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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AWESOME! I can’t wait to trythis for my daughter’s birthday in a month!!
I would bet you could use this on cookies also. Have you tried?
i tried this on cookies a few years ago and it worked perfectly
Now THAT is good to know!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Try putting the cake in the fridge and chill it down a bit before you pour the frosting. It will make the frosting set up a bit faster and thicker. Don’t freeze it, but cool it down to below room temp.
This is AMAZING!!! I’m responsible for making all of the desserts for my sister in law’s wedding, including the cake. Eek!! I’m really nervous about it since it’ll be my first time attempting such a large cake. I think this will make my life MUCH easier! I’m going to try it this week with homemade frosting made with shortening. I’ll let you know how it melts!
Kathryn, I am not sure how it will melt with homemade frosting (part of me thinks its all the stuff in the canned frostings that keeps it from separating) but let me know!
How did this work with the homemade frosting? I am thinking of trying it.
Thanks!!
It works ok. It takes more time, you have to do a few more layers- but it works. The store bought icing works better- but I realize its not on everyone’s priority list because of the ingredients. The home made version is a good substitute- it just requires a little more work and patience. The method on that one is more important.
I hate the fake taste of store bought frosting. Have you ever tried it with homemade frosting?
Hey Jenn- I haven’t yet. You could do this with a thick royal frosting instead of buttercream- like a petit four- but buttercream would probably just get oily and possibly clumpy.