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hand holding a bundle of fondant ruffles by an orange background

How to Make Fondant Ruffles (without a garrett frill cutter)

Here's is the easiest way to make fondant ruffles without a special cutter!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Canadian
Keyword fondant, gum paste, ruffles
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 ruffles
Author Naomi

Ingredients

  • 1 golf ball sized piece cake decorating fondant
  • 1 golf ball sized piece gum paste
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp shortening

Instructions

  1. To start out, knead the fondant and gum paste together on surface lightly greased with shortening until the mixture is smooth and pliable.

  2. Roll the fondant out into a thin disc (about 1/8" thick), and using a knife or spatula, cut a half circle shape around the edge of the disc. Repeat, cutting about 1" in from your first cut until you have a "Rainbow" of half circle cut out strips of fondant.

    Keep the half circle strips that you're not using covered with plastic wrap while you work; they will dry out quickly.

  3. Lay one strip of fondant out on a foam mat that is lightly dusted with cornstarch.

  4. Using your fingers, stretch the fondant out gently to make a little scalloped edge along the whole strip.  Next, using a cell stick or frill tool (you can also use a ball tool for this if you want), frill the scalloped edge of the strip of fondant by pressing the tool against the edge of the fondant and rocking the tool gently back and forth, or with a ball tool, gently sliding it along the scalloped edge.

  5. Tip:  I like to pull the fondant back in a circle with one hand, as shown below, as I frill the edges with the other.  This stretches the frills out, keeps them from getting wrinkled together while you work, and helps to keep the size and shape of the frills consistent when you're finished.

  6. Use the frilled fondant pieces as you make them, to prevent them drying out and breaking when you try to mold them against the sides of the cake. You can stick fondant ruffles to a fondant decorated cake with edible glue (a pea-sized amount of gum paste dissolved in 1 Tbsp water), water, clear vanilla, or clear alcohol (such as vodka).

To make ruffle clusters or swags:

  1. Take a strip of ruffled fondant, and bunch it together, pinching it at the base to hold it together (as shown in the pictures on this post). Fold it to look how you want it, and place it on the cake immediately. Cluster more strips of ruffles and add them to the first bunch, building it up in the shape you want on the cake, placing them tightly together so that they look like one large, continuous bunch of frills.

  2. Tip:  If you are having trouble keeping certain folds to stay how you arrange them, insert a toothpick into the cake to hold up the ruffle how you want it.  Leave the toothpicks in until the fondant drys (usually overnight).