Those Insulting Fondant Haters....wow!
Business By littlecake Updated 30 Jun 2009 , 12:31am by CarrieBear
*waves*
fondant hater here.
don't like the taste (too much sugar, not enough anything else), don't like the texture, don't like the mouthfeel, and I don't like working with it either.
Cake forums are the ONLY place I've ever come across people who like fondant. I've never met anyone in real life who likes it...
And when you see post after post from people who say they can't get their buttercream smooth to save themselves, and they're nothing-but-fondant users, it's almost easy to see why some buttercream-only people might look down on fondanters...
Me? it's just cake. I won't use fondant, but I also don't have customers, so I have no one to please but myself.
My mom eats my fondant like candy...lately she has taken to eating anything she sees in a bag on my counter that even resembles fondant...she had a funny run in with some gumpaste the other day 
It's funny because when I started with fondant last year she said she didn't like it because it wasn't greasy enough to coat her mouth. That was when I had first started out making MMF and hadn't figured out my secret flavor.
Today I took some fondant to a girl whose wedding cake I'm making next weekend (my first real wedding cake! yay!). She told me she had never really cared for the taste of fondant but she took a little taste to be polite...and then another...and then another...and then she asked if she could keep it so she could take it home and share it with her kids.
For me, fondant is a solution to a climate issue. There are just too many months here when it's too darn hot for me to have much luck with buttercream. It's frustrating to be able to make a pretty cake from October to March and then to be SOL for the rest of the year.
I know I've heard before that some people get irritated because they've developed their buttercream skills over many years, and here come a bunch of kids with a rolling pin and a cookie cutter and all of a sudden they think they can decorate cakes. I have a lot of respect for decorators who've mastered buttercream...but it's hard to tell myself that I should spend years practicing when all it takes is my rolling pin and my cookie cutter to make some pretty cool things 
I don't really know anyone who likes fondant, but somehow my friends and family have this magical ability to peel it off the cake.
To me, fondant is a canvas for my designs. Since I don't want to do RI-covered cakes I really don't have a choice. I love the look and never once have anyone complained that it was nasty. Probably due to the aforementioned magical ability to peel
I appreciate fondant for the ability to make awesome designs. What i don't appreciate is all the "attempts", and I use attempts loosely, by some hot headed decorators out there who swear that they can recreate anyyyyyyyything in buttercream that was originally done in fondant. And for a good reason. You can find great examples of that kind of attitude on Cakewrecks at least once a week.
That said, I love BC and fondant equally.
I agree with this, there are definitely things that you can't do with buttercream, I had one girl who wanted brush embroidery but no fondant, and I told her that I could do that but it would NOT look like the picture she gave me. You can kid yourself all you want, but some techniques just don't work with buttercream.
I'm wondering what the difference between MMF and regular homemade fondant is? I make my own fondant, and it looks like MMF is just melted marshmallows with confectioner's sugar added. Wouldn't that be the same as making your own fondant? (Confec sugar, gelatin, glycerine, corn syrup.) Is the texture stiffer than homemade? I just covered a cake with Satinice (vegan) and it's definitely a different texture than my homemade. It was much softer and seems to harden up faster.
..........have never been asked for a buttercream cake............
That's because of where you live
If you were here in the US you would be asked all the time for b'cream. Yea, there are some people here in the states who ask for/use fondant but the majority want b'cream.
Some people just don'e know how to work with fondant and that perpetuates the myth that fondant is bad. I went to a wedding and was pleased to see a beautiful fondant cake. Then the cake was served! They had to have at least a 1/2 inch shell of fondant on the cake. The cake had not been torted, only two 2inch layers with barely any bc to stick them together. No other bc on the cake or even jam to hold the fondant on the cake. I was shocked. The decorator said that that is how you do fondant! 
It was the grossest cake ever. I can only imagine how heavy that cake was. I must say her fondant did make Wiltons seem a lot tastier!
All in all, it is in the fondant recipe and the techinique you use to apply it on the cake.
It sounds like a failed attempt at marketing to a broad range of brides. From what the OP said, this cake decorator could have used more appropriate wording. Brides seem to be programmed to immediately say NO to fondant and think it's disgusting without ever tasting it. Many brides that have come in to my shop for consultations have said they won't consider booking a cake designer that only uses fondant. I rarely get to do a fondant cake, and I much prefer them over buttercream for many reasons. Not to side track, but those of you that only use fondant, how do you sell your brides on the fondant rather than the buttercream?
For me, fondant is a solution to a climate issue. There are just too many months here when it's too darn hot for me to have much luck with buttercream. It's frustrating to be able to make a pretty cake from October to March and then to be SOL for the rest of the year.
Texas_Rose, do you use buttercream underneath your fondant in the summer? I'm still trying to figure out what to do for my outdoor Texas wedding on July 25. It has to be fondant because of the cake she chose, but I've been playing with white chocolate ganache instead of buttercream for the crumb coat. It makes the fondant much easier to apply - for me - but there isn't any buttercream and I know that some guests (at least SOME, if not all) will be very disappointed no matter how good the cake tastes.
I have two 12" layers sitting upstairs waiting for me to make a decision. This is a practice cake because I have done four fondant covered cakes ever and two of those were in Wilton classes ..... My cake will be 12, 10, 8, 6" square WASC with raspberry filling. Black and white fondant.
Thanks so much.
For me, fondant is a solution to a climate issue. There are just too many months here when it's too darn hot for me to have much luck with buttercream. It's frustrating to be able to make a pretty cake from October to March and then to be SOL for the rest of the year.
Texas_Rose, do you use buttercream underneath your fondant in the summer? I'm still trying to figure out what to do for my outdoor Texas wedding on July 25. It has to be fondant because of the cake she chose, but I've been playing with white chocolate ganache instead of buttercream for the crumb coat. It makes the fondant much easier to apply - for me - but there isn't any buttercream and I know that some guests (at least SOME, if not all) will be very disappointed no matter how good the cake tastes.
I have two 12" layers sitting upstairs waiting for me to make a decision. This is a practice cake because I have done four fondant covered cakes ever and two of those were in Wilton classes ..... My cake will be 12, 10, 8, 6" square WASC with raspberry filling. Black and white fondant.
Thanks so much.
I use a thin layer of Indydebi's buttercream...little thicker than a crumb coat but not much thicker.
I've never tried ganache...does the chocolate soften up in the heat, or is it more like a glaze? I've seen pictures of it but just haven't tried it yet.
Well, just let me say that after delivering three 4-tier buttercream wedding cakes in 100+ East Texas weather yesterday...I am on the verge of telling ALL summer brides that the cakes have to be made in fondant.
I have been making buttercream wedding (a few fondants) cakes for several (30 years) years and yesterday was the day from buttercream hell. Everything just looked saggy, every cake shifted and the last cake would have fallen over if not for the box. Such issues that I haven't encounterd in a LONG time!
I don't know what the ganache does in the heat. There is a thread on here about never using bc under fondant again -- that is where I got the idea from. Someone in there (I think) says that ganache actually holds up better than buttercream.I'm hoping and hoping that this horrible heat will make them decide to move the event IN.
I'm thinking about doing Indydebi's buttercream on this test cake. Maybe set it outside this afternoon and see what happens. Since it is just going to work with me, I don't guess it matters too terribly much how it looks. They're only saying 102 today with 40% humidity (63% humidity right now) ... sounds like a cold front must have moved in. I didn't realize that the official temp is taken in the shade ... 102 in the shade and 10-15 higher in the sun ...
My biggest problem is that I do NOT do fondant cakes and I don't do squares very well with BC. I get horribly stressed about weddings anyway, throw in four square tiers AND fondant .... all this stress and I don't even get paid for my cakes. I always say that I will never do another wedding, but I do!
My trick for getting a nice bottom edge on fondant is to put the cake on a board the exact size of the cake, then set it on something smaller, then put the fondant on. It lets the fondant hang down and you don't get the wrinkles.
Mac,
I cannot imagine having BC cakes in the weather we are having now. Not only is the actual temperature extremely hot, but the humidity makes the outside feel like a sauna on steroids.
You must have done a fantastic job for them to survive.
-Debbie B.
Mac,
I cannot imagine having BC cakes in the weather we are having now. Not only is the actual temperature extremely hot, but the humidity makes the outside feel like a sauna on steroids.
You must have done a fantastic job for them to survive.
-Debbie B.
Debbie - first of all - your cakes are gorgeous. I may be PM'ing you about your black and white daisy cake.
What part of the state are you in? Do you mind telling me what you use for your crumbcoat underneath fondant when you have to be concerned about the heat and humidity? Thanks!
I don't think she is trying to hurt anybody's feelings. Sounds more like she is trying to grab the attention of the people that love buttercream. Wich is a lot here in the USA.
I work with both fondant and buttercream, and I got to say that 95% of the brides that go to the shop want prefer the buttercream but they want the look of fondant.
I wouldnt take it personally..and that comes without saying I dont know exactly what she wrote..
Edna
.I'm hoping and hoping that this horrible heat will make them decide to move the event IN.
Martha,
Sometimes I wonder what brides are thinking. It is as if their idea of an outdoor dream wedding doesn't have to match the reality of summer. I wonder if her guests are going to think she is out to get them when they wilt into a puddle, and later try to peel their nice clothes off to change. I would think people would be mierable.
They better keep all the grandmothers near a fan.
The other day our town had an event to celebrate something downtown. Several people had to be picked up by ambulance because they were unable to stand the heat.
-Debbie B.
This bride's cousin had an outdoor wedding at the end of May and I was worried about that one. My cake definitely suffered from the heat, but ... thanks to Indydebi, it survived.
I don't know about this black and white fondant -- white with black circles, b&w checkerboard, white w/black circles, black w/white circles. Hey it wasn't my idea and I have done my best to talk her into something a little bit different, but what can I do?
I live in the far reaches of East Texas near the Louisiana line.
(Think swamps, mosquitos, beautiful flowers and 60 ft. tall pine trees. )
Thank you for the sweet compliment. 
I have never had a cake outside, so I have been able to use real BC. I am one of those people who could just imagine frosting and design cascading down the cake, across the table then onto the ground.
I do make my own fondant using Toba Garrett's recipe unless it is black or red. I have Satin Ice for black and red. Maybe some day I will venture out and try coloring my own with the darker colors. I have no idea how my fondant would do outside. I can only imagine that in the horrible heat that we are currently having, it would be soft, with a cake that felt like it was fresh out of the oven.
I just feel sorry for cake ladies, caterers, florists and guests who have outdoor heat to deal with. It seems hard enough to take the cake from indoors to the vehicle, then into the building without it melting.
If you are already using Indydebi's recipe, then that might be the way to go. She has used it in horrible conditions with good results.
Now that things are so hot, surely someone will talk some sense into the bride and she will move things inside. (At least the cake)
Is this an Aggie bride? If so, tell her they can Whoop better under the A/C. It's hard to whoop if the sweltering heat takes your breath away. 
You are going to do a great job on the cake. It sounds like a fun design. (At least for everyone but maybe you. )
I can't wait to see your photos. It will be a cake to remember.
-Debbie B.
It has to be fondant because of the cake she chose, but I've been playing with white chocolate ganache instead of buttercream for the crumb coat. It makes the fondant much easier to apply - for me - but there isn't any buttercream and I know that some guests (at least SOME, if not all) will be very disappointed no matter how good the cake tastes.
I have two 12" layers sitting upstairs waiting for me to make a decision. This is a practice cake because I have done four fondant covered cakes ever and two of those were in Wilton classes ..... My cake will be 12, 10, 8, 6" square WASC with raspberry filling. Black and white fondant.
Thanks so much.
Wow, the White Chocolate ganache sounds delicious with your cake and raspberry filling combination.
I have never used the ganache. If you try the ganache for the outside experiment, would you let us know how it holds up?
-Debbie B.
regarding fondant I think some times one bad experience ruins it for some one.
If all you have tried is wilton fondant (puke) then yeah I can see why you would hate the taste but there is deffinately good tasting fondant out there.
but to each his own.
thats not the only type of attack I have seen on peoples websites.
I see people brag about how they only use fresh cakes never frozen, well great but personally when I have frozen cakes for a week before using its intentional to get a moiseter cake so that theory doesnt work on me.
also people who brag about their frosting how they only use butter not that 'shortening' stuff, ok well again good for you but in my experience the frosting with shortening holds up much better,has a better texture, and with butter flavoring/other flavoring I can get it to taste great.
Its all just preference I guess
Martha,
I am hoping that Mac will be able to read the continuation of this thread some time today. She lives where the heat and humidity are fierce, and has many long years of sugar work under her belt. I would ask her opinion about the outdoor cakes.
-Debbie B.
Thanks, Debbie. I think I'm going to go ahead with Indydebi's buttercream and let the cake sit outside for an hour or so. I don't want to ruin it, but I might also be able to tell the MOB that she is going to have to come up with an alternate location. The wedding is supposed to be at their home, but it won't be a huge crowd so maybe they can just keep the food inside. I honestly don't see how they leave any food outside for an extended period of time. I would hate to spend all the money for a wedding reception and have the food ruined because of the heat.
I love to work with fondant. i would rather do that than buttercream anyday... is just much easier for me. I work at a higherend bakery, and I roll and cover almost everycake that goes through there. Another girl in the shop does buttercream. We are both busy girls on Friday!. So I think that people are coming around to Fondant. When I make cakes at home, I always make my own fondant from scratch9 using recipe in wilton book, NOT premade wilton fondant) and it's great. I put plenty of BC underneath because i know most are going to peel thier slice of cake.
But I think it is very tacky, and unproffesional ( not to mention the insecurity issues) to bash someone elses work even if it is crappy.
to quote a wise woman ( mom) "Nothing nice to say?... Keep your trap shut"
I hope so! I may even try to do half and half ganache and buttercream crumbcoat just to see what happens. My ganache layer was pretty thin the first time I tried it, so I might have trouble getting the cake perfectly even. Since it is just going to work with me, I don't guess that would really matter. It would definitely answer the question anyway.
I took my fondant enrobed cake (Marie Laveau's tomb in my gallery) to brunch today to celebrate my b'day w/my friends - they have all come around to fondant. I use Satin Ice (I have a full time job (office, not cake) and a small kitchen and smaller time frame for cakes - so I don't make my own, but I do make my own real butter buttercream - no shortening allowed) and they all love it. They used to peel it off at first, but they've been trying it and learning that they really like it (no more peeling!).
My friend's little girl snarfs it big time!
I have had numerous "I hate fondant" people sit and eat a whole pile of Satin Ice at our tastings. I think they hate what they believe all fondant to be, which is Wilton... when they taste good fondant and have an open mind, the negativity almost always goes away.
I blogged on this topic a few weeks ago on WeddingAces.com:
http://www.weddingaces.com/2009/03/everybody-hates-fondant/
ive been considering buying some wilton just to actiually try it, im from the uk, and i think the icing we have here is beautiful, ive heard so many people bad mouth wilton, i mean really, what do they put in it!?!? lol
I would have to say rotten bicycle inner tubes, and rancid Vaseline. 
I have had numerous "I hate fondant" people sit and eat a whole pile of at our tastings. I think they hate what they believe all fondant to be, which is Wilton... when they taste good fondant and have an open mind, the negativity almost always goes away.
I blogged on this topic a few weeks ago on WeddingAces.com:
http://www.weddingaces.com/2009/03/everybody-hates-fondant/
good article
I have had numerous "I hate fondant" people sit and eat a whole pile of at our tastings. I think they hate what they believe all fondant to be, which is Wilton... when they taste good fondant and have an open mind, the negativity almost always goes away.
I blogged on this topic a few weeks ago on WeddingAces.com:
http://www.weddingaces.com/2009/03/everybody-hates-fondant/
good article
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