Cake trends…

i like the idea of finally getting away from fondant. Does anyone like that stuff?

Actually, the fondant I've made by hand is tasty...if you like marshmallows, that its. It's the key ingredient, along with powdered sugar, butter and whatever flavoring you want. That's it. No scary Periodic table ingredients that keep packaged fondant shelf-stable for decades. And you can thin it out with water to make petit four dip-able icing.

Wilton fondant, on the other hand, is just...bad.

I don't think I'd like a Lambeth piping decorated cake. There's too much icing that I would just scrap off.

While I appreciate the work and creativity of these cakes, they sure don't look appetizing. Do you think they are supposed to? Seems to me that we are getting away from good old tasty cakes and just creating overwhelming 'masterpieces' that may as well be made with inebibles. I know that the challenge is to make all this edible, but to what end? Are the TV programs sending us in the wrong direction?

I agree those are too much, almost like a primer for how many styles one can accomplish. I’ve never made fondant. I used the satin something brand, because id read it was better than Wilton. Still not great, and then I read about one from Switzerland? Elit bakers use, but at $150 a container too rich for my blood. I am happier to go back to buttercream, and since I’ve made Swiss meringue buttercream I’ve never looked back. However, American buttercream is so much easier to work with imho. This simple version was my last attempt, but oh trying to get those smooth sides aren’t for the faint of heart, or arthritic hands. (I’ve since read letting it sit for a few hours to “deflate“ before icing helps, but haven’t tried it yet.)