Cakes are so much more than your typical sheet cake with one-colored frosting and a birthday wish written on it. Cakes have become an art form. Fondant, a rolled frosting-like substance, covers the cake and makes sculpted cakes look clean and precise. One decorating technique using fondant is making grass. Many decorators choose to use green buttercream frosting and a star-tipped pastry bag to make it. Making grass with fondant, however, takes little effort and allows you to use items you have in either your kitchen or your child's toy box.

  • Cakes are so much more than your typical sheet cake with one-colored frosting and a birthday wish written on it.
  • Making grass with fondant, however, takes little effort and allows you to use items you have in either your kitchen or your child's toy box.

Knead the fondant until it is pliable and ready to roll. Sprinkle your work surface, the fondant and rolling pin with icing sugar.

Tear off 1-inch pieces of fondant. Roll them into a ball. The number of balls you need depends on the amount of grass you need.

Place the balls inside of a garlic press. Squeeze the handle to extrude the fondant through the holes of the press. Alternatively, use a clean playdough play set or a cookie press.

  • Tear off 1-inch pieces of fondant.
  • Squeeze the handle to extrude the fondant through the holes of the press.

Attach the grass to the cake. Apply some buttercream frosting that is the same colour as the grass to the cake where you want the grass. Then place the extruded fondant grass on top.

Place the miniature marshmallows in double boiler. Add 2 tbsp water. If you do not have a double boiler, place a glass bowl over a pot full of water. Turn the heat medium. Stir the marshmallows and water until the marshmallows melt completely and the water is incorporated. Remove the bowl from the heat.

  • Place the miniature marshmallows in double boiler.
  • Remove the bowl from the heat.

Grease a clean countertop with shortening. Grease your hands with the shortening as well.

Pour 0.68kg. icing sugar on top of the melted marshmallows. Dump the sugar and marshmallows on the greased countertop.

Knead the mixture with your hands to incorporate in the sugar. The mixture willl be sticky. Once the sugar is combined, add the remaining icing sugar. Continue to knead until sugar is completely incorporated. Add more shortening to your hands and counter when the mixture sticks too much or a more water if the mixture is dry and breaking. The kneading is done when a tight, pliable ball forms.

  • icing sugar on top of the melted marshmallows.
  • Knead the mixture with your hands to incorporate in the sugar.

TIP

Use a garlic press that has not been used with garlic. Even after cleaning, garlic may remain, affecting the taste of the fondant. Another option is to roll the fondant into a 1/8-inch sheet using a rolling pin or pasta sheeter. A pasta sheeter is a rolling device that you either crank or electronically rolls the dough or fondant into uniform sheets. Once the fondant is rolled, pass it through an angel hair pasta cutter.