We celebrated my daughter's first birthday this week. We did a festive luau theme including leis, tropical flowers, and more.
I did a small smash cake for my daughter to enjoy. She was a little timid and didn't get into it until later in the day after the party was winding down.
I used a marshmallow fondant recipe to make the decorations for the smash cake and the larger cake for guests. It was really tasty and easy to mold and work with. I definitely recommend this recipe!
Marshmallow Fondant
16 oz bag small plain marshmallows
2 Tbsp water
vegetable shortening
1 tsp flavoring
2 lb confectioner's sugar
pinch of salt
Grease a microwave safe bowl, a spoon, the dough hook, and the bowl of your stand mixer with vegetable shortening or spray with non stick cooking spray. Dump the marshmallows into the bowl and microwave for 60 seconds. Stir marshmallows with the greased spoon. If all the marshmallows have not melted, microwave for 30 seconds more. Stir in flavoring. Place confectioner's sugar and salt in the stand mixer bowl, reserving 1 cup, and make a well in the center. Pour in the marshmallow mix and turn the mixer on to the lowest setting. When it sounds strained, increase the mixer speed up one setting. Turn off the mixer once all sugar has been incorporated. If the fondant is sticky, add the reserved confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Transfer the fondant onto plastic wrap. Rub a bit of shortening on the outside of the ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, place in a ziploc bag, and let rest for at least 2-3 hours. Keep unused portions covered when not using. If the fondant becomes stiff, place in microwave for 20 seconds at a time until pliable. Roll out on a greased surface or parchment paper to the desired thickness.
To color: Add paste food coloring to a portion of the fondant and knead it until the entire ball turns the desired color.
Once you have made desired shapes and decorations you can adhere them to the cake by adding a bit of regular frosting to the shape and sticking it to the cake.
