The Fondant & Food Allergy Argument

Re: The Fondant & Food Allergy Argument

• lyndausvi Western Slope, Colorado mod

  

  June 2015

  I didn't have fondant.  i hate fondant.   

  
  

  
  

  I'm assuming that  a standard cake is part of the package, not a speciality one.  That is not unusual. 

  
  

  Is fondant required?  No.   But that doesn't mean this baker is able to work with non-fondant.  Even bakers have specialites. 

  
  

  If she is being that difficult I would ask for a cake credit and get one from another place.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  

  

  Report3 Reply
• labro Hotlanta member

  

  June 2015

  I would find another baker. If gluten-free and alternative cake flavors were going to be such a high priority then why didn't this come up in the beginning when you first hired your baker? Hopefully you haven't put down a deposit and can just walk away. I'd start researching other bakers who specialize in gluten free and who will be more flexible on not using fondant icing (I don't get why this is a huge thing for her re: fondant, but whatever).

  
  

  
  

  Report0 Reply
• jlmillerdeaninman0909 member

  

  June 2015

  Thank you so much both of you.

  
  

  I don't know why Fondant is such a big issue either!!!

  
  

  No the baker is not hired, but rather one of several I could choose from.  She is the only one who does Gluten Free though. 

  
  

  My venue knew right away that I am Gluten Sensitive and most of my family is as well.  Everything we are having is GF at the venue.  They're wonderful!!

  
  

  I think I will ask for a cake credit.  We cannot abide Fondant.  It doesn't taste real to us.  We are your standard Butter Cream or Cream Cheese Icing people

  
  

  Thank you so much again!!!

  Report0 Reply
• jacques27 member

  

  June 2015

  I can understand the extra charge for gluten-free.  I don't understand the rigid adherence to fondant, unless her standard buttercream is one of those ones that is cooked and uses flour and she's not willing/does know how to do another recipe.
  
  I wouldn't blame you for going elsewhere, but one last ditch effort with her would be to see if she's willing to do the gluten-free cake recipe as cupcakes and just have them simply decorated with frosting.  Unless of course you're extremely set on having a showcase cake or something.  But maybe she'd be willing to do that - from a decorating standpoint, I think it's a lot easier so she might be willing.
  

  Report0 Reply
• Maggie0829 Ravens & Bohs & Crabs & O's member

  

  June 2015

  But can you go elsewhere?  It sounds like you have to pick from a list of approved bakers that your venue allows so this baker may be your only option.

  
  

  But I do like PP suggestion of having cupcakes instead of a regular cake.  That will eliminate your fondant issue.

  
  

  Report0 Reply
• MesmrEwe member

  

  June 2015

  O.k. - go for a rough-iced buttercream design - that'll get rid of the fondant factor - your ace in the hole is going to be asking the question "Is the fondant Gluten Free"??? 

  The one question is - is your reception outdoors - this would be the only reason I can think of that fondant might be a "must" because it is more temperature sensitive...

  As for the pricing, yes, gluten free is going to cost you more because the ingredients and extra protocols cost extra (value of ingredients and time)...  Specialty flavors, not so much as long as you aren't demanding impossible time-sensitive ingredients (mango-peach filling with fresh strawberries and raspberries to adorn the outside...

  If you can't work with the baker, I'd recommend talking to the venue about getting a credit for the cake portion and find one that you can work with even if it costs you more. 

  

  Report0 Reply
• marie2785 member

  

  June 2015

  One option (which is the one we're using), is to have a "normal" cake, and then a separate gluten free one for the 5-10 guests that need that. Plus a nut-free cupcake for the 1 guest with a severe nut allergy. That may keep costs down. In our case it really did. 

  
  Gluten free cakes don't always hold up as well as standard cakes, although places are getting better. This may be why the baker is so insistent on fondant, although I agree its not great stuff.h Our baker makes cakes that look like fondant, but use butter cream icing.  A good baker can easily do that...which makes me think this baker might not be that skilled, or it's a gluten-free/temperature issue. 

  Report0 Reply
• lembaslover member

  

  June 2015

  Gluten free is typically more expensive so I'm not sure why that is surprising. I mean at restaurants I always see sub gluten free pasta add $2 or something along those lines. The suggestion from @marie2785 is great. I've seen this done effectively at weddings however it sounds like you might need gluten free which I guess it would be a bummer to not be able to eat your own cake.

  
  

  As for fondant have you actually tried your bakers fondant? I was of the mindset that I only wanted buttercream b/c I've had some bad fondant however when I tried our bakers fondant I completely changed my mind it was great. She might not want to do buttercream b/c it doesn't hold up well to extreme temperatures and can't hold form as well either. Her business is dependent on people seeing beautiful cakes and if she uses buttercream on yours and it melts from heat or doesn't look as nice and you tell people where you got the cake it could hurt her business. 

  
  

  If you have to go through her and have to use the fondant which you don't want you could consider making that a grooms cake and then like a cheaper get a gluten free sheet cake or gluten free cupcakes elsewhere for the people who need gluten free.

  

  Report0 Reply
• Cassie346 member

  

  June 2015

  If your baker does not want to give you cake you want, then go and find another baker. There are plenty of bakers that will do what you request.

  

  Report1 Reply
• Maggie0829 Ravens & Bohs & Crabs & O's member

  

  June 2015

  Cassie346 said:

  If your baker does not want to give you cake you want, then go and find another baker. There are plenty of bakers that will do what you request.

  But OP can't if she can only pick from a prescribed list of vendors that the venue will allow.  So if that is the case then she has no choice but to use this baker and try and work with them.

  
  

  Report0 Reply
• [Deleted User] member

  

  June 2015

  It is hard to make a good tasting Gluten Free Cake. Question, she is probably insisting on Fondant for one of two reason.

  1. She doesn't feel comfortable doing butter cream because it is harder to work with, especially decorating

  2. If your reception will be outside during the summer, butter cream won't hold up nearly as well as Fondant will. Butter Cream will melt on a warm summer day and then look bad and then that comes back to her that a cake she did ended up looking bad.

  Report0 Reply
• hyechica81 member

  

  July 2015

  ask the venue if you can bring in someone who is licencesd and does non fonant gf cakes tell the venue she wont work with you in terms of what you want.

  
  

  its your day not her day its what you want its what you are paying for 

  Report0 Reply