I brought the July 4th cake that is in my pics to our local Rec Dept. yesterday for a donation. Anyhow this lady looks at it, tells me it looks great and then asks if its Fondant. I said yes it is! She said, well again it looks great, but too bad its going to taste like crap.

Everyone in the room went silent and I was like, "what?????" I guess I was hoping I misunderstood her. She then tells everyone fondant tastes nasty and she won't be having any of it, she does buttercream only on her cakes, no nasty fondant.

So, I then tell her I made my own fondant and yes, it is very tasty. Meanwhile its very quiet in the room, so I just decided to walk out and help with the activities.

And yes, she did come in and have a piece of it, but why would she insult me like that??? Geesh

Well, it's horrible that she said that, especially in front of others, but even I know fondant is not as nice as buttercream, and I only use fondant. It's just part of the medium. Most people hate fondant, but maybe you could say "well you just haven't tried homemade fondant" or something like that. Sorry that happened.

Some people have no class or manners. Evidently she ate her words when she had a piece of it. When she made her comment about how awful fondant tastes I would have said " yes, cheap fondat does taste like crap, but I don't use it" and I would have walked away with a smile on my face.

Thanks you guys, a lot of people liked it, I was just kind of embarassed and didn't want people to think that I made something bad

Bad breeding. Some people just have no clue.

I'm sorry she treated you that way. I'm sure your cake tasted as great as it looked!

you should've said "well you haven't tasted MY fondant yet." and the mutter b-i-a-t-c-h and walk away LOL

she's just jealous

I know Im not crazy about the taste of fondant either but I also dont like some of the buttercream either! But I dont go announcing it. It sounds like she was trying to impress people with her "know it all" attitude.
But your right, you cant do everything with buttercream that you can with fondant. And I think I would of told her after she had a piece in front of everyone "Well, looks like you liked THAT fondant!" and walked away!

Ouch

(((hug)))

It never stops amazing me when you meet grown people with such shocking manners. Just plain rude. Don't let it get to you. I am sure you got lots of compliments from others.

Btw, I often "introduce" my fondant cakes by saying that fondant is a type of rolled icing and that it is quite sweet and not to everyone's liking - so feel free to push it to a side, I am not going to be offended if people do not eat it. That way people don't feel embarrassed if they don't want to eat it.

Let's see - Reasons People Hate Fondant

**It's Chewy - Why? Because some of us are so accustomed to seeing a very thick layer of it placed on a cake on TV that we believe all fondant should be that thick.

Wrong - Before he bought a sheeter, which rolls the fondant to 1/16 inch, Chef Ron Ben-Israel used to hand-roll his fondant to approximately 1/8 inch. It could be cut with the side of the fork and eaten as part of the bite, without having to choke it down.

**It Tastes Nasty - Why, because some decorators only have local access to a certain brand which, consensus says is nasty, or use that brand because they have never tried making their own.

Solution - There are a few fondant recipes in the Recipe section, tabbed above. Muster the courage to use them. You won't be sorry.

**Jealousy - Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

Reasoning - In this particular instance, yes, I think it is a matter of jealousy, because of the remark she made about her cakes.

But there are some very old-school decorators out there, who still cannot be convinced that sugar art is evolving. They believe that BC is the only way, and that's all there is to it. I know a few decorators like this, and there is just no convincing them that cartoon figures and cakes shaped like firetrucks are here to stay.

Theresa

Sounds like a clear-cut case of the green eyed monster of jealousy rearing it's ugly head. Someone needs a class in good manners. The cake is terrific! You did a great job, and she's clearly trying to take away from your contribution to the festivities. Let it roll off your back...she's big-time jealous.

I've heard many of the same comments made about fondant..."I have tried fondant and it's just disgusting." I reply with, "I agree...boxed fondant IS nasty, but wait until you try mine".... 9 times out of 10, that butter cream iced cake ends up being fondant.

I had someone say the same thing to me about fondant with the same attitude. She is the woman at my workplace that I just think has the nastiest, rudest way of being. Complains about everything, you know?
I just replied, "oh, I make my own fondant though. Mine's not nasty, I don't THINK anyway. It's just very sweet." I don't know how people work with that woman (thankfully I don't work that close to her).

I live in the uk and I always use fondant and wouldnt use anything else. This LADY only made a fool of herself being so nasty to you. You will be rememberd on the day for your great cake whilst she will be rememberd for her nasty manners.

What an unhappy biatch she must be to talk to people that way! Especially someone who worked very hard and accomplished something fabulous! This is her problem and she looked like the very rude person that she was where you looked talented and gracious! Great job and don't let her rain on your parade!!

I just remind people that there IS buttercream on the cake....just fondant over the top of it to make it look more professional, smooth, or realistic (whatever). That they are free to peel it off if they do not like it.

How old is she, eight?!

Maybe she was trying to be funny, and it came out all worng?

I'm sorry she hurt your feelings, I hate it when people just blurt the first thing that comes into theri head out.

That woman is just plain rude! I think it's great that she decided to try your cake. I'm sure she found out quickly that not all fondant tastes the same.

Whatever you do, don't share your fondant recipe with her if she asks!

My goodness, what a mean spirited thing to do.
You were providing a gift.
If she was so proud of her cake accomplishments, she should a provided a cake donation as well. It is not okay for people to treat someone else like that. She obviously saw great value in your cake to make it worth her attacking.
What ever happened to folks quietly and politely eating a piece of dessert to celebrate the actual activity with no back-handed comments?
The guests there were sure to have this woman as a topic of conversation later. I'm sure it wasn't pretty.
Keep your chin up. You do beautiful work.

This reminds me of the time I took an Indian dish to a pot luck where the older guests had never eaten different cultural foods.
The chicken was spiced with a Tandoori seasoning that turns the meat a bright hot pink color. It is cooked thoroughly at a high heat. The basmati rice I made had spices that turned it lemon yellow in color with red saffron threads. I thought the dish would not only be bright and festive, but give them a chance to eat something from another culture. Boy, was I wrong.
Anyway, I was behind some elderly ladies in line. The group of them hovered for quite a while in front of my chicken and rice dish and discussed it right then and there. I tried every way I could think of to explain what it was, to no avail. They were convinced something had gone terribly wrong, and that the chicken was raw. Of course this conversation happened in front of a lot of people. I left after the meal with over 3/4ths of my dish.
They just didn't know what a wonderful main course they missed.

-Debbie B.

She is rude...you are talented!

[quote="Doug
i call it edible sugar dough .. sort of like play-doh but edible!

you can eat it or you can play with it

even adults like to be given permission to play with their food![/quote]

Doug, I love your explanation!! Great one! Mind if I use it when/if the need arises?

I'm afraid my claws would have come out and I would have made some retort back at her but you did the right thing. And I'm sure people saw her for what she really is - an ill-mannered old bat. Great job on your cake!

Some people just have no tact. If I taste something at a public event, and I don't like it, I will just quietly try to dispose of it. There's no need to even say anything to anyone else. I am not the taste police. Just because I don't like something, doesn't mean that there won't be 5 more people who love it. Like green beans! Yuck! I too just tell people to go ahead and try the fondant, and if you don't like it, slide your fork under it and peel it off. I made MMF for the first time and people were surprised how much better it is than Wiltons.

DebBTX, ooooh yum, sounds great! I love all types of food and I'm the first one to try anything new, no matter how unusual it looks. I love Indian food, Tandoori, basmati rice. Yum!!!


[/quote]

Debbie B, your story is just tragic. I love Indian food, I would have rammed it down the old ladies' throats and made them taste. My 3 year old son is wild about Indian food too, he eats everything, including spicy lime pickle. His favorite are Samosas, we have to order extra now and if there are any left over it is his preferred breakfast food.

Sorry for going off topic but I was just so horrified people would not even Debbie's Indian dishes.

My answer would have been, "Well, when fondant is made correctly or bought from a reliable source it can be very tasty and I happen to enjoy it more than buttercream alone. Should you decide you don't like the taste, simply peel it off. As for me, I find it quite delicious over the buttercream and cake."

I can't stand when people have tasted something once (especially for example, Wilton fondant vs. any other) and have decided that no matter what the recipe, it stinks. Things made differently tend to taste differently.

This same exact thing happened to me last week ! At our local store, which in my small community, is the only one. The cashier asked if I used fondant and I said yes. She then proceeded to say how nasty it was and that nobody she knew would ever eat it . I just replied that "my fondant is homemade with marshmallows and powdered sugar and that we (myself and my children) think it's delicious" . I also said "It's so yummy I have to hide it from my kids"! I was very polite and I felt everyone who had heard thought that the cashier was the one with no tact , not me .

No matter what....be nice . People will remember YOU and how you responded. Leave them thinking you have nothing to hide and that you know what you're talking about .

I would comment on that lady's attitude but I remember 2 things I was told by my mom. 1) "Respect your elders" 2) "If you can't say something nice.....shut your mouth."
I say.....don't I deserve the same respect as anybody else no matter their age?