Need wedding cake advise

[PartyofSix]

Okay my query is to fondant or to buttercream.LOL We are renewing our vows and having the whole wedding this go around. We are renewing our vows at a gulf coast beach and we have never tried the fondant icing. We are leaning towards pound cake with a touch of lemon in it which icing should we choose we both love buttercream but both want the fondant icing because 1: we've never had it 2: it's so pretty on the cakes. Can some one who's had both give me advice on the texture and tastes difference? It will be homemade fondant icing if that helps.

 

[RUDisney]

My BIL had fondant icing on his wedding cake this year. I have also never tasted it. Before serving the cake, they removed the fondant and served the cake with the butter cream icing that was beneath it. I know this doesn't help much, but I can't imagine fondant being easy to cut through once the cake is beneath it. That's my guess as to why they removed it.

 

[FOJMO]

I have NO IDEA what "fondant" is...

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Hmmmm.. I would think I would check with the bakery....which frosting would hold up better in the heat........you did say you were renewing vows on the beach, will the cake be served there as well? I do like fondant, it gives such a smooth finished look to the cake and tastes good too. Lemon pound cake is a wonderful choice, will there be a filling in the middle as that might change your choice of icing for the outside of the cake?? Also as the previous poster said, sometimes they take the fondant off and there is buttercream beneath............Interesting reading here. http://www.sweetartdesign.com/cakes/fondant_icing.html

How exciting for you to renew your vows...

 

[tkyes]

I love the look of fondant too. I think a lot of places have the buttercream underneath the fondant and remove it as well. I don't think fondant usually tastes all that great.

have fun!

 

[CEDmom]

The fondant in typically removed before the cake is sliced. There is buttercream icing underneath. The fondant is used to give the cake a very smooth look and also for decoration that go on the cake. It's almost like edible clay. I don't think anyone would enjoy eating it although you could. Also, the decorator is really handling that stuff so from a sanitary standpoint I wouldn't want to eat it.

 

[JKMastalski]

Fondant is very pretty to look at , but not to eat!!! I had toyed with the idea for my wedding last year, and ended up with a buttercream...also another good tasting icing is a whipped cream frosting...similar to buttercream but without all the sugar tasting!
Good luck

 

[PartyofSix]

Thanks for the sites i've been searching like mad. I have a wedding planner but i'm doing a destination wedding. So i don't want to bug her with every small question. I have done some research but i wanted your opinons on tastes. The cake will be served at the reception inside of a resturant and they will serve the cake for us as well. Thanks an excellent idea taking it off to cut and serve i'm sure they knew that trick but i did'nt.

 

[Disney Doll]

I'm a buttercream fan myself, but I was a very weird bride all-in-all. Found my dress after trying on only 2 before it, didn't feel the need to spend thousands of $$ on a dress if I found one that I loved that cost $400, found a wedding dress that I could wear my normal comfortable underwear with instead of having to stuff myself into some bustier thing, wore little flats shoes on my wedding day because my feet weren't going to hurt,made favcors yself, calligraphied my invitations myself etc.

 

[ead79]

My cake will have fondant icing on top of buttercream, since buttercream tastes better. The fondant layer will be removed before serving the cake. Hey, it's the best of both worlds, LOL!

 

[Octoberbride03]

Having the fondant removed sounds like a god idea. I just got married(see sig) a little while ago, and really toyed with the fondant idea. But it was way more expensive to do. Even if it is removed prior to serving. personally, Dh and i went with just Buttercream frosting, and ppl loved the look and taste of it.


Maureen

 

[Margie J]

Fondant for cakes is made from powdered sugar, water, gelatin, glucose (or corn syrup) and glycerin plus flavor &/or color. It's very sweet and chewy (think of a mix of marshmallow and caramel). It is rolled and then placed on cakes (with a thin layer of buttercream or jam underneath), patted to adhear to the surface. Don't worry about sanitation issues. Those of us in the business typically wear gloves when handling this and have strict guidelines regarding the preparation of food items for commercial purposes.

Rolled fondant on cakes looks beautiful and elegant. It looks much like porcelein. It also stands up better to some weather conditions. It can, however, take on a moist finish as I found out recently when I covered a cousin's cake with fondant. It had to be out in a tent on a rainy day and the moisture in the air settled as a "dewy" finish on the fondant.

Rolled fondant looks best, IMO, with very simple designs and decoration. Both fondant cakes which I have done have been decorated with simple flowers and a touch of fine ribbon.

 

[sha_lyn]

a little tip to get a nice smooth finish on butter cream icing.

Use a hair dryer on low heat to slightly heat up the surface of the icing

A good compromise between the 2 is to frost the cake in butter cream and to decorate it with fondant or gum paste flowers or other decoration.

another very pretty and simple cake is to make the icing very smooth and to rim the top and bottom edges of the layers with the metallic gold or silver non-parreills (sp?)

 

[PartyofSix]

Thanks so much for all the indepth details. It sounds like this is the way to go for looks and taste (layering with buttercream underneath). How you think the pound cake will taste with this?

 

[RUDisney]

You can do whatever you want with the cake... it's your day. As for pound cake... or anything that is out of the norm for wedding cakes, we tend to enjoy those more than a traditional white cake. They tend to be more flavorful and really show the couple's tastes more than a traditional cake. (We did chocolate with chocolate mousse filling with buttercream frosting for ours.)