How To Store Fondant Decorations

Why bother about how to store fondant decorations?

Here’s one reason; there are times when you have cake orders that need a lot of fondant decorations. Decorations such as fondant flowers take a lot of time. As such you might need to prepare the decorations ahead of time. In such cases, you need to know how to store these fondant decorations.

Another reason why it is important to know how to store fondant decorations is for those times when you have leftover fondant decorations from a project. Trust me those leftovers come in handy in emergency cake decoration.

 

How To Store Fondant Decorations – Tips From Experience and Experts 

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In answering the question of how to store fondant decorations, we conducted some research. In this segment, we have compiled the result of that research coupled with our own experience.

(i) Allow the pieces to dry properly; ensure that there is no iota of moisture in the pieces. It is best to dry your flowers upside down so that the blooms would retain their shapes.

(ii) Place some rice paper or tissue paper all over an airtight container before placing the pieces carefully in the container. You can also put some pieces of white bread in the container; this would help to absorb moisture. This is especially great for regions with high humidity.

(iii) Keep the container in a cool dark place. Exposure to light would fade the color of the fondant pieces.

(iv) Do not make the mistake of storing your fondant pieces in the fridge/freezer. If you do, condensation would form on the pieces when they thaw out and that would ruin the fondant pieces. One other reason why fondant decorations shouldn’t be stored in the fridge/freezer is because they can get freezer burn and also acquire the taste of other food items in the fridge.

(v) If for any reason, your fondant flowers or decorations were stored in the freezer, do not just thaw them straight at room temperature. Move them from a freezer to the fridge, then move to a very cold room before moving to room temperature. Hopefully, this process would reduce the level of condensation.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2djkOB593Ww

 

Tip For Cake Decorators in Regions With High Humidity 

Many cake decorators who live in regions with high humidity struggle with how to store fondant decorations. Here’s a trick that works all the time. Build a cabinet that has a glass door and install a low wattage bulb.That bulb would be left on at all times.

Inside the cabinet would be layers that mimic a flower drying rack like the one below. The layers may be just one depending on the size of the cabinet and the volume of fondant decoration that you make per time.

The light bulb would help fight humidity and absorb any moisture in the fondant flowers or decorations. 

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We also have an article about fondant/ gum paste flowers; click here to read it. You might find one or two more useful tips.

Also check out the following articles: 

• Cake Piping Kits – A Newbie’s Guide
• Gum Paste Flowers –Edible Decorations
• Cake Turntable: A Decorator’s Best Friend
• Gum Paste Flower Cutters- Creating Edible Flowers
• Cake Piping Set- Decoration Made Easy
• Gum Paste Molds – Creating Edible Designs

 

How To Store Fondant Decorations – FAQs 

Do Fondant Decorations Need To Dry?

Fondant need to be left to dry before being used to decorate your cake or baked treat. The reason for this is that if the fondant decoration is not dry before usage, it wouldn’t hold its shape.

Any decoration that needs to have structure (shoe, bag, crown etc) has to be left to dry.  Therefore whenever you need to use such decorations, you have to make them ahead of time. The only types of fondant decorations that do not need to dry before usage are those that have no structure.

Decorations in this category include fondant flowers, borders, ropes or ornaments.

Can I Store Fondant Decorations In The Fridge?

Fondant decorations should not be stored in the fridge. This is because if stored in the fridge and brought out to thaw before use, condensation can distort the shape of your decoration.

So instead of storing your fondant decorations in the fridge just place them in an airtight container and keep in a cool dry place. Ensure that the container is kept away from sunlight so that the color of the fondant decorations would not fade.

Another important factor to note when storing fondant decoration is that they need to dry completely before storage. This is because any hint of moisture in the fondant would cause the decoration to melt/wilt over time.

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Will Fondant Decorations Melt on Buttercream?

Fondant decorations would melt on buttercream if they are not left to dry properly before they are placed on buttercream.

If you want to use any form of fondant decoration to accent a buttercream cake or cupcake, then you best make those decorations ahead of time and allow it to air dry.

The reason for this is that buttercream is made up of icing sugar and butter and doesn’t dry off. This means there would always be a hint of moisture on buttercream. This further means that the moisture in the buttercream would impact on the fondant decoration and make it lose its shape over time.

That said however, you can get away with using fondant decoration immediately on buttercream if the decoration doesn’t need to have structure.

How Long Does It Take Fondant Decorations To Dry?

Fondant decorations can take as long as 36 hours or as short as 4 hours to dry.There are several factors that would determine how long a fondant decoration takes to dry.These factor include the recipe that was used to make the fondant, the size and thickness of the decoration and the weather conditions.

No matter the factor that would affect the length of time it would take your fondant decorations to dry, it is best to make them ahead of time. The only exception to this rule is if you want to make small sugar flowers that would lie flat on your cake.

Check out this article for more details on factors that can affect the length ot time it would take your fondant decorations to dry.

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How Do You Attach Fondant Decorations To Buttercream?

Attaching fondant decorations to buttercream is as easy as 1, 2, and 3.  If you are using fondant decorations without structure (flat laying flowers, borders) then they do not need to dry. So all you need to do is cut out the fondant decoration and paste immediately on the cake.

But if you are using fondant decorations that have structure (animals, handbags, shoes et al) then they need to dry out first.  Get the dried fondant decorations dampen the side that would be attached to the cake and place the decoration on the cake.

Ensure that the decoration is not wet but slightly dampened. You can achieve this by dipping the smallest size of cake decorating brush into water and then you shake off the brush before using it on the fondant decoration.