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Buttercream, fondant or ganache - what’s the difference?
When it comes to choosing what sort of cake you want for that special celebration, there are so many options, and it can be confusing. There’s more to consider than just the flavour, texture and size of the cake.
Terms such as fondant, buttercream, ganache, or semi-naked are described below to help you identify the look and finish, and to help you choose the finish you are after.
Buttercream
The most common icing for cakes is buttercream, fondant or ganache. Basic (also known as American buttercream) is a mixture of butter and icing sugar. It is a crusting buttercream which means it sets harder, and is great for using with stencils. Not everyone loves this type of buttercream as it can be very sweet, and also has a slightly gritty texture.
I tend to use three types of buttercream, two of which are great for pregnant women as they don’t contain any eggs. Ermine buttercream and Australian buttercream are silky smooth and are not overly sweet.
My next favourite would be Swiss Meringue Buttercream which is a beautiful, silky smooth mixture of egg whites and sugar, that is gently heated and then whipped to produce a meringue frosting. It is not overly sweet, and has a light and creamy texture.
Buttercream can be coloured and flavoured. It can be piped into swirls and ruffles, or smoothed to provide that perfect clean finish. It is so versatile and can be transformed from simple designs, to classic and rustic themed cakes.
Fondant
Fondant is a type of icing made from sugar, water and corn syrup, however, most decorators (including myself) purchase pre-made fondant. It can be flavoured and coloured, and rolled out to make a pliable dough to give an elegant, smooth finish on cakes, cupcakes and cookies. It is also great for designs that are textured, patterned, or sculpted.
Fondant is popular with cake decorators as it can be used to create edible decorations, figurines, flowers, ruffles and has a broad range of design options which can’t be achieved with buttercream.
Fondant cakes are usually more expensive than buttercream cakes due to the techniques needed to achieve that smooth finish, or that fondant decoration.
Ganache
Ganache is a decadent, creamy chocolate based filling used for layering, or for coating the outside of cakes.
Made out of dark, milk or white chocolate, ganache sets hard and can even be used on its own as the outer layer of the cake.
It is often used under fondant to give stability to the cake as it sets hard. For 3D cakes, ganache produces the best results as it holds everything in place and the cakes maintain their shape while the chocolate cools and sets hard.
Semi Naked Cakes
Semi naked cakes are cakes that have been decorated and scraped with a fresh layer of thin buttercream so that it only just exposes the cake underneath. This style is really popular for wedding cakes and multi-tier cakes, and can be decorated with flowers, berries, fresh fruit and chocolates.
Style & Size
Most people are overwhelmed with choice when it comes to the style of the cake. Whether it is for a family member, friend, or a corporate event, my view is to keep it simple in the beginning, and the design will evolve.
Start with the things that you know such as the occasion, and then work from there. Is there a particular theme. If not, try and break it down to whether there is a favourite hobby or interest, a preference for colour or flavour. Once you identify one or two of these things, create a shortlist of two or three concepts. Usually the design starts to become clear once you know the direction you prefer.
If the cake is for a corporate event, often the occasion will determine the theme.
Once the concept, or the shortlist is created, the details for the cake can then be narrowed down eg: buttercream or fondant, round or square design, single or multi-tier. If you have a picture of what you want - even better. I’m always happy to have a chat and consider the options. Feel free to contact me on my Contacts page.
