Inspired by the Wedding Cake thread... alternatives to buttercream and fondant?

[singingpixie]

Hi everyone,
I'm getting married in '08, and future mother in law has a friend who does wedding cakes, and has offered to make any cake we want for free. Future mother in law will have to help assemble it (they're from southern VA, we're having the wedding in northern va), and she hates fondant. I hate the taste of buttercream frosting. Is there another option?

 

[Tazicket]

Chocolate frosting; or if you'd rather stick with something white and it won't be hot, you could do a whipped topping type frosting.

ETA: you could do a cream cheese frosting, too

 

[singingpixie]

I think I do want to stick w/ white or off-white. Is whipped cream frosting as liquidy as real whipped cream, or does it have a slightly thicker consistancy?

Cream cheese frosting might work, depending on what kind of cake we go w/. We're already going to have to go with two flavors I think, since my fiance and I have pretty much opposite tastes in cake (the man doesn't like chocolate! What am I thinking?!?!)

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

whipped cream frostings..but that will require refridgeration. (I've only had cakes with that from the grocery store and am not sure what they do..but it seems to be more than just a container of cool whip)

You can also go uncoventional and do a cheese cake or something....or don't use icing at all.

 

[cryssi]

you can do whipped cream icings, just use an envelope of stabilizer...my mom gets hers at Cost Plus, as it is an item from Canada. I'm pretty sure that's what they use on bakery/grocery store cakes.

The only thing about having a cake with whipped cream icing or something not buttercream or fondant (ie something that probably has to be refrigerated) is the level of detail on the cake. If you're not looking for a mad hatter cake or something crazy like Duff makes on Ace of Cakes, then you'll probably be ok...

btw, I think frosting is way too sweet, so I never eat it, I just eat the cake and leave the icing on the plate. Most places that fondant-cover a cake take the fondant off before serving it so you don't eat it...

wanted to add, fondant is pretty gross/sickly sweet. unless you make marshmallow fondant! but that's another subject for another time...

 

[Enchanted Tiki Bird]

This is a good question because I'm wondering the same thing. We might go with buttercream but I'm wondering what the other options are. My DFi is a cook and knows more about food than me. He absolutely destests fondant and I can see his point. Our cake is going to be chocolate so we need to figure out what to do for the frosting. Maybe our baker friends can help. I'll let you know what they say.

 

[WDWfan uk]

How about royal icing? It is far less sickly than fondant - traditionally in UK we use royal icing for Christmas cakes or occasion cakes such as weddings, but then the cake itself would be rich fruit cake. (Thr royal icing usually has a thin layer of marzipan underneath).

 

[scanne]

How about royal icing?

Royal icing dries very hard - I don't think it's a "tasty" alternative. It is usually used to make decorations like small flowers and other embellishments.

Is it the butter flavor that you dislike about buttercream? You can make a frosting pure white using shortening and confectioners sugar. It won't have the buttery taste - it will be very sweet, though. Also, traditional buttercream is made with simple syrup (a combination of sugar and water) and butter. It's very loose on a warm day. It is also NOT pure white - it's more yellowish. White "buttercream" is usually made with shortening and confectioners sugar.

 

[singingpixie]

Royal icing dries very hard - I don't think it's a "tasty" alternative. It is usually used to make decorations like small flowers and other embellishments.

Is it the butter flavor that you dislike about buttercream? You can make a frosting pure white using shortening and confectioners sugar. It won't have the buttery taste - it will be very sweet, though. Also, traditional buttercream is made with simple syrup (a combination of sugar and water) and butter. It's very loose on a warm day. It is also NOT pure white - it's more yellowish. White "buttercream" is usually made with shortening and confectioners sugar.

I'm trying to determine what it is I don't like about buttercream frosting exactly, and I think it's just how sweet it is, if that makes any sense. I'm much more of a "rich" dessert person than a "sweet" one... never really liked things that tasted like fake fruit because of how sugary they taste, etc. All I know is that I thought I hated cake for most of my childhood... now I just scrape off the frosting, unless it's a flavored kind, like chocolate or cream cheese. If something's going to be bad for me, let it taste like something besides sugar!

 

[cryssi]

oh! you would have loved our wedding cake! the buttercream was not sweet at all! in fact it tasted like butter...unsalted butter, but it wasn't like eating straight butter...I can't describe it...I'll just call it "Disney's magical buttercream frosting." I said earlier that I just scrape off the icing? This one I actually ate, it was so good. Also, our cake had fondant on it, but Disney took that off before they served it, so it was just the magical buttercream frosting...lol! If I had the recipe I would give it to you!

 

[singingpixie]

oh! you would have loved our wedding cake! the buttercream was not sweet at all! in fact it tasted like butter...unsalted butter, but it wasn't like eating straight butter...I can't describe it...I'll just call it "Disney's magical buttercream frosting." I said earlier that I just scrape off the icing? This one I actually ate, it was so good. Also, our cake had fondant on it, but Disney took that off before they served it, so it was just the magical buttercream frosting...lol! If I had the recipe I would give it to you!

Hmm, so maybe it isn't so much that I don't like buttercream, but that I haven't liked the buttercream I've had in the past. I admit I'm basing it on the few weddings I've attended, most of which were when I was a kid. (I'm the first in my generation in my family to get married, and my fiance's sister didn't have a big wedding w/ a reception, cake, etc). Who knows, maybe I'm not even thinking of buttercream at all. What I remember tastes like the stuff they put on sheet cakes at the grocery store- basically spreadable sugar.

 

[cryssi]

What I remember tastes like the stuff they put on sheet cakes at the grocery store- basically spreadable sugar.

ack. they probably consider that buttercream, though. I like to make frosting at home with butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk...don't know what goes in commercial stuff...

maybe the person who is making your wedding cake can do a tasting for you? that way you can taste their frosting and see if you really can't stand it. Also, that person may have ideas for you in regards to your tastes? everyone has different recipes. just a thought! hope you find what you are looking for!

 

[singingpixie]

ack. they probably consider that buttercream, though. I like to make frosting at home with butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk...don't know what goes in commercial stuff...

maybe the person who is making your wedding cake can do a tasting for you? that way you can taste their frosting and see if you really can't stand it. Also, that person may have ideas for you in regards to your tastes? everyone has different recipes. just a thought! hope you find what you are looking for!

Yeah... heck, worst comes to worst I can eat a couple bites at the cake cutting, and then scrape the rest off if I actually have time to finish my piece! I'll have to see if she'll do a tasting though... somehow that won't come across as ungrateful, since she's being nice enough to do it for free!

 

[cryssi]

hmm, maybe you can just ask her what she suggests since you don't like super sweet OMG-is-this-pure-sugar frosting... ? I know what you mean though, since she is doing it for free...hmm...

 

[singingpixie]

hmm, maybe you can just ask her what she suggests since you don't like super sweet OMG-is-this-pure-sugar frosting... ? I know what you mean though, since she is doing it for free...hmm...

True, maybe pose the question in a way that comes across as "What do you suggest as a solution to my problem" rather than "I hope I don't hate your frosting, can I taste it to make sure?"

 

[cryssi]

"What do you suggest as a solution to my problem"

that sounds like a great idea!

 

[Imzadi]

What I remember tastes like the stuff they put on sheet cakes at the grocery store- basically spreadable sugar.

That is NOT a buttercream frosting. That's just some cheap junk - mostly shortening & sugar - they use to keep prices low, & make up quicky. They probably opened a jar of something & spread it on. A real buttercream is to die for.

Maybe see if the cake maker can do a white chocolate frosting or a white chocolate fondant that doesn't taste like a fondant.

 

[FluffyPumpkin78]

Pastry Chef/cake decorator here

There are a few different types of buttercream. THere is decorator icing, which is also the Wilton icing. That is basically powdered sugar and shortening. Some people add butter flaver (blechhhh) or like a cup of butter to try and fake it. That stuff is so gross.

Then there are 2 differnet types of meringue buttercream that are frequently used--Italian and Swiss. They are basically the same, just the way you add the sugar is different. This stuff is heaven on earth. It is sooo good. Most of the high end decorator (Collete Peters, Sylvia Wienstock, Duff from Ace of Cakes) use some type of meringue bc. If you go to a bakery or a cakery, the decorator should be able to tell you what they use.

Then you can do a whipped ganache frosting, but it is very delicate, needs refrigeration, and can be a pain to work with. IF you are willing to pay, you could probably get some one to do it. However, you said you are in VA. Depending on what time of the year you are getting married it may be a disaster waiting to happen.

I LOVE fondant. I love making it, working with it, and making cakes out of it. Most of the store bought stuff is pretty horrible, again Wilton. But there are a few higher end suppliers that make tasty fondant. It is also pretty easy to make marshmallow fondant.

I guess the most important thing is to research, ask around, and taste!

LMK if you have any questions!

 

[singingpixie]

Pastry Chef/cake decorator here

There are a few different types of buttercream. THere is decorator icing, which is also the Wilton icing. That is basically powdered sugar and shortening. Some people add butter flaver (blechhhh) or like a cup of butter to try and fake it. That stuff is so gross.

Then there are 2 differnet types of meringue buttercream that are frequently used--Italian and Swiss. They are basically the same, just the way you add the sugar is different. This stuff is heaven on earth. It is sooo good. Most of the high end decorator (Collete Peters, Sylvia Wienstock, Duff from Ace of Cakes) use some type of meringue bc. If you go to a bakery or a cakery, the decorator should be able to tell you what they use.

Then you can do a whipped ganache frosting, but it is very delicate, needs refrigeration, and can be a pain to work with. IF you are willing to pay, you could probably get some one to do it. However, you said you are in VA. Depending on what time of the year you are getting married it may be a disaster waiting to happen.

I LOVE fondant. I love making it, working with it, and making cakes out of it. Most of the store bought stuff is pretty horrible, again Wilton. But there are a few higher end suppliers that make tasty fondant. It is also pretty easy to make marshmallow fondant.

I guess the most important thing is to research, ask around, and taste!

LMK if you have any questions!

Thanks so much for the clarification, that makes so much more sense! Now I don't think I'm nuts for remembering being told that the nasty stuff was buttercream!

You're right about the weather- although we'll be in an air-conditioned hall, I'm not about to risk the VA weather with anything that's totally likely to melt. I'm guessing that buttercream will be ok as long as it's in the AC, but I wouldn't want to risk ganache. Especially if it's difficult, I don't want to ask too much of the nice woman I've never met who's willing to make anything we want for free!

 

[Caradana]

Okay. I got married six weeks ago. And my advice ...

If all goes well, you're not going to get a chance to sit and eat the cake, because you're going to be out there dancing your crinoline off , meeting/greeting guests, throwing a bouquet, peeing after six hours of holiding it, or doing something similarly busy. I had one bite of our cake. John had none. I informally polled six of my friends - I came across one who had even a morsel of her cake. You're going to have an east coast wedding and I would put $10 on you having the same experience.

Therefore, my advice: don't worry about what you like, taste-wise. Go with what looks good. Personally, I think a layer of buttercream covered with fondant slugs the ball out of the park. My friend Anne is a cake genius. Check out her examples at www.pinkcakebox.com.