...well sorta.
Im about taste and not looks. I hate the taste of fondant so why would I serve it to people?? What really catches my eye is texture of frosting or cute sprinkles or confetti on cupcakes!!
I made my niece a lovely red velvet Twilight cake but it's not covered in fondant or royal icing and all that jazz. I LOVE how it came out but because its not gonna look like a DISPLAY that belongs on Food Network Im shy to submit it. Im a baker, not a cake decorator. Or if anything, a simple "real" decorator of what "belongs on a cake" (so my grandpa always said about fancy cakes). I was raised with frosting and simplicity and ofcourse actual taste. I just dont see any simple cakes on the winning circles of previous contests.
How do you all feel on how mainstream decorating has been for cakes and not the actual taste of it?[/list]

What brands of fondant have you tasted? If you have only ever had the Wilton fondant, don't judge all fondants by that!

Also, yes, the buttercream frosted and decorated cake is more traditional for the US, but in England, rolled frostings (marzipan and fondant) and royal icing decorations are traditional.

I think all of the different aspects of sugar art have their place. Don't feel like you have to be Buddy Valestro or Mike McGeery or Bronwen Webber to post your cakes.

And from one "baker not decorator" to another, don't be ashamed of what you are good at. Find your niche, what you rock at doing and be proud of it, but don't be shy of stretching yourself and trying new things, either!

i think all the decorators on this site and all other sites... pride themselves on how their(our) cakes taste..not just how beautiful they decorate them... don,t quite understand what you are saying in your post.. ?????

Sounds to me like you're saying fondant doesn't belong on a cake???

Hmm, I think I'll pull up a chair and see where this goes...

As for my opinion, fondant CAN taste good - I make my own and think it's quite delicious. And taste is a very personal thing - even one buttercream isn't going to be loved by everyone. As for what wins contests, I think people (myself included) look for very CLEAN work that has a "wow factor" - those things seem to be harder to come by in buttercream. Not sure if it's just the medium itself because it's not as flexible (in my experience), or that people are moving more to fondant, so not a lot of people really TRY to be so cutting edge with all buttercream...

Bottom line, if you have a cake that you want to submit, do it. But there's no need to put anyone else's work or chosen medium down.

It is your first post, cookiesnspiders, and I think you are right to some point. But as everybody said, there are at least a dozen different fondants and they all tastes differently. I make my own fondant and I know for a fact that people always eat it, even those who said that they didnt like fondant in the past. Advice would be, try and experiment. About simple cakes in a winning circle: thats why it is a contest and thats why we all are here: to learn from the best and strive for the excellence. Simple beauty sometimes is as hard to archive as a complicated design. And since we all making cakes for people that are coming back to us over and over again it has something to say about our flavors and actual taste. Decorators, newbies and seasoned, we all take a pride in our work.

Amen, girlie. Neatness is key with design, and I love to eat fondant!
I also think cakes can look and taste good at the same time.

That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with making wonderful, homemade, yummy cakes that just scream "eat me"

But, I think the contests are for decorating rather than taste....I mean its not like you can invite us over for a slice of your cake. The contests are meant to inspire and encourage us to be better decorators. By all means, enter your cake, even if it doesn't win an award, it may inspire that person out there looking for just what you did.
And maybe there should be a section or contest for just what you're talking about.

Welcome to CC by the way!

I think what "belongs on cake" and what tastes good is all preference. I personally can take a cake out of the oven and eat it with a fork right out of the pan, no icing what so ever. Then my husband loves buttercream, and my kids and parents love the taste of fondant (mmf). To each his own.

If YOU are proud of your cake enter it; if not, don't. That's it.

The phrase "What belongs on a cake" confuses me because I'm a person who is constantly asking "who MAKES these food rules, anyway?"

- Who SAID you can eat a pork patty with cheese on a (Mc)Muffin in the morning and that's ok but if you eat a beef patty with cheese on a bun in the morning people look at you weird?
- Who SAID eating potatoes sliced real thin and fried in a skillet for breakfast is ok, but potatoes that are sliced in strips and deep fried (or sliced super thin, deep fried, and sold in bags with the name "LAYS" on it) for breakfast is not?
- Who SAID it's ok to drink a hot drink with caffeine and sugar in a cup in the morning, but if to drink a cold drink with caffeine and sugar from a can in the morning is weird?
- Who SAID cream cheese is the ONLY thing allowed on a bagel?
- Who SAID lamb has to be eaten with mint jelly?

Well, obviously I got on a roll there ... sorry, folks!

We are not in a world of "looks good .... tastes great" where a cake has to be one or the other. Both are just as important. Even the worst looking cake, when it's made with love, is a beautiful cake! (Anyone who has had a cake made by their children, and thought it was the most beautiful cake in the world, raise their hand!)

Dont' be insecure in your skill level. We all started out doing our first cakes and none of us would be too proud to show our first cakes. (I recently found the pic of my first cake. omg, and I actually thought it was good! ) You'll get there!

I definitely believe it is okay to draw outside the lines, so to speak. I hate it when people tell me that their way is the only correct way, blah, blah, blah. Yeah? Who died and made you God?

From the posts I've read on this website, most CC'rs are just as concerned with taste as beauty. However, I've often wondered, as I watch some of the cake shows, if their artfully designed creations really taste good. Oh sure, it looks like a 3-ring circus (WOW!) but does it taste like camel pooh? Is it dry as dust and heavy and packy? Is that a good buttercream or a whipped nasty goo? I think taste is more important, but if you're paying $1200 for a specialty cake then it needs to look good too.

Like you, I'm more of a baker. I leave the art to someone else. Different strokes for different folks.

I have to say, these contests are based solely on the looks of the cake. The more detail/cleaner look, the better! We can't taste cakes in the contest, but there is no shame in making them. Don't submit your cake if you don't feel comfortable, but now you at least have to upload it so we can all take a peek!!

oh my I hope you all didnt think I was bashing you !! I wasnt.
I have tried sooo many cakes with fondant and tasting different varieties but they were terrible have any of you been to the shops in Chelsea Market in NYC? Have you tried Charm City cakes? TERRIBLE !!!!!!!!!! I dont understand how popular places are getting such reviews but they are just based on looks and not taste my niece for her bday this year had a pirate cake and my sis paid over 200 for it, it tasted so nasty I really hate the taste of fondant. I would love to try a good piece wherever it may be.

have you looked at the entries or the competitions? pages and pages and PAGES of entries. but there will still only be 3 winners, and a couple of runners up. so the chances of getting placed, even with a top level decorated cake is still very slim!
whether it is bc or fondant is unlikely to affect your chances of winning, it has to be an amazing cake either way.
i you dont like using fondant (have you tried chocolate fondant, or even marzipan?) then dont use it, stick to perecting your bc.
xx

I agree with most people in this thread..especially Indy and Pookie. I am much more of a baker...my decorating skills definately need some help..but I am learning. For the time being, I'd rather deliver a cake, cookie, or cupcake that may not aestetically perfect but has a flavor that will make a person's toes curl . You will get there....many thing takes practice to become proficient.

As far as fondant on a cake...I am not a big fan of how fondant tastes but I have to admit that it makes a cake look spectacular. Not saying that buttercream is bad or "ugly" but I love how clean the cakes look with fondant. One brand of fondant I have tried, other than MMF, is Satin Ice and it was pretty darn good.

MFF is delicious and cheap and easy to make

mmf....they only fondant I tasted before making my own mmf was.......gasp!!!.....Wilton....I too thought, whats all the hoopla....fondant is nasty....but gave mmf a try and was totally impressed with the taste...have even been experimenting with mmf and flavors...the raspberry or almond are really good...at least to me (have even convince one friend who TOTALLY abhorred fondant) that mmf was in her words "pretty good".

More and more people want to order cakes that are also a centerpiece and something to talk about!!!! And of course the cake underneath should taste good too....I love how my cakes taste and I think everyone on here loves their cake or they wouldn't bake it. haha.

I do like the look of a delicious homestyle cake....I have always loved that "swirled icing" look, like the front of a cake mix box...ever since I was a kid!!!! I love the cakes that look like you just want to dig in with a fork.

BUT cake decorating is an art as well, so we give our customers this "art form" that they want so badly they are willing to pay well for it.

Indy I LOVE your list...LOL....yeah why CANT I eat a burger and fries and Diet Coke for breakfast, anyhow...howcome I gotta wait til 10:30am? haha.....

This website, if I'm not mistaken, is for cake enthusiasts. That includes bakers as well as decorators. The decorators probably have better looking cake as bakers probably have better tasting cakes. The biggest difference is we can see a pic of a cake and see that it looks good. We cannot, however, see a pic of a cake an determine if it tastes good. The wost thing that can happen is someone lies and says your cake is ugly. Honest criticism is what helps us improve. If I hear another "Oh it's lovely - GREAT JOB!" it'll be too soon. I want to grow as a decorator and baker.

The whole idea IMHO is that we are all here to incourage not discourage. I for one, if I have nothing good to say, don't say anything unless it is to offer some helpful hint that would improve. I am not about to "ditch" someone's hard work. I myself, being new to this whole thing, have a tremondous amount of room for improvement. As far as fondant, it's a personal preference. My husband doesn't mind the taste, but hates the texture of it on cake. I did an experiment at work, because everyone kept telling me how they didn't like the taste of fondant. I rolled out a large piece of marshmallow fondant and smoothed buttercream icing on it. Rolled it up like a small pumpkin roll and cut it into bite-sized pieces. I had 100 pieces. I didn't tell them it was fondant. I just told them I was trying a new recipe for my cakes, and wanted their input for flavor. Out of those 100 only one said "oh it ok, I just don't care for sweet stuff all that much", everyone else loved it. If you don't like fondant don't use it, but if you are going to bake for other people, they may like fondant and you should at least have a recipe that tastes good. Besides, it is a fantastic medium to work with. Some people like to bake, and some people like art. Then you have those that love combining the two, and then the WOW really begins. Hey I like that, I think I'll add it to my signature.

Cabecakes, I like your siggy now!!!! Not only is my keyboard sticky, but my phone is too! haha.

Fondant doesn't have to taste bad...... some are very bad.

I think taste is just as important, if not more, than the outside of the cake.

Jen

I believe you do have those who just bake and are not or do not consider them self artist. You also have who are artist and are cake decorator or cake artist and may not bake a delicious cake. But You have both who cake bake and decorate. I do not know about the one's that has been mention about there cakes but I've come to realize it is a matter of preference. I think sometimes we have certain expectation when we see a well know artist and taste there cakes and make a remark oh it wasn't all that. Again that's your opinion and we all have different taste. But like someone said if you have nothing good to say just say nothing. So let's keep baking and cake decorating and make our customers happy that's what counts.