What To Use Under Fondant On Fruit/sponge Mixed Tiers Cake?
Decorating By Emmar308 Updated 4 Sep 2011 , 4:59pm by allaboutcakeuk
I am making my first wedding cake next week for a paying customer (prior stacked cakes were pre - business days) - so i decided to do some extra subject reading, refreshing techniques in my head etc. And, as usual, this has thrown up more questions than answers!! Thanks to you guys i have already cleared up the to stack / not to stack delivery conundrum! So onto my next quandry!!
I was reading a Mich Turner book regarding what to cover a cake with underneath fondant - easy enough right? Fruit cake - marzipan + fondant, sponge cake - buttercream + fondant (or ganache + fondant). The cake i am making is 2 square tiers - base tier fruit, top tier sponge. So, obviously i want my square fondant cakes to look the same ie both sharp corners / both smooth corners. My thinking was if the fruit cake is covered in marzipan then my top tier should be ganache and fondant BUT Mich Turner has just confused me by offering two different ways to cover a fruit cake in marzipan (either in one sheet like fondant, or in panels per side) does this mean one way gives you sharp corners ( panel method) and one rounded corners (one sheet method) - and if so then should i use ganache on top tier with panel method / buttercream on top tier with one sheet method??? (And NOT mix techniques ie panel method with buttercream top tier, would this give sharp corners on bottom tier and rounded corners on top tier and look wrong, or would no one notice??) Lastly am i waaaay overthinking this thing?????? I just think if i get this wrong it could ruin the cake and look very unprofessional.
SORRY for the length of the post, and i hope you understand what i mean!! Thanks for taking the time to read!! Please help caker in distress lol!!
This is the type of thing I would think about to. I think you would be best using the same technique for both as the difference would be noticeable.
You could put your glaze on the fruit cake and do the all in one cover of marzipan then all in one fondant over that. Buttercream and fondant the sponge all one one method. If you worried about the different thickness of covering either make the fondant on sponge thicker or on the fruit thinner.
I think that's probably what i'll do Cakelady - would love some others input too though - come on you lot!! Lol x
Hi there, all my fruit cakes are covered in a glaze then marzipanned. All sponge cakes are either butter cream or ganache. What i normally do for my tiered cakes that are a mix of fruit and sponge is to do a much thinner layer of marzipan on the fruit then the fondant. Then do your sponge cake in butter cream and fondant. As far as the sharp edges I only do my marzipan in panels if I am going to cover a fruit cake in royal icing which really demands a sharp edge. If you cover carefully enough and work the edges with your smoothers you should pretty much achieve the same effect on both. If you are worried that your sponge may be more rounded then do not sharpen the marizpan base on your fruit quite so much (slightly rounded if you see what i mean to compensate for the sponge you will cover that obviously has more give than a fruit cake). Hope this makes sense and helps. 
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