Fondant vs Buttercream questions

bbroederdorf

I met a lady that I loved, I think she really understands but I am looking for but she uses fondant. Then, another lady that uses buttercream. My wedding is in October and I am not having an extravagant cake, but, I have heard that fondant just tasts awful!  Then others say its not bad or people pull it off. I really don't want to have people take fondant off cake. Anyone have experience, or anyone else having fondant?

Thanks!
Brittany

031107

Did you try the fondant the lady uses?  That would be the best suggestion. Some fondant is awful, some is great.  It really depends the brand the woman uses.  I would ask if you could try a little piece of it.
 
I think fondant has gotten a bad reputation over the years.  Wilton is easy to get and is the most widely used brand (because it is sold a local stores) but tastes like crap.  Since for years that was the only brand available that is what people tasted at weddings and hated.  That doesn't mean fondant is bad, it means that brand doesn't taste good.
 
That would be like saying "I once tried bread and didn't like it so must not like all bread".  There are so many options out there, some good some bad, that bread (or fondant) can't be marked off forever because of 1 bad tasting bread.

juma1111

Definitely see if you can do a tasting. Also, if the cake artist is experienced in buttercream they should be able to make it smooth enough to look like fondant. The reason fondant is "great" is because it helps to make the cake last longer while it is sitting out looking pretty at your wedding. But remember, they have to crumb coat the cake with something (almost always buttercream unless you ask for something else) so there will still be buttercream on your cake.

I personally don't care for fondant at all, I don't like sweet things though. But we are still having fondant for the look of it. When I get my piece of cake, I'll do what I always do, just eat the cake and not the fondant.

ehenry010

Definitely do a tasting! Our cake had fondant, and while I'm not normally a fan, I really liked what she used. 

leogirl13

I would do a tasting before you order anything. Beautiful cakes are not always good cakes. So don't base it off looks alone.

I love the look of fondant but I have never tasted any that I like. It's very sickeningly sweet to me. Fondant had gotten popular because it's easier to work with, it's easily shaped and molded, and it lasts as a finshed product longer. Buttercream requires more time and more hand skill, plus it's more prone to melting and breaking. For some odd reason buttercream is usually cheaper though.

cmp1986

I agree with PP. See if you can taste the fondant she uses by itself. I am using fondant. I tasted the cake and thought it tasted fine. Some cake bakers can get the buttercream so smooth on a cake it looks like fondant. But not many people can do this and pull it off. If you plan on displaying your cake I would def. go with fondant. It will keep the cake soft on the inside and it won't need to be refridgerated like buttercream does. GL! 

tldh

We did buttercream for our cake and it was beautiful.  DH had wanted fondant because of the way it looks but I fought him on this. 

Fast forward a couple of months to our second reception in San Francisco that his father who could not travel to our wedding in Philadelphia hosted.  There was a fondant covered cake.  DH commented on how nice it looked. When we cut the cake I fed him a bite covered in fondant.  He got a funny look on his face and whispered that it tasted like play-doh.  Kind of ruined the cake for him.

rascal17

try the fondant before you just write it off. Some taste good and some taste like crap. Also talk to your baker about what she thinks is better according to your venue, temperature at that time of the year and the design you want. (I cant stress this enough as each event and scenerio is different and what works for some wont work for others)

If its warm where the cake is going to be set up then the buttercream will melt and the cake has a high possibility of collapsing. And like Juma1111 said there will be buttercream under the fondant anyway (or some type of icing but usually buttercream)

I will be making my own cake and will be using fondant because of the design I am doing and because the restaurant that I will be having my reception in is usually a bit on the warm side.

Krissypoo122

My sister used fondant because it doesn't melt like buttercream does and it actually tasted really good. Not all fondant is bad. Buttercream of course taste better but  it does melt and doesn't look as smooth and nice as fondant. I would do a cake tasting and just see which you like best

WaterPig83

I'd think any good baker would insist on you tasting the fondant (especially if you mention that you're thinking about using it) because it has gotten such a bad rap. Personally, I'm using fondant because I love the look of it. I was always planning on that. It was just a pleasant surprise when we met our baker and she insisted on having us taste their fondant, much less the fact that it tasted like marshmallows (yum!). So, yeah, what PPs have said, taste it and see if you like it. BTW, they normally only use a very thin layer over buttercream so you probably won't taste it that much anyway.

brianangelo

Yes, it is possible, though exceptionally difficult, to get BC to look as smooth as fondant. But as the day goes forward, the cake will not look as good as when it was delivered if it's finished in buttercream. My experience is that motion (during delivery and setup), temperature changes, and even contact by people at the reception limit the cake's "picturability" by the time the couple arrive; believe it or not, people touch the cake...

This experience is based on comparing photos I've taken at delivery with photos of the bride and groom cutting the cake--always a "how did that fingerprint get THERE?!?"

Also agree with what others said above--make sure you taste the fondant.  I've tasted several, and there's only one brand I like. The name of it, as I recall, is "satin ice." Yes, I prefer BC, but the look of a well-finished fondant cake is more attractive in my opinion. 

Good luck!