Confusion Over Buttercream Or Fondant
Decorating By disastrophe Updated 18 Jan 2012 , 2:58am by disastrophe
Recently a woman asked me about making a cake similar to one she saw on the weddingbee boards:
http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/butter-cream-frosting-cakes-anyone-else-only-using-buttercream
She likes the one half way down the page with the ruffles and pink frillies (post number 17). The problem is, she is insisting on buttercream only, with no fondant - but to me, it looks like it was made with fondant. Part of the reason why she thinks it can be done is because on the weddingbee board, the poster of the picture said that these were buttercream only cakes.
By the way, I recognize this cake because it's from Maisie Fantaisie:
http://www.maisiefantaisie.co.uk/wedding-cakes.html
At the top it says "Iced Cakes" and all the cakes below it look like they used fondant. I'm afraid if I show her this page it will only add to the confusion!
So what do you think? Can this be done with buttercream? I'm thinking that I should just tell her that I can't do it if I can't use fondant.
Yup, you can do frill with buttercream and it look that good. There is a decorator on here, she doesn't post, who's cakes look like fondant, but they are buttercream. I admire that great smooth butercream skill. And that frill cake looks like buttercream to me.
So what do you think? Can this be done with buttercream?
I don't think it's buttercream (at least not piped buttercream)... the ruffles are too thin and you'd see a line opposite the ruffle where the ruffle tip would end if it was piped with buttercream. The flowers are also too thin to be buttercream and would be too heavy to stay upright in those positions.
It could very well be a rolled buttercream... I think that could work.
On the second link you posted, the description on the cake does say "hand made sugar ruffles" ie, fondant. You could pipe them using a 104 (petal) tip, fat end against the cake and just wiggle the bag as you do a constant pressure and spin the turn table. But I would tell her that it's not going to look exactly like the picture. You might not be able to get the frills that thin. It's like trying to copy a watercolor painting but using acrylic paint. You could follow the same pattern, but it's just not going to look the same as fondant.
And if she is putting up a fight, go ahead and show her that second link. Show her that the person that actually did that cake (not just posted a picture of it on a wedding board) is saying the frills are done with fondant. I don't think it would confuse her more, it would only clarify.
Thanks for the input everybody! I'll point her to the page that has more details about the cake, tell her if she wants it done in buttercream it won't look exactly the same, and then I'll just wait to see what she decides.
You could pipe them using a 104 (petal) tip, fat end against the cake and just wiggle the bag as you do a constant pressure and spin the turn table. But I would tell her that it's not going to look exactly like the picture. You might not be able to get the frills that thin.
I agree. It could be done in buttercream, yet with a very noticeable differencedefinitely not exactly like the photo.
To see a video of ruffles being piped (like Rose described above"wiggle the bag", or rather"twist your wrist" technique), click on either link in my signatureit'll take you to the 127D ruffle video. I used the 127D "Giant Rose" tip with only two ruffles on each tier (one ruffle extending toward the bottom, and the other ruffle towards the top), but you could easily build up multiple rows from the bottom using a smaller tip like #104. BTW, the cake design in the video is on the Wilton site.
Fondant icing is the UK term. Fondant is a poured icing[liquid] used mainly on small cakes like petit fours etc.
Handmade sugar ruffles does not necessarily mean ruffles made purely out of rolled fondant. It may be one of the various types of sugarpaste that can be made up/purchased.
Have you indicated to the client the cost of the cake that she wishes to have copied ? £725 ~ $1120 ...
Fondant icing is the UK term. Fondant is a poured icing[liquid] used mainly on small cakes like petit fours etc.
Handmade sugar ruffles does not necessarily mean ruffles made purely out of rolled fondant. It may be one of the various types of sugarpaste that can be made up/purchased.
Have you indicated to the client the cost of the cake that she wishes to have copied ? £725 ~ $1120 ...
True, true!
Have you indicated to the client the cost of the cake that she wishes to have copied ? £725 ~ $1120 ...
No, but she'll see that soon enough I suppose! She wants a smaller cake and with ribbon bows instead of the big pink round things. Of course, Maisie Fantaisie can charge what they do because their work is amazing.
Fondant icing is the UK term. Fondant is a poured icing[liquid] used mainly on small cakes like petit fours etc.
...
I had wondered about that. Is it the same terminology in Australia?
This is the list of different Icings on the Wilton website. All icing.
http://www.wilton.com/decorating/icing/icing-chart.cfm
My vote is that there is no way it is buttercream! It is rolled, whether it be fondant, gum paste, Mexican paste, flower paste or a 50/50 blend.
That is not buttercream. I don't care how good you are, I don't think anyone can make bc look exactly like that.
Not to say that technique can't be done in bc, just that it won't look exactly like that, as people have already said!
It's always fun to read those wedding bee boards and see all the misinformation being passed around.
That is not buttercream. I don't care how good you are, I don't think anyone can make bc look exactly like that.
Not to say that technique can't be done in bc, just that it won't look exactly like that, as people have already said!
It's always fun to read those wedding bee boards and see all the misinformation being passed around.J
Oh great, another way to waste time on the Internet, just what I needed! 
That is fondant. But you can get a very similar look with buttercream:
One of my cakes, SMBC. The flowers are fabric. I chose to overlap the ruffles that much with a 103 but I was originally going to use a larger rose tip and make them farther apart. Changed my mind at the last minute.
I also love how the person that posted those photos on weddingbee classified those cakes as "simple". HA! Simple. Big LOL.
Sugarpaste [original name] = soft white icing [general name] = plastic icing [general name] = RTR or ready-to-roll [modern commercial name] = rolled fondant [acquired modern name]
Fondant in commercial-speak, is the boiled sugar mixture that goes in the centre of confectionery or re-worked as a poured icing [or fondant icing]. The trend of just referring to rolled fondant as fondant creates confusion as the name "fondant" is already taken by another product.
I also love how the person that posted those photos on weddingbee classified those cakes as "simple". HA! Simple. Big LOL.
I know, right???
Your cake is gorgeous! That must have taken you hours!
Oh great, another way to waste time on the Internet, just what I needed!
Haha, you're welcome! 
Have you discovered Pinterest yet? Now that's a time waster!
Good lord, that's fondant or gumpaste on the original cake, there's no question.
FromScratch, how cramped up was your hand after piping all of those ruffles? It looks good, by the way. Much faster than layering them all on, I'll bet, even with a cramping hand.
I also have to say that I find it interesting that even though we know people's real names on here we'll still use their screen names. Kind of a weird forum posting etiquette, I guess. I don't care if people use my real name, though. Just saying.
That is fondant. But you can get a very similar look with buttercream:
One of my cakes, SMBC. The flowers are fabric. I chose to overlap the ruffles that much with a 103 but I was originally going to use a larger rose tip and make them farther apart. Changed my mind at the last minute.
Waw is tis can be done with SMBC ? Can SMBC hold its shape ? i only use indys recipe with is perfect in piping and it does hold it shape very well , but if SMBC can hold its shape like that IWill go for it
Hey! I was just reading another post with pictures of tips and saw these PME tips...
https://www.knightsbridgepme.co.uk/IMG/Latest/L/_DSF3130.jpg
Don't you think the third one could give a similar ruffle, if the customer is determined to have it in buttercream?
I mean, it'll still be different, but still the same basic idea. =)
Hey! I was just reading another post with pictures of tips and saw these PME tips...
https://www.knightsbridgepme.co.uk/IMG/Latest/L/_DSF3130.jpg
Don't you think the third one could give a similar ruffle, if the customer is determined to have it in buttercream?
I mean, it'll still be different, but still the same basic idea. =)
Those would probably work...It does make my hand hurt to think of piping all that.
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