Hey Professionals! Butter Cream Or Fondant?
Decorating By txdragonfly Updated 23 Jul 2008 , 1:31am by karensue
Hey everyone! I was wondering if you use butter cream icing or fondant for the majority of your work? I love fondant, but it's not as well received as buttercream...just for the taste and the cutting ability. For example, I made a cake for a co-workers birthday using fondant and everyone asked me if it was a fake cake or if the top was made of plastic. (It was MMF.) I told them that a majority of wedding cakes use fondant as the icing. One girl told me, "I've never heard of that and I have been to several weddings." I don't know if it's just the little redneck town I live in or what, but I feel some what hurt when they ask that.
Sorry to drag on, but that's my question...fondant or butter cream?
I've only done 3....two in buttercream and 1 in fondant. Most of my other cakes have been buttercream, though.
I have weddings each weekend & I only do buttercream. I will use fondant for drapes & other add ons, but I prefer to make cakes for the taste.
Buttercream unless fondant is requested. Most of my customers actually prefer whipped cream icing. Maybe it is geographical!
I find myself using fondant mostly for sculpted cakes - you just can't get certain looks with buttercream.
But overall, I typically use buttercream, especially on wedding cakes. A lot of brides *think* they want fondant, but once they taste it, they usually will sacrifice that certain look for the sake of the taste.
I use fondant on dummy cakes for display for weddings & then do buttercream covered cakes to cut up in the kitchen. That way, they get the look of fondant but without the taste.
I use buttercream and then cover it with fondant. Personally, I have not yet seen a person taste fondant and not like it, but its' use is more for aesthetics rather than flavor. Buttercream cakes can be beautiful, but there really are no limits to what can be done with fondant.
If I had to eat a bowl of one or the other, I would definately choose buttercream, but if you gave me a choice of which to choose to decorate with, it will be fondant every time.
I have only used the Wilton fondant for class - and everyone I know who has tasted it didn't like it, myself included. I am planning to try the MMF recipe one of these days. I also have a recipe somewhere for rolled buttercream - has anyone made this, and does it taste similar to the MMF or is it a different thing altogether?
Most of my wedding cakes are fondant with a thin layer of BC all my birthday cakes are BC or Cream Cheese icing. Most order fondant for the look but have never had anyone say they don't like the taste if someone doesn't like fondant they just peel it off and have a piece of cake with BC on it.
If it were up to me I would do only fondant but people around here (out in the coutry) think it's just for fancy French cakes so I do most of my cakes in buttercream.
Before I ever tried using fondant, I heard that it tasted nasty. So, the first thing I made with fondant was with MMF and I love using the stuff! Would you use the MMF instead of covering your cakes in butter cream?
Also, I liked the idea of making a fondant dummy cake for a wedding, then having a butter cream covered cake to cut up in the back. But, I have a dumb question. Would you decorate the buttercream cake to resemble the dummy cake or what?
Thanks!
I learned on buttercream, but moved to fondant because I thought it was wow. Then one day I was just "over" the whole fondant and elaborate design thing. So now I'm back to buttercream. Who knows what I'll be into tomorrow. I just go with my own flow.
Also, I liked the idea of making a fondant dummy cake for a wedding, then having a butter cream covered cake to cut up in the back. But, I have a dumb question. Would you decorate the buttercream cake to resemble the dummy cake or what?
Not a dumb question at all!! I just did a wedding cake that was a dummy & decorated in it basketweave...I made 13 round cakes to cut & did the basketweave on them also....but I realized that I probably didn't have to do that...once they were cut & on the plate, they were drizzled with sauce & I honestly don't think the guests would have noticed either way.
When I do the fondant dummies & decorate them...I don't put the scrolls on the cakes in the kitchen or anything...I think the guests are much more concerned about the taste than the look once the cake is in front of them
I'm a buttercream gal. I've used fondant for accents, but not to cover a cake. I am considering trying the MMF recipe though since I hear such good things about it.
If i had my choice they would all be fondant, but unfortunately not many people are into the whole fondant thing, they have someone tell them its nasty, and they don't even want to give it a try for themselves. Most of my cakes do have fondant accents, there is just so much more you can do with fondant
I'm a buttercream gal. I've used fondant for accents, but not to cover a cake. I am considering trying the MMF recipe though since I hear such good things about it.
I usually do BC too but I tries MMF and now I am hooked.. I am waiting for someone to ask for a fondant covered cake, right now all I have used it for is cookies and for a dummy cake (in my photos).. it tastes SOOOO much better than Wilton's crappy stuff
OK, I have a follow-up question to the very interesting idea of using dummy cakes for the wedding and having BC in the kitchen to cut up and serve. How do you handle the cutting of the cake and feeding each other part? Do you just have one layer that is edible that they use for the cutting of the cake or do they just skip this part? Now I'm curious....
Thanks!
I just set a small sized cake behind the dummy cake & they do the cutting & then feed to each other. Then the dummyy cake is whisked to the back & the kitchen has already cut & plated the other cakes so they are ready to go. Usually whoever is cutting the cake loves it this way because they can get it all done ahead of time.
I agree! It should be easy now! But I am still curious about other peoples reactions to MMF. It tastes pretty good...I am making my first batch of white chocolate MMF. I'll keep ya posted!
txdragonfly..didn't mean to take over your thread
alicia77: haha not smart, just learned these things because I will do anything to get out of stacking a huge real cake
Hey, where are you guys finding your spiffy avatars? I tried to make one, but I coudln't seem to get the file small enough!
I got my avatar off of google.....but please don't ask me why I was looking for a chicken in a bikini
wow! what a beautiful cake!!! I love the brush embroidery look...& that color pink is really pretty!!
Very Pretty cake! Will you share your recipe for the white chocolate mmf? I prefer mmf to buttercream-only cakes but it is so new to most ppl that they just end up pulling it off.
I agree! It should be easy now! But I am still curious about other peoples reactions to MMF. It tastes pretty good...I am making my first batch of white chocolate MMF. I'll keep ya posted!
There are like a hundred and one threads on here about MMF vs Buttercream. It all boils down to personal taste, subjective.
Personally, MMF taste ok, but due to the marshmallow undertone and its spongy texture, it is not as appealing as a buttercream. Most cake decorators like fondants because it makes the cake look better, and the decorative elements are endless. Taste, however, should always come first. People will remember a cake that tastes good, before one that looks good.
Yeah, it is spongy and more difficult to cut than butter cream, however, I modified my MMF recipe last night, and it turned out awesome! It didn't taste like marshmallow at all. More like candy! My husband ended up eating the scraps! (Which has never happened with fondant or mmf!)
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