Icing On The Cake: One Writer’s Perspective On A Classic Cake Conundrum
Filed under Cakes, Expert Advice, Featured, Receptions, Wedding Ideas
So how to choose? Bring your fiancé to your cake tasting. Ask for samples of the finest fondant and best buttercream, and trade bites, with your eyes closed. Listen to your taste buds. Then look at the photos of the cake designer’s past achievements, and see if the visions of fondant knock your fishnets off (and his sweat socks). Caution: If you and your sweetie come down strongly on opposite sides, resist the temptation to throw bits of frosting at each other.
Instead, consider these possible compromises:
- Serve a fondant-finished cake at the reception, and a scrumptious buttercream dessert for the rehearsal dinner—or vice versa.
- Have the fondant version be the showpiece, and serve discreet slices of buttercream-frosted sheet cakes to the guests (sheet cakes on the side are a practice more and more common these days, particularly for budget-challenged events).
- If he or she has the expertise, ask your cake designer to coat your wedding cake in a layer of buttercream before they lay on the fondant—that way, you’re not missing out on the yummy!
- Avoid the controversy altogether by opting for cupcakes, arranged in a towering pyramid. They’re all the rage anyway…just be sure to load up on the colored sprinkles!
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| FONDANT | Easy to work with. | The taste can be mediocre. |
| Versatile. | ||
| Fashion-forward. | ||
| Beautiful. | ||
| BUTTERCREAM | Creamy. | Doesn’t hold up well in sun or heat. |
| Delicious. | Not as eye-popping as fondant. | |
| Old-fashioned elegance. |
OTHER WEDDING CAKE CONTROVERSIES
(and my completely opinionated opinion):
Sugar-paste flowers or real? Sure, the sugar paste designs will make guests ooh and ahh…but beware—these cleverly wrought embellishments will also cost you.
Stacked, tiered or side-by-side? Sorry, I positively cringe when I see plastic pillars. Any other choice is fine with me.
Traditional toppers or Innovative? If you go for the traditional figurines, do it with flair to match your retro theme; or opt for sentimental—such as using your grandparents’ topper, for example.
Save the top layer in the freezer or fuggedabout it? Save it…then when your anniversary rolls around a year later, defrost it, taste it, spit it out and have a good laugh. Then go out for ice cream.
READ MORE ABOUT CAKES:
Cake Glossary
Hottest Cakes for Northern California Brides
Not Your Grandmother’s Wedding Cake
Questions To Ask A Potential Wedding Cake Designer
The Icing on the Cake
Find your perfect wedding cake designer:
Northern California Wedding Cake Designers
Southern California Wedding Cake Designers
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