Marshmallow fondant and fondant bow

My friends Alyssa and Stephen are getting married this weekend, and as a wedding present, I am making their cake. This is the first wedding cake I've made other than my own. I'm very nervous about getting it to the ballroom, and setting it up. I'll post again with the finished product.

I previously posted a recipe for a small batch of fondant. I made this for Alyssa and Stehpen when they had their cake tasting. The following is for a large batch of fondant. I made two batches of this to cover the three layers of cake, and to make the bow that will be the cake topper.

This time, I mixed in most of the sugar while the melted marshmallows were still in the bowl. It made things much less sticky, and allowed the marshmallows to cool off a bit. Sugar still got everywhere, but a lot less goop ended up on my hands. Once that has been incorporated, then I turned the mixture onto a well greased surface, and continued kneading in the rest of the sugar until the fondant became the right consistency.

If you live in a more humid climate (as I do), you may want to cut back on some of the liquid. I actually use half the amount of water, with fine results.

If you plan on making the fondant only one color, it is easier to add the coloring to the melted marshmallow, before mixing in the sugar. With such a large batch, it would take a lot of kneading (and arm muscle) to add the coloring after the fondant has been kneaded.

Instructions for the fondant bow follows the recipe.

Marshmallow Fondant (large batch)

1 lb marshmallows

2 Tbs water

1 tsp flavoring of your choice (vanilla, almond, lemon...)

2 lbs powdered sugar

shortening for greasing

Place marshmallows and water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat 30 seconds at a time, removing each time to stir. Heat until marshmallows are just melted. Stir in flavoring. Add 3/4 of the powdered sugar, and stir with a spoon. Be careful, as the marshmallow will be very hot. Once the sugar has been incorporated, turn the mixture onto a well-greased surface. Grease your hands with shortening, and begin kneading the mixture. Knead in the remaining powdered sugar, until the fondant becomes pliable, slightly elastic, and not too sticky.

To store, grease all sides of the fondant with shortening, and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag.

To make the fondant ribbon, roll about 6 oz of fondant out to 1/8" thickness. Cut into strips that measure 1"x6". Form strips into loops, using a little bit of vodka to seal the ends. Let sit overnight to dry. To assemble, squeeze a mound of royal icing (in a matching color) onto a sheet of waxed paper. Arrange the loops in a circle, making sure the ends of the loops attach to the mound. Arrange a second layer on top of the first. Place one loop in the center, pushing into the mound. Allow the royal icing to dry, and place on top of cake.