Last week's Twitter poll asked what icing you would have on your cake; would you have that traditional, smooth fondant, tasty, soft buttercream icing or forgo the icing altogether in favour of a naked cake? The results are in and 67% of you were in favour of buttercream icing, so we decided to take the opportunity to celebrate that choice and give you a little more info on buttercream icing.
There are plenty of personal reasons to choose the icing you want and there are pros and cons for both fondant and buttercream icing, with everything from taste to texture. But if you're going for buttercream, there are things you need to know about buttercream, while you should also gaze upon the inspirations and designs you can use if you want to opt for buttercream icing.
Buttercream is made with butter, unsurprisingly. This means it's more susceptible to temperature. If you're using buttercream it's important to store it in a fridge and keep it cool when it's sitting out. Bear this in mind if you're having an outdoor wedding in the height of summer. This is the only time you might want to consider opting for fondant over buttercream icing. Alternatively, you can have a show cake with fondant, and serve your guests the 'real cake' with buttercream icing.
While it is possible to achieve that smooth texture that fondant can, fondant is much more pliable and durable, like dough. It can be rolled, and tinted easily, while getting buttercream the way you want takes more skill and care. There's also the option of having the best of both worlds, with buttercream covering the entire cake and then having a thin layer of fondant placed over the cake to act as a protective layer and to give it that smooth finish you might be looking for.
However, buttercream is widely considered the tastiest option for icing, while fondant is thought to have a slightly artificial taste. Buttercream is also the less expensive option, and with all the beautiful textured finishes you can have on your cake these days, that perfectly smooth finish with expensive, intricate designs might not be the cake you want anymore, especially with more and more couples opting for taste over design.
- Jenny Darmody
Image credits: Flowers: Keen & Kind Photography | Ombre: K English Photography | White cake: Kristina Curtis Photography | Foliage: Apryl Ann Photography | Mint green cake: Awake Photography | Blue, white and pink cake: LM Weddings