How to frost a professional looking cake with pourable faux fondant in minutes!
Feb 27, 2013, Updated Sep 19, 2023
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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!
Pourable Faux Fondant Icing
To do this trick, you’ll need:
-A cake, cupcake, bundt cake, or cake pop
-A can of store bought icing (2 if a particularly large cake- more than 1 box worth), I use Pillsbury Creamy Supreme because it has a great flavor and sets well
-A microwave
-Cooling rack
-thin, flexible cutting mat
-sprinkles or other decorations, optional
First off, 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.
Next, 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).
Then, in a circular motion, pour over your cake. 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. Don’t have a ton of water on your fingers- but you want them to be slippery so they don’t stick. You can radically smooth out lumps and lines this way!
Decorate with sprinkles, fondant shapes, etc. Enjoy!!
I’ve made a short video showing the process I use (detailed video coming soon!). Check it out here, and be sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel for more easy recipes and ideas!
For a slightly tweaked version to get picture perfect faux fondant poured icing cupcakes everytime, please check out this post:
And for a pourable home-made icing, please visit this new post:
A couple of tips and tricks if you run into problems: -if your cake looks lumpy, take a knife or offset spatula and gently smooth the icing.
Then add a thin layer of icing that is slightly warm over the cake -if your icing runs like crazy, it is too warm. let it set up for a minute. -if all else fails, sprinkle that bad boy up.
Sprinkles are instant beauty for cakes and kids love sprinkles!
Wait a couple of minutes before adding sprinkles or decorations.
Update: I used Cherrybrook Kitchen’s gluten free Chocolate Cake Mix and Pillsbury Creamy Supreme frosting for the people who asked.
Again, if you run into lumps or areas you don’t love, you can go back over it with your fingers lightly when still very wet or after it has set with wet fingers.
This just makes the icing spreadable, like a petit four. For a perfect result you will have to be sure your cake is level and not super lumpy just like any other cake you decorate. Love this idea? Sign up for daily emails from Sweet C’s Designs!
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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?