Choosing a frosting for your wedding cake can get confusing if you do not know what the baker is talking about when he starts asking you what you want, butter cream or fondant?
BUTTERCREAM: Smooth, creamy icing that stays soft and is easy to cut through. It can be colored and flavored. It is made from butter so it may melt in extreme heat or humidity. Great for making piping and other borders. FONDANT: Sweet, elastic frosting made of sugar, corn syrup and gelatin. It is rolled with a rolling pin and draped over the cake. It has a firm smooth base, which is great for flowers, decorative details, and architectural designs. The finish has a porcelain look. Fondant icing should not be refrigerated. GANACHE: Sweet, rich chocolate which can be used as icing or filling. It is made of chocolate and heavy cream. Humid weather will soften this icing. MARZIPAN: A sweet almond paste made from ground almonds, sugar and egg whites. It is placed beneath other icings, molded into ornamental shapes or used as the final icing itself.
BASKETWEAVE: A piping technique that is interwoven vertical and horizontal lines. Looks like a wicker basket. CORNELLI: Elaborate piping that yields a lace-like pattern. DOTTED SWISS: Tiny dots in random patterns that resembles a fine dot swiss fabric. DRAGEES: Round, sugar balls coated with sliver or gold and used for decorative purposes. Dragees are edible. GUM PASTE: Sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin, is used to make realistic looking fruits and flowers. It is edible and will last for years as keepsakes. LATTICEWORK: A piping detail that criss-crosses with an open pattern. PILLERS: Separators used to tier a cake. PIPING: Used to make leaves, borders, basket-weave and flowers. RUN-IN SUGAR: Royal icing made of egg whites and sugar. Using a pastry bag it can create latticework, beading, bows and flowers. Its texture is hard and brittle when dry.
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