How to frost a professional looking cake with pourable faux fondant in minutes!

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How to frost a professional looking cake with pourable faux fondant icing in minutes– with store bought icing! Get a smooth cake frosting finish for birthday cakes, wedding shower and baby shower cakes and more!
the easiest way to frost a cake get a faux fondant look in seconds- you POUR store bought icing! #cake #party #fondant #recipe

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!

How to pour frosting to look smooth like fondant- I love this hack for storebought frosting!

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!

Such an awesome trick- pour canned frosting to look smooth like fondant!

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

easiest way to frost a cake ever- this is awesome! get a faux fondant look with store bought icing taste #cake #party #fondant #recipe

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:

the easiest way to frost a cupcake EVER- faux fondant poured icing cupcakes! These are GENIUS!

homemade pourable icing- this is an awesome way to get a faux fondant look in minutes! So easy- why didn't I think of this!

And for a pourable home-made icing, please visit this new post:

How to get a professional faux fondant cake look in minutes- this tip at sweetcsdesigns.com is life-changing! There are also ways to do it for cupcakes with homemade frosting or doughnuts!

 

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.

Such an awesome trick- pour canned frosting to look smooth like fondant!

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!

And be sure to follow me on pinterest where I am always finding something fun!

Sweet C’s Designs
this is the best thing I found on Pinterest- POUR ICING to look like fondant!

About Courtney

Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style at lifestyle blog Sweet C’s Designs. Sweet C's devoted to finding the best food and drinks you'll want to make or find, around the world!

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153 Comments

  1. Candice says:

    Thank you!! I’m terrible at decorating cakes, always something goes wrong, but this was the easiest, best idea to date!!! Can’t wait to do another one!

  2. The Insane Blogger says:

    Ohmygosh that’s so awesome thank you!!!!!!

  3. Abby says:

    This is a great idea! I have a buttercream recipe that I love — do you think I could warm it and pour it like you have done here? I am looking for a smooth finish for Lego blocks (but I don’t want fondant).

    1. Courtney ODell says:

      Abby- you can try, but it often doesn’t turn out and becomes a greasy blobby mess. Butter isn’t as stable as whatever chemical is in the store bought stuff, and I havent been able to get an even result with it. I do have a recipe for a homemade pourable icing that is more of the consistency of a glaze for petit fours.

    2. Kirsten says:

      Hi Courtney,

      I have a similar question as one of the people interested in using homemade buttercream. I live in Denmark and I have never seen store bought frosting here…*(perhaps a good thing?) Anyway, this is a brilliant idea, can I have that homemade pourable frosting recipe of yours? The link in one of your previous comments didn’t open. I really would love to have your fantastic trick in my repertoire. 🙂 Thanks!!

    3. Wendy says:

      No, you a host try to just warm a traditional buttercream frosting. The butter will become oily, causing the icing to break and separate.

  4. Beth Casey says:

    This looks amazing! I’m going to make a cake for Easter desert this weekend. I’m curious if this method will prevent the icing from melting if it’s left on the counter (versus being kept in the fridge)

    1. Courtney ODell says:

      Beth- it just depends on the temperature outside. If its really hot, it might droop a bit. If it’s not in direct sun and around 70 degrees it should be just fine!

  5. Amy @ Ms. Toody Goo Shoes says:

    Hi Courtney, just letting you know that I will be featuring your frosting at Best of the Weekend tomorrow night at 8pm!

  6. Amy @ Ms. Toody Goo Shoes says:

    I’ve got to try this! This cake is so pretty! Thanks for linking up with Best of the Weekend!