There are lots of decorating options for cakes, but fondant and buttercream have been the most popular two for a long time now. Granted there are some common ingredients but other than both being used to decorate cakes there’s not much similarity between them - their properties and their visual effect are far apart.

Buttercream, sometimes called frosting, is a combination of butter and sugar whipped together to make it smooth and spreadable, whereas fondant is a combination of powdered sugar, water and glycerine to make a paste that can be rolled thinly.

At our London bakery, we use our Swiss meringue buttercream recipe exclusively for our wedding cakes. This is because it's the most stable buttercream and is great for filling, layering and stacking, keeps well at room temperature, has a smooth finish, holds its form and shape when piped, and is 50% less sugar than normal buttercream, and even lesser than fondant. We do however use fondant to create edible figurines and cake toppers to decorate the cakes.

So how do you decide which is best for your wedding cake? There’s a few important points to consider, from what you’d like the appearance to be like to the practicalities of storage. Here’s a run down that’ll hopefully help you narrow your decision down.

Appearance

If your styling is more traditional then fondant is the most popular choice - it’s definitely taken the crown from royal Icing having a similar aesthetic but without your guests chipping their teeth (royal icing sets tooth-breakingly SOLID). It can be a brilliant white if that’s what you’re after, but actually it’s far more versatile and can be used for modelling too so for vibrant novelty cakes it’s also the best choice. 

Buttercream, however, is what you need if you want a softer, less intense look to your cake. For rustic or more laid-back styles it provides a lovely silky backdrop to other decorations and it’s much easier to mix and blend different colours too. It offers lots of possibilities for abstract styles or painterly effects. That’s not to say buttercream can’t do formal or sophisticated - our Regency inspired Wedding Cake and Vintage Lace Buttercream Brocade both have quite a traditional look, but they’re certainly less hard-edged than fondant can be sometimes.

Flavour

If flavours to complement your cake are important for you then this is an easy one to answer.

Fondant tastes SUPER sweet, end of. It’s an intense sweetness too and when you consider that it needs buttercream or ganache underneath then it’s a layer of sweetness on top of another layer of sweetness. And it’s pretty impossible to balance that sweetness with the cake underneath. Ultimately if you’re choosing fondant it’s because of the look you can achieve for the cake, not
the flavour combinations.

Buttercream, however, is not only less sugary, especially if using our Swiss meringue buttercream recipe, but it’s also great for taking on other flavours. From a light citrus to a tangy cream-cheese there are lots of options to add flavour that can complement and enhance the cake, rather than just being a covering.

Texture

Fondant has a rubbery/leathery texture. If handled and stored correctly it can maintain its appearance, staying soft and chewy for a good few days, but if not then it can be affected. It’s far from being rock hard or crunchy though and does have a sturdy structure to do it, which is what makes it good for modelling, but not necessarily the lightest for covering a cake with.

Buttercream has a much lighter texture, taking less to cut or bite through and providing a creamyness that complements the crumb of the cake. And whilst it doesn’t have the same structural properties as fondant, for an individual slice perspective that’s a good thing (a LOT of people peel off fondant layers before eating the cake).

Weight

Following on from texture, the actual weight of the icing is something to think about both for the whole cake but also for the amount per serving.

Fondant’s rubbery texture means that it can sit heavy on a cake. If you’re adding lots of decorative elements, which might also be heavy, that weight and sturdyness can be a really useful base to build on. But it will also limit the sorts of cake you can have underneath as it would need a denser cake, like madeira sponge, which is ideal for carving as it has a denser and tighter crumb than usual.

Buttercream is the lightweight option. You can spread it thickly, layer it up and still not compromise the cake’s texture - in fact the only limits on it will be the height and balance of it for storage and display!

Colour

Fondant is what you want if your colour schemes are bold and vivid. It takes bright colours so well, even if it’s bright white that you’re after, and can be mixed too (although not without practice as if it’s wrong, you can lose a whole batch of icing).

Buttercream can also take colour but, just like its texture is creamier and lighter, so are the colours. It’s harder to get the same colour intensity with buttercream as you can with fondant and it might require a lot more colouring to get similar.

Application

Icing a cake isn’t as easy as it looks. It’s not that it always needs a professional - because it doesn’t - but in the wrong hands both of these icings can look terrible.

To look neat, and intentional, fondant needs experience. If it’s handled too much it can affect the texture and there’s a greater chance it’ll stretch out of shape. It’s also really hard to patch up if you make an error.

Buttercream has its own quirks too though (don’t we all?!). Although you can slather it on thickly, to get sharp edges and a smooth finish you need to have a steady hand and you will need practice.

If you’re after a more rustic finish you can do that with buttercream too, and with a little less practice, but it’s still not something you can rush. There is also a wide range of piping textures and effects you can achieve so it’s easier to adapt. Its softness also means it’s more susceptible to scuffs and finger pokes so it’s not a speedy, resilient or effortless option.

Storage

The best place to store your decorated cakes is in a cool, dark dry space. A fully decorated cake is never going to like heat, but there are things that can be done to counteract it to some extent.

The general belief is that fondant shouldn’t ever go in the fridge, but actually that’s not strictly true. The golden rule is that if it has to go in the fridge you have to leave it in a box. Do not -and we can’t stress this enough - do not have it ‘open’ to the fridge as that’s when it’ll go sticky.

Do keep in mind what’s under the fondant though - once it’s on the cake, fondant effectively seals in the moisture so if underneath does need keeping cool a box in the fridge is the way to go.

Buttercream likes heat even less - summer marquee weddings are not the place for buttercream cakes unless the storage is on point. If you have a cool dark place for your buttercreamed cake then you don’t need to worry, but if it is warm you will need to have refrigerator space wherever your cake is being kept in the interim.

As with fondant you must keep it in its box though, and if you can take out anything in the fridge that has a strong smell as buttercream can absorb those
other smells. And no-one wants pickle-infused-stinky-cheese icing. Ever.

The time of year shouldn’t necessarily dictate what sort of cake you can have, but if you are planning a big event like a wedding, knowing what storage is available at your venue is worth taking in to consideration.

Of course the most important thing for you, whether it’s for your wedding or a big event, is that your cake represents you and provides a great focal point for that celebration. There are a huge variety of styles to choose from when it comes to cakes, and as long as you take some of these things on board there's no doubt you’ll be able to find the perfect cake.

If you'd like to achieve the super smooth finish as seen on our wedding cakes without compromising on cake texture and flavour, try our recipes for Hero Sponge and Swiss meringue buttercream. 

And if you're looking for wedding cakes delivered within London and Surrey, well, you're already at the right place. Have a browse through our collections online and email us with any queries!