violet02
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Wedding Cake - Fondant or Not?
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Courtneylub
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Octavia
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I could be wrong, but I thought fondant served the functional purpose of keeping the cake moist -- it "seals" the cake off from the air in a way other frostings don''t, and since wedding cakes are often made a couple days in advance, ones without fondant run the risk of drying out. I''m not sure whether I''ll go with fondant on my cake or not (way too far in advance for a decision like that) but if I do, I''m having them put a thick layer of buttercream underneath so people can peel off the fondant and still have frosting on the cake. Tastewise, fondant definitely =
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zoebartlett
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Wow, that cake looks amazing!
I know I love buttercream but I don''t know if I like fondant. It''s been years since I''ve had it. Just so I make sure I have it right, isn''t fondant the stuff that you can basically peel off in one layer as you''re eating a piece of cake? It''s kind of gummy in texture, right?
I know I love buttercream but I don''t know if I like fondant. It''s been years since I''ve had it. Just so I make sure I have it right, isn''t fondant the stuff that you can basically peel off in one layer as you''re eating a piece of cake? It''s kind of gummy in texture, right?
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goldenstar
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For those unfamiliar with fondant, the texture is similar to unbaked pie dough and is no where as good tasting as buttercream. I had a fondant wedding cake which was pretty good. I dont like or eat the icing so I did not care. The cake itself was amazingly tasty and moist, which I credit the fondant for keeping it moist.
I chose the fondant b/c I loved the look and dont eat icing. We also had a chocolate grooms cake which was to die for (non-fondant).
Also I did not have to pay an arm and a leg for fondant ($10-20 pp, are you kidding me????). My baker charger me somewhere between $1.50 and $2.00 pp.
I chose the fondant b/c I loved the look and dont eat icing. We also had a chocolate grooms cake which was to die for (non-fondant).
Also I did not have to pay an arm and a leg for fondant ($10-20 pp, are you kidding me????). My baker charger me somewhere between $1.50 and $2.00 pp.
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Italiahaircolor
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Depending on the design you want, you'll have to use fondant or at least molding chocolate. Buttercream will not give you a smooth, flawless finish like fondant or MC.
Fondant is attached to the cake by using a layer of buttercream, and although fondant doesn't taste good (ever) your guests can usually "peel" the fondant away from the slice they get.
Fondant does have a gritty, thick texture and is mostly tasteless however you can "taste" the texture...Buttercream tends to have a more waxy texture, but is more flavorful.
I used fondant for my wedding cake and buttercream for our grooms cake...
ETA: We had a mosaic cake...it was like a shattered glass look. Each piece of fondant was cut to put together with other pieces. It was around $20.00 per slice, if memory serves. In addition to the cake you see in the picture, we had another 4 sheet cakes (as opposed to adding additional tiers to the cake, althought the sheet cakes were *exactly* the same as our wedding cake) in the back to accomidate 2nds for our huge number of guests! The gold luster you see to the cake is actual 24k gold dust (gold=higher price), which was applied in various shades to the individual pieces of fondant to match our monochromatic gold theme.
Fondant is attached to the cake by using a layer of buttercream, and although fondant doesn't taste good (ever) your guests can usually "peel" the fondant away from the slice they get.
Fondant does have a gritty, thick texture and is mostly tasteless however you can "taste" the texture...Buttercream tends to have a more waxy texture, but is more flavorful.
I used fondant for my wedding cake and buttercream for our grooms cake...
ETA: We had a mosaic cake...it was like a shattered glass look. Each piece of fondant was cut to put together with other pieces. It was around $20.00 per slice, if memory serves. In addition to the cake you see in the picture, we had another 4 sheet cakes (as opposed to adding additional tiers to the cake, althought the sheet cakes were *exactly* the same as our wedding cake) in the back to accomidate 2nds for our huge number of guests! The gold luster you see to the cake is actual 24k gold dust (gold=higher price), which was applied in various shades to the individual pieces of fondant to match our monochromatic gold theme.
SarahLovesJS
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FrekeChild
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Ok. Technically there are several forms of "fondant". The main two would be the "sugar dough" form and the icing kind. Icing kind meaning the stripy stuff you see on breakfast pastries like danish. There is a totally different procedure for both. Sugar dough fondant includes: sugar, corn starch, glucose, gelatin, hydrogenated vegetable oil and water. Besides the sugar and water, none of the other ingredients are something I would want to eat raw.
If you have a decent cake decorator you should be able to get an excellent coat of buttercream on the outside that should be almost flawless. Personally I prefer the satiny look you get from buttercream rather than the dry but perfectly smooth look to fondant.
Fondant serves many purposes for cake covering:
~to keep the inside from melting (buttercream & fillings) if it's outside
~to keep it moist- but only for english fruitcake, because American cakes really aren't made that far in advance to worry about it drying out-unless the cake is sitting out in the open air with nothing covering it. Buttercream does just the same thing, the reason wedding cakes are dry is because they didn't have simple syrup applied to it
~to make it look pretty
~to push up prices, the most expensive ingredient is glucose, and it's really not that expensive, but it takes a lot of skill to work with-because it shows EVERY single mistake
Fondant has to have a thin layer of buttercream underneath it because it will show every loose crumb through it, and rip on corners, edges and sides. The buttercream can help prevent that. It really doesn't help much by trying to "glue" it together, the only thing really holding it on is gravity and the fact that it's molded to the cake from the beginning.
There are 4 main types of buttercream:
American buttercream- the waxy stuff most American's associate with buttercream. It's made from hydrogenated oil, sugar and a little water.
French buttercream- made with butter, sugar, and egg yolks. When its ready it's the richest but also a creamy yellow color, but fantastic tasting.
Swiss buttercream- made with a Swiss Meringue and butter. The Swiss Meringue is made by heating both the egg whites and sugar until it reaches a certain temperature and the sugar has dissolved in it, then it's beaten until the meringue forms. Then butter is added.
Italian buttercream- made with a Italian Meringue and butter. This is the most stable meringue and also the most difficult to make. Its made with sugar syrup that is poured into egg whites that are already partially beaten and takes quite a bit of skill to not instantly cook the egg whites as the hot sugar syrup is poured into the egg whites. This is also when butter is added.
There is also the German buttercream that is made with pastry cream with butter added to it, however this isn't used much in America because it is susceptible to quick bacteria growth, and can go bad very quickly.
Fondant should NOT have a gritty texture. It should be smooth and gummy, more like play doh or clay. I agree with whoever said it's like unbaked pie dough, it's very similar. If it actually is gritty, there is too much cornstarch and you've been given an inferior product.
Fondant and buttercream can be flavored with pretty much anything. It is my opinion that fondant should always have some flavoring added to it, even if it's just vanilla, because some people do like to eat it. Buttercream should also always have flavoring added to it, because people almost always eat it.
Sorry the image is small. That's a cake I posted before. Made for a friend of the family about a year ago with artsy silver snowflakes on it-I really liked it better without the poofy thing on top. It's got Italian buttercream on the outside, and it is very smooth, but you can't get the curved edges like you HAVE to with fondant. Literally-otherwise it tears.
Also, when fondant is too dry-hydrogenated oil (shortening) is added to help soften it. When its too wet corn starch is usually added to help stiffen it.
Also, the only gold dust you can put on a cake is 24 kt, otherwise it's not fit for consumption.
Thanks guys for helping me remember this stuff. Being that it was beaten into my head for over 2 years...I hope something in there helps you make a decision about whether you want to use it or not.
If you have a decent cake decorator you should be able to get an excellent coat of buttercream on the outside that should be almost flawless. Personally I prefer the satiny look you get from buttercream rather than the dry but perfectly smooth look to fondant.
Fondant serves many purposes for cake covering:
~to keep the inside from melting (buttercream & fillings) if it's outside
~to keep it moist- but only for english fruitcake, because American cakes really aren't made that far in advance to worry about it drying out-unless the cake is sitting out in the open air with nothing covering it. Buttercream does just the same thing, the reason wedding cakes are dry is because they didn't have simple syrup applied to it
~to make it look pretty
~to push up prices, the most expensive ingredient is glucose, and it's really not that expensive, but it takes a lot of skill to work with-because it shows EVERY single mistake
Fondant has to have a thin layer of buttercream underneath it because it will show every loose crumb through it, and rip on corners, edges and sides. The buttercream can help prevent that. It really doesn't help much by trying to "glue" it together, the only thing really holding it on is gravity and the fact that it's molded to the cake from the beginning.
There are 4 main types of buttercream:
American buttercream- the waxy stuff most American's associate with buttercream. It's made from hydrogenated oil, sugar and a little water.
French buttercream- made with butter, sugar, and egg yolks. When its ready it's the richest but also a creamy yellow color, but fantastic tasting.
Swiss buttercream- made with a Swiss Meringue and butter. The Swiss Meringue is made by heating both the egg whites and sugar until it reaches a certain temperature and the sugar has dissolved in it, then it's beaten until the meringue forms. Then butter is added.
Italian buttercream- made with a Italian Meringue and butter. This is the most stable meringue and also the most difficult to make. Its made with sugar syrup that is poured into egg whites that are already partially beaten and takes quite a bit of skill to not instantly cook the egg whites as the hot sugar syrup is poured into the egg whites. This is also when butter is added.
There is also the German buttercream that is made with pastry cream with butter added to it, however this isn't used much in America because it is susceptible to quick bacteria growth, and can go bad very quickly.
Fondant should NOT have a gritty texture. It should be smooth and gummy, more like play doh or clay. I agree with whoever said it's like unbaked pie dough, it's very similar. If it actually is gritty, there is too much cornstarch and you've been given an inferior product.
Fondant and buttercream can be flavored with pretty much anything. It is my opinion that fondant should always have some flavoring added to it, even if it's just vanilla, because some people do like to eat it. Buttercream should also always have flavoring added to it, because people almost always eat it.
Sorry the image is small. That's a cake I posted before. Made for a friend of the family about a year ago with artsy silver snowflakes on it-I really liked it better without the poofy thing on top. It's got Italian buttercream on the outside, and it is very smooth, but you can't get the curved edges like you HAVE to with fondant. Literally-otherwise it tears.
Also, when fondant is too dry-hydrogenated oil (shortening) is added to help soften it. When its too wet corn starch is usually added to help stiffen it.
Also, the only gold dust you can put on a cake is 24 kt, otherwise it's not fit for consumption.
Thanks guys for helping me remember this stuff. Being that it was beaten into my head for over 2 years...I hope something in there helps you make a decision about whether you want to use it or not.
Deelight
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I have no idea what buttercream is?? I probably do but most likely we call it something else down under
.
Is fondant like the white marzipan coating that is traditionally used on wedding cakes or is it something entirely different? Personally I agree usually they taste like crap but a friend of mine had her wedding cake made with the marzipan type stuff and it was the OMG best wedding cake ever the texture of the white paste topping was like marshmallows soft and fluffy and sweet, so it might be worth looking to see if you can find a nice one, I know she bought her cake off ebay.
Is fondant like the white marzipan coating that is traditionally used on wedding cakes or is it something entirely different? Personally I agree usually they taste like crap but a friend of mine had her wedding cake made with the marzipan type stuff and it was the OMG best wedding cake ever the texture of the white paste topping was like marshmallows soft and fluffy and sweet, so it might be worth looking to see if you can find a nice one, I know she bought her cake off ebay.
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Pandora II
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Um, sorry, but fondant is a pretty new invention over here - I was always taught that it was an american import! You can get cakes in it - mainly sponge cake - but it's seriously gross. It's useful for making sugarpaste flowers etc and you can do a lot of pretty things with it. It is becoming more popular for fruitcakes - but that is normally because a lot of people can't be bothered to spend the time on royal icing plain cakes.
We use Royal Icing for Fruit Cakes.
I've made 4 tiers for my wedding - each one has huge amounts of dried fruit in, that I soaked in a brandy/ginger liqueur/whisky mix for 24 hours before cooking. There is a half inch marzipan waistband (real german-style marzipan with lots of ground almonds - not that disgusting flavoured stuff you buy in the shops) through the middle of each cake - it's cooked in, not added later.
I feed the cake every 3 weeks with Brandy, so it will be seriously alcoholic by July - I may have to pop it back in the oven to dry it out a bit!
You actually don't need anything to seal a fruitcake - it will keep for years and years in a tin! The idea of slapping icing on to keep out bacteria is complete nonsense, and we pour cold liquor on to a hot cake to improve the taste! You should actually make the cake itself a year in advance of icing to allow it to mature. I made mine in October - so they will only be 9 months old.
In June, I will marzipan the cakes with a half inch layer all over - applied with hot apricot jam to help it stick. Then you leave it to dry out so that the oil in the marzipan doesn't discolour the icing.
Finally 10 days or so before the wedding you "Royal Ice" the cake. Royal Icing is a mix of whipped egg whites with icing sugar and a bit of lemon juice. You have to work quite fast with it as it's like concrete! You slap a layer on the cake and smooth it out as much as you can. The next day you sandpaper it down until it is completely smooth and level all over. Then you make a new batch of icing and re-ice and sand-down as before.
Normally you do three layers, but some people do 5 or more, sanding down each time.
Now you have a perfectly smooth white (or coloured) cake. Royal icing does taste nice - as long as you are careful not to break your teeth on it!
After the wedding, the top tier goes into a box for the birth of the first child - then it becomes the Christening Cake.
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