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    The Butter Half / Recipe Index / Desserts / How To Do Edible Watercolor On Marshmallow Fondant

    How To Do Edible Watercolor On Marshmallow Fondant

    By Abbey Rodriguez • Published: Feb 18, 2016 • Modified: Jun 10, 2019 • 3 Comments • This post may contain affiliate links.

    JUMP TO RECIPE PRINT

    I think I found my calling in life as a cake painter! (Besides food styling and photography.) It blends my love of art, painting, and food into something incr-edible! Literally. And now I want to show you how to do edible watercolor on marshmallow fondant. It's slightly addicting, so get ready!

    Take your cake decorating to the next level by learning how to do Edible Watercolor on Marshmallow Fondant! It takes just a little patience, a little bit of practice, and an imagination. || The Butter Half #cakedecorating #ediblewatercolor #decoratinghowto

    This will for sure bring your birthday cake game up a level, or almost induce labor for your pregnant friend when you show off this cake at her baby shower. And don't use the excuse, "I can't paint!" That's a stinking heap of rubbish. It just takes patience, a little bit of practice, and imagination. Oh, and time. LOTS of time. Carve out a two-hour chunk for this activity. I PROMISE it's worth it, and painting is extremely therapeutic, so consider it your "me time" for the day.

    How to Do Edible Watercolor on Marshmallow Fondant

    You need a few simple items to get started: Wilton Primary Icing Colors, Wilton White White Icing Color, pure lemon extract, fine tip brushes (mine are a size 1 and 3), toothpicks, paper towels, and a plastic palette. I purchase all of my materials at on Amazon, but you can buy them at Michael's or the grocery store. Your canvas is going to be fondant, obviously, and marshmallow fondant is the only way to go! (Super easy recipe below!)

    Take your cake decorating to the next level by learning how to do Edible Watercolor on Marshmallow Fondant! It takes just a little patience, a little bit of practice, and an imagination. || The Butter Half #cakedecorating #ediblewatercolor #decoratinghowto

    So far I have only used the gel food color, but I am interested in working with the food coloring powder next time. Maybe it will be more saturated and give me a better range of colors? I will let you know. The important thing to remember is the lemon extract evaporates quickly, so you need to make sure you have enough of your color mixed and ready to go.

    The white icing is going to thicken your paint so it goes on more opaque. If you want to do a lighter, transparent wash all over, just mix a small dab of gel food color into your lemon extract and paint that first. Truly, the options are endless! Also, here is a nice color wheel chart if you need a reminder for how to make your various colors and hues.

    Take your cake decorating to the next level by learning how to do Edible Watercolor on Marshmallow Fondant! It takes just a little patience, a little bit of practice, and an imagination. || The Butter Half #cakedecorating #ediblewatercolor #decoratinghowto

    If I can do it, so can you!

    I've included my Periscope video below if you are more of a visual learner and want to see the process! (And Benny the blind chihuahua. And my two-year-old almost knocking over my tripod multiple times. We are in the throes of the terrible twos! The part where he took a huge bite out of the front of the cake is not pictured, nor is my almost nervous breakdown as it happened. Hashtag mom life.)

    Grab the marshmallow fondant recipe and detailed directions below. Happy painting!

    How To Do Edible Watercolor On Marshmallow Fondant

    By: Abbey Rodriguez
    PRINT PIN RECIPE
    I think I found my calling in life as a cake painter! (Besides food styling and photography.) It blends my love of art, painting, and food into something incr-edible! Literally. And now I want to show you how to do edible watercolor on marshmallow fondant. It's slightly addicting, so get ready!
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 5 minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes
    Servings: 16 servings
    Calories: 260kcal

    Ingredients

    For the marshmallow fondant:

    • 10 oz bag mini marshmallows
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 6 cups powdered sugar
    • ¼ cup vegetable oil

    For the edible watercolor:

    • Gel food coloring primary colors
    • White icing color
    • Pure lemon extract
    • Toothpicks
    • Palette
    • Fine point brushes
    • Paper towels

    Instructions

    To make the marshmallow fondant:

    • Pour the marshmallows and water into a large, microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir with a wooden spoon, then microwave for 30 more seconds.
    • Mix together the marshmallows until they are completely melted and smooth. Pour in 3 cups of powdered sugar and mix well. Add in the rest of the sugar until it forms together.
    • Liberally grease the counter and your hands with vegetable oil, and turn out the fondant to the countertop. Knead it like bread dough until it is soft and pliable, about 8 minutes. Feel free to grease your hands and the counter as needed so it doesn't stick to your hands.
    • Once the fondant is smooth and elastic, it's ready to use. Pull apart half of it and roll into a smooth ball. Place the ball on the well-greased counter top and roll into a circle, about ⅛" inch thick. Make sure there aren't any creases or air bubbles.
    • Gently place the fondant over the top of your iced cake and adhere it to the surface smoothly. Cut off any excess edges and place it with your leftovers. Form the leftovers into a ball and place in a greased layer of plastic wrap. Store it in a sealed bag in the refrigerator up to one week.

    To do the edible watercolor:

    • Pour about 1 teaspoon of lemon extract into each well of your palette, based on how many colors you want. Start with the primary colors (red, yellow, blue) and brown. Use a toothpick to mix in a glob of gel food color. Add white icing color to one of the wells, and begin mixing colors in the middle of the palette with the white icing and colors to get a more saturated, opaque color. Use the lemon extract and gel food color to do a lighter wash. Take note that lemon extract evaporates quickly, so make a large amount of your color if you plan on using it often.
    • Practice your strokes and colors on a scrap piece of marshmallow fondant until ready to paint your cake. When ready to begin watercoloring your cake, work in layers. Start with the main focal points first, then go in and add the the accents and details. Allow about 5-10 minutes dry time between each layer before accenting.
    • Once cake is decorated, allow it to set and dry for 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 15mg | Sugar: 54g | Iron: 0.1mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dee says

      May 17, 2022 at 4:05 pm

      5 stars
      Can I use vanilla extract instead of lemon?

      Reply
    2. Joan says

      April 22, 2020 at 3:55 pm

      Does the lemon extract give a lemon flavor to your cake?

      Reply
      • Abbey Rodriguez says

        August 21, 2020 at 8:47 am

        A tiny bit, but not too much!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Abbey! Certified Holistic Nutritionist & Herbalist | I healed my body using holistic nutrition and herbs. And I believe you can, too. Here you will find nourishing recipes and wellness tips for the family, as well as my herbal cookbook, Root & Nourish. Because you can achieve your ultimate wellness goals using plants and whole foods.

    More about me →

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