How Do I Stop Fondant from Sweating or Going Sticky in Humidity?

Top Tips to Keep Your Cakes Smooth, Even When the Weather Isn’t!

Warm weather, humid kitchens, and sticky sugarpaste — it’s every cake decorator’s nightmare. If you’ve ever walked into a room and seen your once-smooth fondant looking wet, shiny, or saggy, you’re not alone.

Humidity and temperature fluctuations can wreak havoc on your beautifully decorated cakes — but with the right products and techniques, you can beat the sweat!

Why Does Fondant Sweat?

Fondant (or sugarpaste) sweats when it’s exposed to sudden changes in temperature, especially when moving from a cool environment (like a fridge) into warm, humid air. The moisture in the air condenses on the surface of the sugarpaste, causing it to become sticky and shiny.

 

How to Prevent Fondant Sweating

Here’s how to keep your cakes looking flawless in all conditions:

Use a High-Quality Sugarpaste

Your best defence against sticky, sweaty fondant is using one that’s formulated to resist it.

At Karen Davies Sugarcraft, we created our Marshmallow Sugarpaste to be smooth, pliable, and highly stable — even in trickier environments.

✔️ Less prone to sweating
✔️ Holds its shape beautifully
✔️ Crack-free finish
✔️ Tastes amazing (you’ll never want anything else!)
✔️ Suitable for vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets

Using a paste with a balanced formula — not too soft, not too dry — is key to reducing surface moisture.

 

Avoid Refrigerating Fondant-Covered Cakes (If You Can)

Refrigeration can cause condensation when the cake is removed and exposed to warm air. Instead, if your filling and weather allow, store your finished cake in a cool, air-conditioned room in a cardboard box to protect it from dust and moisture.

If refrigeration is essential (e.g., for dairy-based fillings), then:

• Remove the cake from the fridge in its box, and let it come to room temperature gradually.

• Avoid touching the fondant while it sweats — the moisture will evaporate naturally once it adjusts to room temp.

Use a Fan or Dehumidifier

Got a particularly humid kitchen? A small desk fan or dehumidifier in your workspace can help manage moisture levels and dry the surface of your fondant quickly and safely.

Dust with Cornflour or Icing Sugar (Sparingly!)

You can lightly dust your fondant with cornflour or icing sugar to absorb surface moisture — just be careful not to overdo it, as this can leave a chalky residue.

Avoid Sticky Tools and Surfaces

Humidity doesn’t just affect your cakes — it affects your tools too. Make sure your moulds and rolling boards are clean and dry before working. Again, using the right paste is key.

Our Karen Davies Sugarpaste was developed with moulds in mind — it doesn’t cling or sweat in them the way some supermarket brands do.

Bonus Tip: Add Tylo Powder for Figures

If you’re modelling figures or decorations and want them to dry faster and resist humidity, knead a little Tylo (CMC) powder into your paste. This speeds up drying and strengthens your models.

 

Karen’s Advice:

“Humidity can be one of the most frustrating parts of cake decorating — but it doesn’t have to ruin your work. With the right sugarpaste and a little know-how, you can confidently decorate year-round!”

In Summary: Keep Sweat Away with These Essentials

✔️ Use our humidity-friendly Karen Davies Sugarcraft Sugarpaste
✔️ Avoid refrigerating fondant if possible
✔️ Allow cakes to come to room temperature gradually
✔️ Use fans, dry tools, and store in a cool space
✔️ Add Tylo Powder for quicker-drying figures

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Shop Smart. Decorate Confidently.

Choosing the right paste makes all the difference — and our sugarpaste has been developed by one of the UK’s top cake artists with over 15 years of experience in the industry.

✅ Loved by professionals and beginners
✅ Handcrafted and tested in-house
✅ Developed specifically for high detail moulds and cake covering
✅ Available from trusted retailers only

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Created with love by a leading UK cake artist & her award-winning daughter. Proudly family-run for over 15 years.
✨ When you use Karen Davies moulds, you’re crafting with the best.