Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Started making and decorating cakes this year so still experimenting with things.
I like to colour (i use sugarflair) my own fondant and when I want to make darker shades I end up adding a lot of colour. This alters the consistency obviously and when I come to cover the cake the fondant tears. It doesn’t crack and it’s not dry.
Just want to know what I doing wrong. Should I let the fondant rest for say 24hrs before covering the cake?
I rolled the fondant with some extra icing sugar but this made the fondant dry and cracked abit.

I notice when I add tylo powder when making moulding paste this makes it more pilable again. But should I do this when covering a whole cake. Does it alter the taste?

Any advice on colouring fondant greatly appreciated.

Hi Melly27

I get exactly the same problems because as you say the added colours change the consistency of the fondant. I now buy a darker shade of what I want to make and mix it with white. This way the consistency doesn’t alter and in the long run is less expensive than wasting so much fondant. I also find I can taste the colour. As to the extra tylose, you would only knead in a little, not really sufficient to change the taste, it would help stiffen it up. I’ve added gum tragacanth to fondant when the weather has been humid, it did help with the tearing but I don’t like doing it. Adding icing sugar will dry the fondant out and also lighten the colour you’re making, it just becomes a vicious circle. If you look on the fondant ingredients you’ll see that the manufacturers add a little gum tragacanth. So, you’re not doing anything wrong, this is happening because the sugar consistency has change from added moisture in the colours. Best to get ready made darker shade and mix that your white. Hope this helps.

Ok. Thanks for your advice. Will give that a go. 🙂