i have a friend that has made traditional fruit cakes, and would like me to decorate them in fondant for her wedding....any ideas?  i think that they are soaked in a brandy or something?  how can i do this without making everything soggy?  do you use buttercream on fruit cake? Help!!

Coral

It is traditional to moisten the outside of the cake with some melted apricot jam and then cover it with marzipan.  Then you (slightly) moisten the marzipan with brandy/sherry/water and apply the fondant.

If you are after a smooth finish, it really helps to smoosh some marzipan into any dents or divots after jamming but before covering with marzipan, so that you have as smooth a starting surface as possible.  Use your fondant smoothers on the marzipan just as you would on fondant and get the edge as sharp as you want it.

Then just decorate as you would a normal cake.

Hope this helps and you have fun with this cake!
 

i've never used marzipan-do i buy it or make it?  im assuming its just like fondant?  i make all my fondant and have no problems in the area... but does marzipan work just like fondant?  similar to a double layer of fondant?

Where are you? Here in the UK you can buy ready-made marzipan in the supermarket.  It is possible to make your own, but I've never actually come across any one who does that.

It behaves pretty much like fondant - I know that in some other countries they would traditionally use it instead of sugar paste.  Marzipan is almond paste.