How do you decide what you will frost a cake with?

Do some people ONLY use Fondant or Buttercream?

Do you switch off?

I guess I am confused about how to know when to use each of these?

Thanks

Some people only do one or the other and some both. It just depends on the look or the flavor you are going for. There are not hard and fast rules to this.

I LOVE the look of fondant, it is sooo smooth. I have a friend that is insitant that decorating bith buttercream is harder, and she refuses to even try fondant ( until she had BC down). I myself LOVE the look of fondat, I just think that fondant cakes look nicer, and more clean, if that make sense. I think it is all a matter of personl choice. If you are going to be baking for others, I think it might help to hav ethe choice of both (although I do not know for sure) but i fyou are just talking about for baking for yourself and family, I think it all just depends on what you like to work with.

You can do some really cool things with fondant, but it tastes gross. I make a cake to eat it, so I don't like to use fondant. But if the look you're going for would come out better with fondant, by all means use it (there's still cake inside).

Buttercream goes under the fondant...so even if your doing fondant, your still getting buttercream.
Not all fondants taste bad...everyone has their own opinion about them. The majority says Wilton is the worst....MMF (marshmallow fondant) is not bad...Pettinice and Satinice are ok too.
It just depends if ya wanna 'chew' your frosting or not.

I second all Wendover said! Fondx brand of fondant is also good and for me tastes the best, next to Satin Ice.

I find a lot of people do not eat the fondant but they still get icing from the buttercream under it.

I use both, but prefer to work with BC.