Fondant & Multi Tiered Cakes

Check out cakecentral.com They have eveything you would want to know about cakes. I don't like the taste of fondant and don't know of anyone who does, especially the store bought kind. The marshmellow fondant isn't bad, I've made that a few times, recipe is on that website. Fondant can be hard to work with but does look amazing. Good luck.

Fondant is a chewy, sort of like marshmallow but not as soft. It can have a pasty taste. It has great texture and makes a cake look tailored. You can purchase it at a cake supply store. I think Marlene's is still open in Virginia, there's Little Bits in Wheaton. But check the Yellow Pages/Book for your area. Also Michael's and AC Moore carries it. If you are not familiar with the taste and texture you would not want to make it yourself. Check out the public libraries they have books in the cake decorating/food section, I think it is in the 6-7 hundred section, that will give you some ideas. It is cost effective to use the library than to purchase a book because they can be pricey. Good luck.
-R.

Fondant to me tastes nasty, however what you can do is put buttercream or whatever kind of icing you want under the fondant that way it still looks nice but still tastes good as well.

Good luck!

Try Foodnetwork/Food channel for advice about using Fondant, it is and can be, tricky. Temperture can be an issue....Good Luck
Katie W

Hi! I didn't take time to read all the responses below, but I have a degree in Culinary Arts and happen to do cakes on the side out of my home. Just had one picked up a few hours ago. Anyway, yes, fondant is a little tricky to work with. Were you planning on making your own or buying the premade box of stuff wilton sells? It really isn't hard to make & I've used a couple different recipes. Tweaked them a little because fondant does taste bland, but you can make it taste fairly good...like chewy sugar if that makes any sense. Also, i read something someone posted about almond paste. Yes, traditionally, almond paste or an apricot glaze is what you would cover the cake with prior to the fondant. I have found that using buttercream instead of the almond paste works just fine and is much more appealing to everyone.

I say go for it girl! Just make sure you allow yourself enough time in case you end up having to go to plan "B." Oh...and if you just go with the buttercream, the trick to getting it smooth is to first pipe it onto your cake with a large round tip, covering the cake evenly. Then, run some really hot water into a tall cup. Dip your offset spatula into the hot water, shake of the excess and start to smooth the icing. The little bit of water that ends up on the cake will dry quickly. Be sure not to pipe any colored icing onto the cake until the water spots have dried up or the color could run.

If you have any other questions abot the fondant, don't hesitate to let me know. Happy to help! S.

S.,
I agree the fondant looks great on cakes. As a medium for designing the cake, it should be pretty easy to work with.
As for taste, that's another matter altogether. I don't care much for the taste of it and find many folks peel it off of the cake before eating it. You may want to stop in a bakery and ask for a sample to get a feel for the texture and the taste. If your planning on having a lot of children at the party, you may want to re-think the fondant for a more kid friendly choice. With the right tools, you can make buttercream frosting look as smooth as fondant--we were able to do that for our wedding cake and no one could tell (that is until my nephew dug his finger into it).
Good luck.

My daughter just turned 13 and we had a pool party for her, so the theme was - pool. She had a fondant cake decorated like a pool with teddy grahams in bathing suits all around. It was absolutely the cutest thing ever. It made for some really cute pictures. The taste was a different story. If you decide to go with the fondant, I recommend having some brownies on hand too. The cake will probably not get eaten, and 3 layers of it is kind of a lot to waste. I don't want to sound like doom and gloom, I just don't want to see you spending lots of time on it when you could be getting extra hugs from your babies instead. Cupcakes on a tiered plate can be just as cute.
good luck.

my advice is to use buttercreme instead. Fondant looks very pretty but my kids always hate it and say it tasteless...but they're sugar fiends anyhow. Fondant is expensive as well. Why not make a great homemade buttercream. i always bake three layers seperately and then when they've cooled, i place them in tin foil and freeze them for about an hour. Take them out and than layer and frost. If you cut the rounded tops of with a bread knife or cake slicer it keeps them from sliding. i've also used my cookie maker to pip great swirls of icicing between each layer and dont bother to ice the sides. That always looks very pretty as well. Marths Stewart.com has some neat ideas.

Hope it helps.

I agree with the few replies I've read about the taste not being so great. You also have to consider nut allergies since it is an almond paste.

For my kids' birthdays, I make cupcakes. There are all sorts of cute kid things you can do with them and they are so easy. And the kids don't have to wait for the cake to be cut. Good luck with whatever you decide. 1st birthdays are always so special!

I agree with everyone, fondant tastes awful. I do use it for little decorations on the cakes I do such as flowers and hearts but for the whole cake, bad idea if you actually want people to eat it. If you are really wanting the look I would recommend you use marzipan, not fondant. It has a much better taste. However for a 1 year old, if you want him to be able to enjoy his cake, I would stick with buttercream frosting. Good luck!

http://www.womansday.com/food/7310/silly-cakes.html Here are some really cute cakes that can be made by the average home baker and they look really good. I made a few myself, including the Big Mac cake, and the beach/ocean themed cakes. The one I always wanted to make but never got around to bake is the one with the pool.

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/special/specialfeature/ca... This is another good website with some really nice cakes.

I also agree with all that disliked the fondant cakes. They taste so awful and really ruines a good tasting cake. Good luck baking a cake for your little one. Mine is 15 and I still make her a cake for her birthday.

Lots of people dislike fondont. Out wedding cake baker used buttercream and smoothed it to look like fondont which she says is preferable since most people hate the taste. I have never been able to smooth buttercream like she did, but that is an options. Also, you could use buttercream, but cut out fondont shapes for decorations (your three year old could help with this).

I love to bake, and I think it is so nice you are making a cake since most people don't. So, I say experiement, but I wouldn't let your 1 year old have any of the "icing" on a fondont cake.

Rolled fondant (that you would probably purchase) may have a chewy exterior, but homemade fondant, if made fresh and kept well covered, can be more of a melt-in-your-mouth kind of thing. (Much like petit fours coating.) I would recommend doign a practice run. My husband is very excited about the cake-tasting party I am going to have soon in preparation for our son's first birthday. Good luck.

Oh, and for multi-tiered cakes, make sure you put a cake board between each level and you may want to support them with dowels through the cake so as to not compress the layers beneath (esp. if you use fondant.)

Hey there,

I do cakes on the side and to be honest you really are better off especially for a kids cake to do buttercream. Your going to have to make it anyhow to get the fondant to stick and most people end up pulling the fondant off because it really does NOT taste very good. There is a marshmellow recepie that is a little better but then still it's really sweet. There is a cake pan that is of a topsy curvy birthday cake. You may want to go that route, it's fun. Hope this helps.

I did just one small cake for my son then made the cup cakes out of ice cream cones.( the flat bottom ones not the pointy ones) It is easy. No papers. They can eat the cone and it's not too messy. The recipe is on the side of the box.

Totally agree with everyone so far. Fondant is chewy and tough and really doesn't have a good flavor at all. I'd search for a great buttercream icing. You can make it hold up a little better by adding more powdered sugar without adding more milk. I'm also thinking about your son - I honestly think it might be hard for him to chew and gum fondant. Buttercream would be much more delicious and easier for him to eat. Good luck! I bet it will turn out cute and yummy! :)

Sounds like a good idea making the birthday cake yourself! Personally, fondant cakes do not even come close to tasting as good at the "normal" buttercream icing. To me, and my little ones, It tastes like cardboard. Sure, it looks awesome, and a lot of people are using it now because the designes are smoother, but I would rather have a traditinal birhtday cake for my little ones.
Good luck with the Party!

I don't personally know ANYTHING about making cakes, but I know a woman who makes all kinds of cakes and uses the fondant and does just amazing work. If you're interested in either having her make the cake for you, or getting tips from her, I can give you her information.