Selecting what type of covering or icing to use on your wedding cake can be perplexing for many brides. Which is better — fondant or buttercream?
Most modern cake designs feature the use of fondant in the cake’s covering and decorations. Fondant is a paste made from sugar, water and glucose that can be rolled out into sheets and draped over the cake tiers or shaped into any sort of decoration. It has a clean finish and is adaptable to any type of cake design. When fondant is applied properly, it seals the cake inside, helping to keep it fresh and moist. Choosing a fondant-covered cake does not mean that you cannot have buttercream covering your cake. In fact, professional bakers can apply a full complement of buttercream under the layer of fondant. This allows you the advantages of having cake and buttercream with each slice and the beautiful aesthetic that fondant provides.
Like fondant, buttercream can be applied to look clean and smooth, but it may limit your design when it comes to the decorations. Buttercream is not as versatile as fondant, so many cake designs using buttercream have simple embelishments like piped decorations and flowers. Typically, buttercream consists of some sort of sugar or syrup, butter and flavorings. All bakers have their own favorite buttercream recipe, so it’s wise to shop around for the one that suits your taste.
In the end, neither is better than the other. It just depends on which one is better suited for your cake. Having this information will help you when planning your dream wedding cake with your cake designer. Stick with the design that you want and rely on a professional to advise on what product should be used to give you that beautiful cake.
Find more cake inspiration and some of our favorites on our cake pinboard. Need a cake? Check out our wedding caterer listings.
Capital Hotel pastry chef Tandra Watkins infuses her creations with innovative culinary techniques and classic French skills from her days at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris with the foodways of the South. Her desserts feature fresh seasonal ingredients that are a melange of colors, flavors and textures. Tandra is an active member in Southern Foodways Alliance and her work has been featured in Little Rock Soirée and Arkansas Bride Real Weddings.
