Fondant or buttercream?

tamirenee15

I am trying to decide which to use, fondant or buttercream. I know fondant looks better, but buttercream tastes better right? I have never tried fondant, but I've heard it is gross. So I am just wondering if this is true?

UDscoobychick

Most people do not like the taste of fondant.  Some bakers can do a marshmallow fondant that's supposed to taste better than traditional fondant, so that's an option if you want the look of fondant.  Also, most bakers ice the cake with a very thin layer of buttercream to help the fondant adhere, so most people just peel off the fondant, and then they still have some frosting (not a lot, though) to eat it with.  You can get a smoother, cleaner look with fondant, but a good cake decorator can get almost the same look with buttercream.  Personally, I'd go for taste over looks. 

tldh

When I was looking for a baker, my only question was "You don't use fondant right?"  Not using this disgusting concoction is one of the few things I've insisted on.

apaadzzzz

Yes its true! Only go with fondant if the look of your cake is more important than the taste. Fondant is disgusting!

kaesha

I hate the stuff (fondant, I mean) - but I also think buttercream is done wrong by sooo many bakers. That stuff you get on a Costco sheet cake? That's buttercream done wrong. Great buttercream is light tasting and not too sugary sweet.

Brittany&Chris

As your baker what brand of fondant they use or if they make their own.  If they purchase it I wouldn't recommend anything other than Satin Ice.  I never liked fondant!!! But during culinary school in NY this was the brand we used (and of course had to try) and it actually was not offensive at all.  You can still have a buttercream on the inside for a little extra flavor and those true fondant haters, but it wouldn't hurt to ask for a sample.  Also if you are not set on doing fondant or buttercream you could ask about glazes they can do (chocolate glaze?) it give the cake a really clean look with an added shine to it. Just make sure they are familiar with it (ask for pictures) it can be easily goofed.  Good luck!

topchef33

Definitely taste your baker's buttercream b/c as kaesha said, some places do it bad, like grocery store bakeries. Those are wayyy too sweet.

bbyckes

No fondant for us either.  Buttercream all the way.

melissamc2

No fondant was non-negotiable for us.  Buttercream can be done just as beautifully, you just can't have the same type of stenciling in most cases.

There is no amount of "artistic look" to the cake that will make up for bad taste, as far as I am concerned.  I know that some fondant can taste tolerable, but I don't want a tolerable wedding cake, I want a fantastic one.

KilleenBride

There is also a buttercream fondant that actually tastes good, that is what we are making on our wedding cake

abbiewebster

i really dont understnad how everyone hates fondant icing (i guess n england most cakes are made with fondant icing) so maybe its because it what im used to and now im in the states ive tried buttercream its good but its not so amazing that it makes fondant taste like shite lol....i guess different cultures have different tastes maybe lol...

flamingtwig72

I chose a designer who uses a normal layer of buttercream and a thin layer of fondant over that. She and I agree that cakes with no fondant don't look finished or clean, no matter how smooth the baker tries to make it. Fondant isn't necessarily meant to be eaten; it peels off very easily and there's plenty of buttercream underneath for guests to enjoy.

SteveandKris

I've seen buttercream done well and it can look really cute. Not to mention, taste so good! I vote for buttercream.

jcpalmer1day

My thing with the fondant (which I don't like the taste) is this... it costs more.  If most people aren't going to eat it, I'm not going to pay extra for it.  I've seen beautifully decorated and clean/finished looking buttercream cakes.  You just have to find a good decorator. 

[Deleted User]

Definitely buttercream - that stuff is my favorite

aep8687

I know someone mentioned a chocolate glaze, but another good option in that same vein is chocolate ganache. The taste is rich and amazing, and in terms of design it can look just as clean and polished as fondant. We are doing a white chocolate ganache frosting on ours. The one con is that the price can be a little steeper, however.

torabeaarmy

We are going to have buttercream. I hate fondant I this it taste like crap and wouldn't dream of having it on my wedding cake. Plus the charge more for fondant. You should see if you baker is good at doing buttercream. The baker that we have is a wiz with buttercream and can make any cake look like it has fondant but doesn't.

batangaswedding

So fondant is that bad?  We've never given it much thought and we're not really experts when it comes to cakes.  Well wadya know, you do learn new things everyday.

Delstins

I actually do enjoy the tast of fondant, but I also eat it with the whole cake and not by itself. To me it mellows out some cakes that taste way to sugary.  My cake is being covered in fondant.  As for price though I'm glad my FI mom's bf does cakes!

Danielle&Nanne

I'm making my cake with a swiss buttercream.  I also make marshmallow fondant, which is tasty (it tastes like marshmallows), but I hate "traditional" fondant.  It tastes like confectioner's sugar concentrate, in my opinion.  When I make a fondant cake, I always use buttercream under it.

The thing with fondant vs. buttercream, other than taste, is edges.  Fondant cakes almost always have a softer edge, where buttercream can be made with a crisper edge.

kellyf87

While fondant does look really good the taste is really bad. I don't like the taste but ike many have said you can just peel if off if you want.

samunnel

Yes, buttercream tastes alot better than fondant. But if your wedding is outdoors in the warm months, in a warmer room, or it's really humid, fondant is better because it will hold up. Buttercream tends to, well, melt! And the cake can shift.

michaela080

You know a lot of cakes have buttercream under the fondant and you just peel it off.

brit_bell90

Homemade buttercream all the way! I wouldn't ever want fondant.

alina_mac

Two out of three bakers (from my baker shopping) wouldn't touch fondant because it's too difficult and too expensive to work with. My 150 person cake would have cost more than $1000 for a cake in fondant! I have had "not bad/ pretty good" tasting fondant before (but it was a pastry chef friend of mine, not pro salon.) One baker suggested whipped cream icing instead of buttercream for a hot July wedding and another baker suggested the opposite. We went with the baker who suggested the buttercream icing for several reasons, but also because they assured us that they've never had any melting problems. 

Yay for basket-weave pattern in buttercream! :-)

Myroni03

Just remember that Fondant is not the only cure for warmer months. Fondant sweats so it really doesn't matter. If it's hot enough for the buttercream to start melting its hot enough for the Fondant to start sweating, fondant will also sweat if you chill the cake too much before the wedding then bring it out to room temp.

jdee1982

I think it all depends on the baker. I've had fondant a couple times and didn't HATE it, but didn't really love it either. We taste tested at a local place and fondant is her big thing and let. me. tell. you. It was SO incredibly good. We took a small cake home that had fondant for our families to try and everyone LOVED it. I'm not sure what brand she uses, but it is white chocolate fondant and is so good. Once we had her cake, there was no other option.

leilahaustin

I'm getting a buttercream cake.  The baker I am working with know what they are doing and it will look real nice.  I've tried foundant and it is so gross.  Plus I think it cost more.

mcclurekelley

Here is my 2 cents.

You have to taste it before you can make a decision on it.  I have had fondant and didn't care for it.  Give me the full sugar frosting!

BUT....

I am having a speciality cake made for the grooms cake (the groom has no idea about this cake--think fun, Ace of Cakes type cake).  When I spoke to the bakery who is making it I asked about fondant.  I told her, "I've had it and think it tastes awful.  Is there anyway to get a smooth finish on the cake with regular icing?"  She stated that there wasn't, fondant was best.  She then said, I needed to come in and taste the fondant they use and taste it with actual cake.

I did.
And it was much better than I remember and it tasted lovely on the cakes we tried.

So....in short.  Try it just to be sure.

amlow

Buttercream all the way. Yes, made with real butter, not lard (which is what many of the large grocery type of cakes are made out of-that's why it's cheaper) The bakery we had our tasting at was very clear that they prefer to only work with buttercream, but if we insisted we could have fondant. But we loved the taste of the buttercream didn't think of asking to try the fondant. So why would you pay for something that you peel off and throw away?

sgregor6

Definitely buttercream. Cheaper and waaaaaay more delicious! If you HAVE to have detailed decorations, you could also do fondant flowers or other details on a buttercream cake. Yum!