Carma's Massa Ticino Tropic Fondant

So, I was super excited to try out Massa Ticino fondant and had high expectations on how this product would perform. The supplier only carries 7 kg tubs of the stuff (white only), so I went and bought a pail all to my very self. Opening up the lid, I got a nice sweet whiff, instead of the plastically, chemical smell that normally comes from the store-brand fondant. I tasted a it and the fondant actually tasted pretty good, like marshmallows with the texture of the cream in between Oreo cookies. 

Carma's Massa Ticino Tropic (7kg bucket)

The first thing I noticed about Massa Ticino fondant is how super stretchy it is!! I took a hunk and held it up and gravity did the work and the stuff stretched all the way down to the counter without tearing! It is so soft and pliable! I coloured some of the fondant with Americolour food gel and it took the colour easily, after kneading it around. The fondant is really elastic and tends to shrink a little after pressing it down. But I found that it had a very big tendency to trap air while being keaded. I had to keep popping all the little trapped air bubbles while rolling the fondant out. 

suuuper stretchy!

The plus point with it being so elastic is that i little goes a long way. It rolled out really thin and I was able to drape and smoothen it over the 6" and 8'" cake tiers without a single tear! The downside to the elasticity is that this fondant does NOT hide anything. I really wish I did a better job of smoothening out the buttercream crumb coat on the cake before draping the fondant over it cuz every lump and bump showed through the fondant layer. This isn't something I'm used to, since the regular store-brand fondant that I use isn't stretchy. The store-brand stuff is really "solid" and takes some effort to roll out, but it provides a smooth wall even over a less-than-smooth buttercream crumb coat. The problem is that it cracks along the edges so easily because it's much much drier and definitely not elastic at all compared with Massa Ticino fondant. 

lumpy buttercream shows through

And with the super elastic Massa Ticino fondant, it tended to stretch when I rubbed the fondant smoother over the surface of the cake. I guess I was applying too much pressure (the same amount that I usually use for the store-brand fondant). I had to learn how to apply just the right amount of pressure to smoothen the cake, without it stretching the fondant out of shape. 

smooth and tear-free fondant coating

I don't think Massa Ticino would be good to use to made fondant figurines and decorations like hearts and stars simple because it's so soft and stretchy. I just doesn't sculpt very well on its own. I suppose it can be mixed with gum paste or some tylose powder, but I'm gonna stick to the cheaper store-brand fondant for everything other than covering cakes. Every brand definitely has its plus points.

the finished cake

All in all, I was really pleased with the Massa Ticino fondant. It's going to take some getting used to to find the best thickness to use to cover cakes, and I'll need to adjust my technique a bit, cuz this stuff handles way differently from the other fondant brands I'm used to. The fact that this stuff doesn't tear at all (one can probably throw it in the air like pizza dough and it would still be in one piece), saving me frustration and headaches makes it worth the price (and don't forget, it tastes yummy!). This is definitely going to make my cake-covering life much easier.