Marshmallow Fondant Aura - Tutorial and Preview on Cupcakes

Working with fondant has always been intimidating to me, but it's just sugar dough. How scary can it be?

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I knew I wanted to get the courage to tackle the Fondant Monster, but I didn't want to purchase store-bought fondant. Instead, I decided to make a double batch of fondant and use it to decorate (a) cupcakes and (b) a big birthday cake for a special little one in my life.

I'm preparing a post on the cake and I'll post it in the next few days.

For now, here are some preview chocolate cupcakes with a cream cheese buttercream and rainbow fondant rose tops.

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Here is my first fondant experience and how to:

• make homemade marshmallow fondant
• use natural food dye to color it up pretty
• make little fondant roses for cute chocolate cupcakes

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Step 1: Combine 2 bags of mini marshmallows (16oz each) and 1/3 cup water in a bowl over a pot with a few inches of simmering water. (A makeshift double boiler)

Step 2. Heat it up, stirring occasionally, until all the marshmallow is melted.

Step 3. Add 4 lbs (yikes!) of powdered sugar, and stir to combine. Then get your hands in there and work to form a ball.

Step 4. Coat your hands with butter (what?!) and knead the ball until it is smooth and contains no lumps.

Step 5. If you want to color the fondant, cut the large ball into smaller ones and color each individually.

Step 6. Double wrap in plastic wrap overnight and leave at room temperature.

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Rainbow Roses

Here's how to make little (or big) rainbow colored roses out of marshmallow fondant.

Step 1. Make tiny balls out of the colored fondant.

Step 2. Flatten each of the little balls into a disk using your thumb or index finger. (Coat your hands with butter to make this a little less sticky of a process).

Step 3. Line up the disks, overlapping.

Step 4. Roll up the line to make a pretty little rose, and let it try overnight.

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For these cupcakes, I made a basic chocolate cake, but you could use your favorite cake recipe here.

I made a cream cheese buttercream:

• 2 sticks butter
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 t vanilla
• food color (optional)
• powdered sugar
• 1-3 T milk, as needed

Step 1: On medium speed, whip butter, cream cheese, and vanilla.

Step 2: Slowly add powdered sugar until the frosting is fluffy and creamy. Add color dropwise to reach whatever color you'd like (I did light pink).

Step 3. Adjust the consistency by adding powdered sugar or milk to thicken or loosen the frosting.

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These cupcakes were so cute for a little birthday party at school.

Good thing they were only dropped ONCE on the way there....(Not that I'm holding a grudge or anything.)

Overall, making and working with fondant to make cake decorations was time consuming but so worth it! I will share more in the cake post to come about my experience in covering a cake with fondant, which I'm still on the fence about. Fondant decorations were so fun to make (and eat!)

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Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please do check out my blog.

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Content and photos by @jaymorebeet, taken on 8/23 and 8/24/2017 with a Canon 7D Mark II.