Buttercream vs. Fondant

There are a lot of specialty cake makers in the market today.  With shows like Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss, the idea of a cake that's shaped and colored to specifically fit your themed event is popular.  Everyone wants (pardon the pun) a piece!


The issue I have with these specialty cakes is that more often than not, they are covered with rolled fondant.  Rolled fondant is a sugary dough-like covering.  Ever tasted it?  Most people don't prefer the taste.  So you end up with this gorgeous cake that someone has taken hours to make, but tastes... well, not great.  Now, rolled fondant can be flavored, and then it's not as bad.  Still, your whole cake is covered with it.


Buttercream tends to be a favorite icing for most people (although others enjoy cream cheese icing even more).  The issue with buttercream icing is that you can't do as many things with it.  It tends to be softer, and even for creating flowers, most bakers will tell you that royal icing (which is made with egg whites or meringue powder) is better - but usually inedible.


In my humble opinion, if you're going to have a cake, you're going to want to eat it.  Why cover it with something that most people find inedible?  Aside from the "wow, that looks really cool" factor, why have a cake that you don't want to eat?  


So, which would you rather have?  A cake that looks amazing and out of this world but doesn't taste very good (at least the icing part), or a cake that looks great (amazing, even), and tastes great, too?

For the Joy of Cakes

I just finished up a cake for a friend - her son was celebrating his birthday today.  It always makes me happy when someone else is so excited about a cake I have made for them.  There's something about the sugary sweetness and the excitement of cutting that first slice of cake...

It's nice to bring a smile to someone's face with a cake.

Fun With Cakes

One of the best things you can do, whether you are a great cake decorator, a beginner, or somewhere in between, is just have fun.  A group of college girls I know just attended a birthday party, where the cake was iced and they all grabbed a bag of different colored icing and let loose on the cake.  The results were crazy, but I know the memories they made will last a lifetime.


Cakes, no matter how crazy or wonderful they look, get eaten and all the hard work disappears quickly.  It's the memories that are made and the reasons that precipitate the desire for a cake (weddings, baby showers, birthday parties) that are the important part.  So the next time you're decorating or enjoying a cake, have fun!

Welcome!

I've been decorating cakes for family for the last seven years.  I recently decided to branch out and start decorating for friends, and selling cakes as well.  Please explore my blog as I share tips, new photos of cakes and begin my cake decorating business: Ladybug Cakes!