Before you delve into this post, I’d like to make clear, that I LOVE buttercream cakes.
They are beautiful, delicious, and very versatile, but in the process of discovering how brilliant buttercream is, fondant has reaped the unfortunate consequence of being despised!
What was once the staple of every statement cake has been relegated to being a cake covering of the past; old fashioned, disgusting, too sweet and a waste of money!
Well, fondant and I are old time friends, so I’m here to make the case that the above is woefully unjust and to give you five reasons that fondant deserves a second chance!
- Unique
Firstly, what is fondant?
Fondant is an icing used to decorate cakes and pastries. Made from a mixture of sugar and water, it can be sculpted and set in a solid form, whilst still maintaining it’s softness.
When it comes to cake coverings, fondant is the only variation now that comes in a brilliant white colour without the addition of titanium dioxide.
Don’t want a white cake, no problem, fondant colours up like a dream without ruining it’s texture or taste.
It can be applied on top of any frosting of your choice, meaning taste doesn’t have to be compromised.
I apply my fondant over a delicious covering of white chocolate ganache, but it can also be applied to buttercream, and milk/dark chocolate ganache too.
Fondant moulds to every and any shape you apply it to. Square, heart shaped, round, triangular, diamond, letter shapes, the list goes on – fondant will cover it beautifully. The same is true when it comes to fondant decorations – but more on that later.
Unlike buttercream and ganache covered cakes, which are spread on, fondant is rolled out (should be thinly, might I add) and applied to cake – almost like a protective coat.
- Keeps cake fresh
Leading on from the last point – fondant is wonderful at keeping cake fresh. It seals in moisture and locks out air – which is why it has been historically used for larger cakes like wedding cakes.
The high sugar content of fondant means it lasts for ages without spoiling – meaning it keeps your lovely sponges fresher for much longer than other coverings.
Some of my couples have told me about eating their wedding cake one year later, on their anniversary (after freezing of course) and it tasting just as fresh as it did on the wedding day!
- Weather resistant
For me, this is where fondant really comes into it’s own. There is nothing more disheartening than a cake melting, a flower drooping or a cake collapsing on your wedding day. Unless poorly constructed, there just isn’t this worry when it comes to fondant covered cakes.
Living here in London, it is unlikely that we’ll ever have tropical summer weather, but you can pretty much guarantee that it will never, ever be too hot for a fondant cake here!
Your wedding cake will be able to stand outdoors for hours in the heat of a summer’s day and will look just as gorgeous as it did when it left our South London kitchen.
Now of course, we do the utmost to make this true for all our cakes, regardless of covering, but there are hardly any contingencies to think of when delivering fondant cakes.
They don’t shift, or dent during transport either!
- Beautifully modern
Fondant, like cake in general, has come a long, long way since the dawn of wedding cakes.
Once applied only to marzipan, on top of apricot, making for an extra thick and sickly-sweet covering, this just isn’t the case anymore.
The best brands of fondant (like the type we use) have an extremely subtle vanilla taste and are rolled so thinly before application, so we can achieve that sharp edge finish that is just so stunning and contemporary.
Modern wedding cakes are tall and slender and fondant can meet that aesthetic perfectly, whilst still maintaining all of its other attributes.
When it comes to decorating fondant cakes, there is absolutely no limit.
5. Versatility
Fondant is wonderfully versatile – it wears almost any décor beautifully.
One of the most common ways I decorate a fondant cake is with either sugar flowers, or small fondant details that adhere to the cake to create a bas relief effect.
Becoming increasingly popular are fondant wrap designs as seen below, which create a gorgeous collar of fondant that stands proud of the cake creating a wonderful effect.
There is also no end of possibilities when it comes to the textures on a fondant cake.
Stenciled? Concrete? Patterned? Marble? Plain? Lustred? You name it, you can have it!
Fondant is a willing partner to whatever your cake dreams may be.
I hope the above five reasons have convinced you that fondant isn’t the disgusting covering it has come to be known as – you can have a fondant cake that is still wonderfully modern, great in taste and enjoyed by you and your guests for many years to come!
Don’t want a fondant cake? No problem, look out for our next blog post to read five reasons that buttercream is an absolute babe of a cake covering!
Look at our gallery to see some of our fondant designs, we can’t wait to make even more!