Fondant comes from the French word “fondre” which means “to melt” (as fondant melts in the mouth!). It is simply a thick paste made of sugar and water that is often flavoured or coloured. It is used for making sweets and for icing and decorating cakes.
How is fondant made:
Now that we know what fondant is let’s figure out how fondant is made. It’s made by mixing sucrose (sugar) in water. Boiling water can absorb twice as much sugar as room temperature water. Therefore, the best fondant is made when sugar is mixed in boiling water until it forms a super softball of cream.
Fondant used to give the cake a unique shape. After you have your cakes baked and want cut a shape with them, put this over them and hold them together in that shape. This creates many new possibilities.