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How to frost a professional looking cake with pourable faux fondant icing in minutes- with microwaved store bought icing! Get a smooth cake frosting finish for birthday cakes, wedding shower and baby shower cakes and more!
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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Easy Pourable Faux Fondant
Ever want a delicious, beautiful cake but don’t have a ton of time to make it? Take a bunch of Cake Decorating Classes, but don’t love the amount of effort you have to put in to make a beautiful cake?
Or read about pourable fondant or how to smooth icing to look like fondant- but you just don’t have the time to pull it off before a big event?
It’s time to learn How to frost a professional looking cake with pourable faux fondant in minutes!
I have the most awesome trick in the world for you- you can get a smooth cake that looks like poured fondant in minutes.
And the best part? You will be using store bought icing, so you can do it in any flavor in just minutes! It is easy to color, flavor, add sprinkles, or any other decorations.
This is the perfect way to get a professional looking finish for birthday cakes, baby shower cakes, cake pops, brownie pops, shaped cakes, petit fours and even wedding cakes!
How to Make Pourable Faux Fondant Icing
First assemble the following ingredients:
- Cake – You can frost a layer cake, cupcake, or even cake pops this way.
- Premade Frosting – I use vanilla premade frosting from the store, you can experiment with cream cheese or chocolate frosting they all have worked on me similarly.
- Sprinkles – I love to use sprinkles for some color but you can decorate however you want.
Use this Method
Cool. Set your cool cake on a cookie rack over a flexible cutting board. This will help catch leftover icing that you can scoop up and re-use if needed.
Heat up Frosting. Microwave your frosting for two 15 second bursts- it should be completely melted but not hot. Let it sit for a minute or two to cool a bit (you want it still liquid- just no warmth). Pour the frosting over your cake in a circular motion.
Firm. Once you have used about 1/4 the can of icing and it looks pretty covered, let it sit and firm up for about 10 minutes.
Repeat. Microwave the icing again, for 15 seconds. Repeat the icing step to get a thicker, more even layer. Repeat once more if needed after cool. Once cake has set, slide it off cooling rack and onto clean cake plate.
Finish. If there are any large lumps or mistakes in the frosting, you can smooth them out after the icing is set by dipping your fingers in water and softly rubbing them out. Decorate with sprinkles, fondant shapes, etc. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks for Smooth Pourable Fauz Frosting
For Lumps. If your cake looks lumpy, take a knife or offset spatula and gently smooth the icing.
Cool Your Cake. If your icing runs like crazy, your cake is too warm. Let it cool for a few minutes. If all else fails, sprinkle that bad boy up.
Add Sprinkles. Sprinkles are instant beauty for cakes and kids love sprinkles! Wait a couple of minutes before adding sprinkles or decorations.
Refrigerate. After you have iced the cake it can help to refrigerate or freeze it to let the frosting set.
FAQs
If the frosting becomes too runny, let it cool for a few minutes. It will thicken as it cools. If needed, you can also place it in the refrigerator for a short time to speed up the process.
Wait just a minute or two after heating the frosting to ensure it’s not too hot to melt your cake or cupcake surface. It should be warm and smooth, but not hot.
Yes, dipping cupcakes into heated frosting is a great way to achieve a smooth and shiny top. Just be sure the frosting is warm enough to coat but not so hot that it drips excessively.
For an 8-9 inch cake, you’ll typically need one 16-ounce can of frosting. For a batch of 12 cupcakes, about half a can should be sufficient, depending on how much frosting you like.
Yes, you can add food coloring or flavor extracts to the frosting after heating it. Stir well to ensure the color or flavor is evenly distributed.
Heating the frosting should not significantly affect its taste. However, it may slightly change the texture, making it softer and smoother. Avoid overheating to prevent it from becoming too thin.
What to Enjoy with Your Cake
Fresh Berries. Fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries add a refreshing tartness that balances the sweetness of the frosted cake. They also add a pop of color and a burst of flavor.
Coffee. A cup of hot coffee, whether black or with a touch of cream, pairs well with frosted cake by cutting through the sweetness and adding a slight bitterness, enhancing the overall flavor experience.
Whipped Cream. Light and airy, whipped cream adds extra creaminess without overwhelming the palate. It’s an excellent topping to complement the frosting, especially for those who love creamy desserts.
Lemon Curd. The zesty tang of lemon curd provides a sharp contrast to the sweet frosting, adding depth to each bite. It’s particularly good with vanilla or buttercream frosted cakes.
Champagne or Sparkling Wine. The bubbles and acidity in champagne or sparkling wine cut through the richness of the cake, making it feel lighter and more celebratory. It’s perfect for special occasions.
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Microwaved Icing
Ingredients
- 1 cake, you can use cupcakes, layer cake, or any kind of cake you want
- 1 premade icing, you may need multiple depending how much cake you have
- 4 oz sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Set your cool cake on a cookie rack over a flexible cutting board. This will help catch leftover icing that you can scoop up and re-use if needed.
- Microwave your frosting for two 15 second bursts- it should be completely melted but not hot.
- Let it sit for a minute or two to cool a bit (you want it still liquid- just no warmth).
- Pour the frosting over your cake in a circular motion.
- Once you have used about 1/4 the can of icing and it looks pretty covered, let it sit and firm up for about 10 minutes.
- Microwave the icing again, for 15 seconds.
- Repeat the icing step to get a thicker, more even layer.
- Repeat once more if needed after cool.
- Once cake has set, slide it off cooling rack and onto clean cake plate.
- If there are any large lumps or mistakes in the frosting, you can smooth them out after the icing is set by dipping your fingers in water and softly rubbing them out.
- Decorate with sprinkles, fondant shapes, etc. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storebought icing is just a MONSTROUS TRAGEDY that no human should put to their lips…I am sad to read this. : (
Some people like it. I personally prefer buttercream, but there are times where it is easiest. I’ve also included alternatives that don’t use store bought frosting.
I’ve been doing this method for many yrs. Store bought is fine for dozens of cupcakes for a child’s party BTW 🙂 I just don’t like that if it’s over heated..it is too runny..but it is easy to dip the cupcake in and be done! It is useful.
I’m shocked at the snobby rude replies in this thread! Boo to all the Purist Cake Nazis!!!
Yeah, that was kinda a disaster….oh well it tastes good. Pintrosity.
What went wrong, Mandy? Sometimes it takes a bit of practice. And lots of layers… it all kind of depends on the cake’s crumbs.
Your Tip Me Tuesday link is incredible this week! In fact, my readers would love to bookmark it in their craft rooms. Did you know that if you upload this blog post into your Tip Junkie craft room using at least 2 images, 2 steps, and blog post URL then Tip Junkie readers can favorite it which instantly bookmarks it so they can find it later. {Whoohoo!} ~ Laurie {a.k.a. the Tip Junkie}
http://www.tipjunkie.com/post/how-to-add-a-craft-room-project-on-tip-junkie/
Awesome idea!!! If I am making a dummy cake using styrofoam layers (instead of real cake) and I use the same technique for the frosting, will this work?
Oh, brooke- it will. But I would recommend using a styrofoam filler first, or it might look lumpy. The brand I’ve used is Smooth Finish- works like a charm! Once that has dried this will work beautifully… but id prep with this first, for sure.
Brooke, this will not work. You will need some plastic bottles and macaroni pasta. This is the only way that Styrofoam will hold. You’re welcome.
Could I use the melted frosting like royal icing on sugar cookies? How does it set because I like the smoothness of royal icing, but I don’t want it to be rock hard.
It sets to be super soft. I think you could, but you’ll need to find the right consistency. That is an awesome idea for a post! I may have to try it out. My only thought is that it might run all over the place. So there would be a bit more of a learning curve.
Ok, thanks for replying! I think I might just have to try it and see if it works. What I want to do is make Conversation Heart sugar cookies and I wanted to tint the frosting and melt it down and put it in a squeeze bottle and decorate the cookies like I would with royal icing. I’m hoping it will set at least a little so I could stack them.
LauriM – why wouldn’t you just use royal icing instead?
Maybe because it is more expensive to make? I think this method is good for making several cupcakes for kids..it fast and easy and those cans of frosting are cheap in the Dollar Stores or Big Lots 🙂 For quests or important parties..ya, I’d use the REAL stuff 🙂
And you figure all that out just by your itty bitty self?