondant in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator or apply it on your cake. The fondant usually takes a few hours to darken.

• Use gel food coloring and not liquid coloring that you get from the grocery store to color your fondant. Liquid food colors will make the fondant too wet and will not give you the desired consistency.
• Color more fondant than you will need. If you need more fondant for decorating your cake, it is not possible to match the color again. So, it is a good idea to make some extra fondant with coloring.
• Note that the fondant colors will darken slightly overnight and will fade if it is left in the light for a long time. So work accordingly with the fondant colors.
• It is easier to add colors to the fondant if it appears a bit pale, but difficult to take out the color. Therefore, it is a good idea is to start working with a little amount of color and go on adding it as required.
• Avoid storing colored fondant in the refrigerator for long, as the condensation can cause watermarks.
• If you are not wearing gloves, you may apply a little bit of oil or shortening to your hand to avoid them from being stained by the colors.