Fondant decorations add a professional and polished touch to cakes and cookies iced with buttercream icing. After you adhere your fondant decorations to your baked goods, remember that fondant does not freeze well and will slowly dry out if left at room temperature.
Dust your hands lightly with cornstarch if the fondant decorations are freshly made. If they are dried, skip this step.
Dip your pastry brush in a small bowl of water. Shake it gently to remove excess water, and lightly brush the underside of your fondant decoration. If you are applying your decoration to fresh buttercream icing, you can skip this step. Fresh buttercream icing is a suitable adherent by itself.
Press your fondant decoration, dampened side down, onto the icing. If the decoration is heavy or bulky, add decorative flourishes of fresh buttercream around the fondant decoration to help stabilize it. If it is large and smooth, such as a fondant ribbon, dust your fingers in cornstarch again and gently press the decoration until it sits smoothly on the buttercream.
Tips
Avoid pressing your fingernails or jewelry into your fondant decorations, as these dents are difficult to remove. Often fondant decorations, such as fondant roses, are pre-dried to better hold their shape. These should not be consumed due to poor texture and taste.