Is there any bakers on here that can tell me is there is a difference between Australian fondant and fondant that we use here in the USA?  

When an Aussie mentions that Royal Icing is more like fondant, is that accurate?

Thanks!

Christina

I can't answer to those specific words but I can say that over my years in cake decodom I've learned that a lot of these terms are interchangeable -- also very important is the fact that ingredients from country to country vary a little or a lot --

a recent example is my son, a chef, traveled to brazil and made this caramel filling he's made here many times -- it did not thicken properly because the sugar is different in brazil --

so there's lots of variables from country to country and even from brand to brand right at our own grocery stores --

I mean for example -- there's beet sugar and cane sugar here in the states and most bakers I know prefer cane sugar -- 

and not to mention we have two kinds of 'fondant' -- the one we roll for a cake covering and the other is a bonbon filling or a poured petit four covering that comes in liquid or powered form -- 

confusion abounds imo 

I was thinking the same thing you mentioned, -K8.  There are two different confections called "fondant", the sugar paste we use to cover cakes and the semi-liquid pouring fondant.  Maybe that is where the confusion comes in.  I do believe the fondant used in Australia, for covering cakes, is much the same as ours.

By the way, I learned about the pouring fondant from watching The Great British Baking Show!  Never actually seen it.

Most fondants are basically the same…a gelatine type mixture, which is basically marshmallow. Then of course additives. I buy a commercial fondant, but made by a local decorating company. Very few additives. They use white chocolate. In the UK and Australia they refer to fondant as sugarpaste. And royal icing is definitely not fondant. And Australians use royal icing the same as we do…on cakes and cookies.

And Sandra my Mom was making poured fondant on cakes…petit fours every since I was a child. Of course Mom didn’t call it poured fondant, but that’s what it was. I can remember helping my Mom pour over the petit fours…..fancy name for “cube cakes”. 

Well heck, June, I've made petit fours myself, with a poured icing.  Maybe I've made poured fondant and just didn't know it, lol!

Yup Sandra you was doin poured fondant!

see back in the day, poured fondant was made with gelatin & glycerine & stuff -- to moi a poured icing made from random liquids including corn syrup and whatever kind of sugar, etc. is a glaze, or an icing -- so not even we are in sync on what's what -- so to think it is universal across the globe is a stretch for me --