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How to cover a cake with fondant icing for a perfectly smooth finish with Martha Collinson. When using fondant icing it is important to place it on top of a cake covered with marzipan or buttercream, for marzipan this needs to be done 3 days before so that the marzipan is dry. If using buttercream it just needs to be firm.

Dust a work surface with icing sugar, and knead your fondant icing until soft and pliable.

Roll out the icing to a 3–4mm/⅛–¼in thickness, then carefully lay the icing over your rolling pin and unroll it over your pre-covered cake. To make things easier, do this on a cake board placed on a turntable stand.

Smooth the fondant icing onto the top surface of the cake and then down the sides - you can do this by hand or with a cake smoother. Be careful not to create any pleats or folds.

Trim off the excess icing with a sharp knife and neaten the bottom edge against the cake board, tucking the edges in towards the cake if necessary. You can continue to work over the icing with the cake smoother to ensure a smooth finish with sharp edges.

If you can, leave the cake to dry uncovered for a few days at room temperature to ensure that the fondant icing can harden slightly. Decorate as you wish.