Fondant is a thick, creamy white sugar mass used in different forms for decorating cakes and cookies with; it can be rolled and draped over a cake, poured as a glaze or sculpted with. Fondant is also the basis of many candies --  it is the center of a piece of a chocolate buttercream candy or pecan logs. It can also be used as a thick creamy, sugary filling that gushes out of a chocolate-covered cherry when bitten into. Fondant originates from the word "fondre" which means to melt named so because it melts in your mouth when eaten. 

Fondant is fairly new to this country and have been gaining in popularity over the last ten years or so. Rolled Fondant has been prominent in Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand for decades. This influence is spreading here as availability of prepared Fondant increases, but it can also be homemade. Today, ready-made Fondant is available in the sugarpaste variety (pure white), dark chocolate or a white chocolate. There are some flavorful Fondant recipes available, such as White Chocolate Fondant (Candy Clay) or Vanilla, Chocolate, Orange or Marshmallow.

Fondant is versatile - it tints very easily in a myriad of colors. Rolled Fondant yields pastel to deep colors while poured yields pastel ones. (How to Tint). You can flavor Fondant with small amounts of candy oil or sometimes dark or white chocolate is added to make a chocolate Fondant. Ready to use comes in already flavored, such as caramel, coffee, chocolate, peach, strawberry, etc.

FONDANT TYPES:

Rolled Fondant has a playdough-like consistency that can be rolled and draped in one piece over a recipe and pressed into place, such as with a wedding cake. It "dries" with a semi-hard, perfectly smooth and satiny smooth surface that holds up well. See ROLLED FONDANT and HOW TO COVER A CAKE WITH ROLLED FONDANT.. Prior to applying Poured Fondant to a cake, it must be covered in a thin layer of glaze or icing to seal in freshness and moisture and to help it adhere better.  

Poured Fondant is the smooth, white-as-snow glaze. It is the traditional topping for petits fours but can be used to glaze cakes, cookies, doughnuts, cookies, brownies, and éclairs. Candy centers can also be dipped, as well. When dry, it gives a shiny, alabaster finish. 

When made, poured Fondant should be soft enough to pour and spread itself. Test the thickness by coating one or two pastries or candy centers; you should be able to clearly see the sides throughout the Fondant or the candy.

If dipping centers or cake pieces for petits fours, put them individually on a dipping fork (pronged or with a loop at the end), one at a time. Lower into Fondant until covered and slowly lift out. Holding the fork over the bowl, tap its bottom on the rim of the bowl and hold it in place to so the excess Fondant drips into the bowl. It is recommended that you dip the center only once. Remove onto a waxed paper lined pan by using another dipping fork to gently glide it from the first fork. Let the Fondant set completely before decorating or moving them.

Continue to warm the Fondant as needed throughout the coating process so it always stays the correct temperature of 100 degrees F. Stir the Fondant in the pan as necessary between dipping to prevent crust from forming. If a skin forms on top of the Fondant, while working with it, cover it with hot water for a few seconds, then pour off, stir and continue. The Fondant that drips onto the parchment lined sheet pan under the pastries can be warmed and used again.

Fondant can be made into a stiff consistency so it can be molded or sculpted with - from ruffles, braids, borders to flowers.

Fondant is used as a candy or candy center. Candy corn, seen most during the Halloween season, is a common Fondant candy.

Storage of a Fondant covered cake or Petits Fours depends on the type and the fillings and frostings. In general, a Rolled or Poured Fondant covered cake does NOT need to be refrigerated, unless necessary. A fondant covered cake will keep for about 5 days in a cardboard box, with a cover, in a cool dry place. If it contains perishable fillings, frostings or decorations, it MUST be refrigerated. Keep it loosely covered or in a cardboard box with a cover. In general, refrigerating a cake will dry it out, but less so if covered with Fondant. The fondant covering will harden if stored at room temperature, but it takes about a week or so, depending on the humidity. A fondant covered cake stored in the refrigerator will have its covering remain somewhat pliable from the moisture in the refrigerator. However, if you have decorations on the cake, you have to be careful whether or not the cake can be refrigerated with the decorations on the cake; if you are using gumpaste or sugar designs they will completely droop.

If a Fondant covered cake is refrigerated because it contains perishable items, as soon as it is removed and exposed to the warmer room temperature air, moisture MAY condense on it's surface. It usually becomes shiny. This happens because of the temperature differential between the refrigerator and the room's air. Condensation is not good because it is moisture that will essentially "dissolve" the sugar-based Fondant. Sugar is a humectant, which readily attracts the warm moisture from the air. (Also, the refrigerator is a moist environment in itself and already placed decorations can bleed color).

To prevent condensation from forming, as soon as you remove the cake from the refrigerator, it's best to place it in an air conditioned (low humidity) environment to "warm up". It takes awhile so allow plenty of time. Since the temperature / moisture differentials between the cake and the air aren't so great, the condensation is lessened or eliminated. 

You can also place the cake in front of a fan to dry up the moisture. Remember to rotate the cake often and allow a good hour or more before set-up/presenting the cake.

If the weather is hot and humid and the Fondant covered cake sweats and does not contain perishable items, store cake in a air conditioned room. It removes some of the moisture from the air making it a good environment.

You can freeze a Fondant covered cake especially if you want it to keep for long term storage for up to 2 months. However, if it contains creams, custards or other perishable fillings, you can't. If the cake is frozen and it then thaws, do so in its wrappings. That's so condensation will adhere to the wrappers, not the Fondant. But, again make us of an air conditioned room to thaw it in.

However, I have heard that certain brands of Fondant may freeze and thaw better than others. I, however, not knowing whether or not the brand I used was optimal for freezing, froze the top layer of my Fondant-covered wedding cake for a year (I wouldn't do it for a cake that I was going to use for a wedding or event). However, I made sure that the cake remained covered in its wrappers (2 layers of plastic wrap) and then foil, and was placed at the cool side of room temperature to thaw. This is the best case scenario and the cake thawed nicely, but it didn't look as nice as when it was freshly made -- probably because it was a year old.