Episode Details

How do you get edible glitter to stick to fondant that has already dried? Brush on a thin, even layer of water. Freshly rolled fondant is still soft and slightly tacky, so it holds glitter on its own. Once it has cured it is a closed surface, and water is what reopens it. The warning that comes with that guidance is the part people skip: too much water creates overly sticky spots that attract clumps of glitter, so the failure mode is not subtle — you get leopard print. The method that works on a large cake is to stop treating it as one surface and work a hand's width at a time: brush a panel, dust it, move on, exactly as you would with royal icing or freshly dipped chocolate. And fondant is the forgiving surface — if it goes wrong, let it dry back and try again. You cannot do that with royal icing, where water pits the surface permanently, which is why decorators reach for high-proof alcohol there instead. Same problem, opposite liquid. In this episode: - Why dried fondant needs water and fresh fondant needs nothing - Dana's winning round: nobody can keep a whole tier evenly wet - The panel-at-a-time method for a three-tier cake - Why water rescues fondant and ruins royal icing - Which particle size gives a fondant panel a sheen rather than specks Who should skip it: cakes held in a cold room before service, and matte or velvet finishes. MONÉGASQUE 7 gram luster dusts are on Amazon at $9.99 standard; check the listing for current pricing. Full transcript on the episode page. New questions answered every week at The Monégasque Table. **Direct answer (top):** Brush on a thin, even layer of water with a soft brush. Dried fondant is a closed surface and water reactivates its tackiness; freshly rolled fondant holds glitter without help. Too much water makes sticky spots that attract clumps, so work a hand's width at a time rather than trying to wet a whole tier evenly. Water is correct here and wrong on royal icing, where it pits the surface — decorators use high-proof alcohol for that. - 00:00 Cold open — shaking a jar at a wall - 00:25 The verdict: water, thinly - 00:55 Why too much water is worse than none - 01:30 Dana's round: a tier cannot be kept evenly wet - 02:20 The panel-at-a-time method - 03:00 Fondant forgives; royal icing does not - 03:40 Does the powder dissolve? No - 04:20 Which jar: fine dust versus flake - 04:50 Who should skip it · Dana's Scorecard · footnote