Learning how to make a fondant cat is a fun and challenging process for any beginning or intermediate cake decorator. Since fondant is a lot like edible clay, you may find it easier to make a cat if you've had some experience with sculpting or modeling, but you can pick up the basics even if you've never worked with clay or fondant before.
Sculpting a Cat from Fondant
Before you try making a cat figure, play around with fondant and see what shapes you can come up with on your own. Especially if you haven't had much experience working with fondant before, it can take some time to get used to the consistency and learn how to tint and mold the icing. Color your fondant ahead of time so that you can make your cat without having to pause and tint more frosting. It's also helpful to sketch a rough outline of how you want your finished cat to look or search for a model online that you can use as a guide as you work.
Making an Upright Cat
The process for making a standing fondant cat is very similar to making a standing dog or any other standing four-legged animal.
- First, make the base for the body with a large (ping-pong-ball-sized) ball of fondant. Use your fingers to mold the fondant into a cone shape without any sharp points or corners.
- Place the piece down with the thickest part downward and the cone point facing up.
- Make two back legs for the cat. Roll a smaller ball (1/2" to 3/4" thick) into a log shape with ends that are slightly thicker than the middle. Press one of the ends flat with your finger.
- The flat end will be the cat's back thigh; the round end will be its paw. Secure the flat end to the side of the cat's body with a bit of buttercream or fondant adhesive. Repeat the process with another small ball so that the cat has two legs.
- With two more small balls, make the cat's front legs. Instead of flattening one round end of your log, flatten the entire upper part of the log, leaving one round ball at the bottom.
- Secure the flat part of the leg to the front of the cat with fondant adhesive or buttercream, and repeat with a second front leg.
- Make the cat's tail. Using a toothpick or the wrong end of a paintbrush, poke a small hole at the back of the cat. Roll a tiny ball of fondant into a tail of the length you desire, poke some fondant adhesive or buttercream inside the tail hole, and stick one end of the tail inside the hole.
- Stick a toothpick into the top of the cat's body so that the head will stay on securely.
- Make the head with a ball of fondant that is about 1" thick. Start with a round ball, but poke the edges with your fingers so that the front of the cat's face will stick out slightly, especially by the nose. Secure the head to the body by sticking it on the toothpick.
- Make a muzzle for the cat by flattening a small oval disc of fondant and poking it with a toothpick to make dots. Stick bits of straw or thin candy sticks in the sides to form whiskers, and stick on a triangular nose in the middle.
- To finish, pat thin pieces of fondant into triangles, and use fondant adhesive or buttercream to attach them to the top of the cat's head. Use fondant tools or a toothpick and paintbrush to add detailing to the cat.
Making a Reclining Fondant Cat
Many of the steps for how to make a fondant cat that is reclining are similar to steps for the upright cat. A reclining cat is a bit easier to make and is more secure. You can follow instructions for any reclining four-legged animal to form the basic shape of a reclining cat.
- Make the base of the body with a long (2" to 3") fondant oval.
- Roll four small fondant balls out to a length of 1" to 1 1/2" each to make legs for the cat. Secure them to the sides of the body with fondant adhesive or buttercream.
- Add small pieces of black fondant for claws, or cut claw shapes into the paws with a sharp knife.
- Hollow out a small hole for the cat's tail, and roll out a tiny ball to form the tail. Secure it to the hole.
- Stick a toothpick at the front of the cat's head, and follow steps 9 through 11 from above to make and secure the head.
Great Accent for Cat Lovers' Cakes
Fondant cats are great to use on fun novelty cakes or birthday cakes. Anyone who adores these four-legged furry friends will appreciate the effort you put into making one.
