- What is FONDANT?
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adelaidesbakery
- May 3rd, 2009
We have many people come into the bakery that either don't know what fondant is, or have misconceptions about what it is. Hopefully, I can try to answer some of the major questions about fondant in this post.
1. Is fondant edible?
Adelaide's Bakery is here to tell you that fondant is 100% EDIBLE! Fondant is made from a variety of ingredients, but it is mostly comprised of glucose, sugar, and corn syrup. Many people have the misconception that you cannot eat fondant. We are kind of confused as to why people think that fondant is inedible. From what we understand from our customers, many bakeries they visit either don't know how to work with fondant, or want to keep their costs low so they do not offer it in their work. This leads us to believe that these places tell people that it cannot be eaten. We are dismayed by these thoughts because our products and marketing are based on the fact that every element in our cakes is edible.
2. Does fondant taste good?
Many people also have the misconception that, without ever having tasted it, fondant tastes terrible or even disgusting. Well, everyone has different tastes and we can't guarantee that you will absolutely LOVE fondant, but we don't believe that fondant tastes BAD. Personally, I happen to like fondant. I think that it has a sort of chewy, mashmellowy taste. Some people like it, some don't. But the only way you will know for sure is if you taste it. The one thing I will say is that fondant is VERY thick, and therefore you shouldn't eat it in large quantities. If you come in for a cake tasting and would like to sample some fondant, just ask! You can then decide for yourself whether it would be good for your cake or not.
3. What is fondant used for and why?
Fondant gives the exterior of the cake a very polished and finished look. Most professional and competition cakes are covered with fondant. You can also use fondant to make accessories and decorations for a cake. We have made flowers, figurines, accents, and other shapes with fondant. It is a very versatile ingredient and gives a really fun end result!
4. Why are fondant cakes so much more expensive than butter cream cakes?
We consider fondant work an art. It is a learned skill that can be difficult to master for many people. Therefore, the time, energy, and effort involved in working with fondant is what makes it expensive. However, it gives cakes the most realistic look and we prefer working with it to simply butter cream.
5. What if I like the way fondant looks, but don't want to eat it?
We make all of our cakes with a layer of buttercream beneath the fondant icing. Therefore, if you do not like fondant you can simply peel it off the cake without sacrificing the yummy buttercream.
We also use other varieties of edible ingredients in our work. Some examples include gum paste and modelling chocolate. Just to clarify, gum paste is NOT fondant and should not be used to cover or ice cakes. Gum paste is usually used to make sugar flowers, or other keep sake items which will last a long time. Modelling chocolate is gaining popularity and is used in a variety of ways. It is different from fondant because it is a little bit more piable and has a more intense chocolate taste. it can be used for just about anything fondant is used for, but is a little more expensive because of the large amount of chocolate in its ingredients.
If you have any questions about any of the products we use, please give us a call and ask! It's better to ask then to be misinformed!