...to hate the plethora of cakes with sheet fondant icing and fancy artwork

[CaptainTripps]

I mean these kinds of cakes are lovely to look at but I really would rather have a lovely, plain old Victoria sponge without all that disgusting sheet fondant.

Birthday parties especially. I remember from childhood delicious, crooked and slightly out of shape sponge cakes with some candles plonked in the middle.

Now it's all overly sweetened, chemically tasting and bland and uniform.

I've seen those amazing themed creations on Facebook too. Barely any cakes and all icing/decoration.

Bring back the old fashioned cake!

I made a cake for DD this week with dinosaurs and so on (I regretted starting it 5 minutes after I did). What freaked me out was that the fondant icing I bought ready made smelled like, looked like and behaved like Play Doh. Maybe it is Play Doh. Luckily the butter cream and cake underneath was good.

I make them too Perfectlypurple, well used to before I developed a tremor. They are a labour of love and always appreciated by the recipient. I have family members who hate icing, but they still love my cakes, they just eat the cake and leave the icing, it's hardly an issue.

Like Perfectlypurple I also make the cakes you're talking about, but I've been told that the cake itself tastes yummy!

However, I also peel off the fondant as it tastes yuck - but that's what people want so that's what they get...

But then I don't like buttercream either - so DD eats the buttercream and I eat the cake - Lovely!!

I refuse to buy cakes from shops though because they are grim compared to my lovely homemade ones -

I use the icing to create whatever design the DCs are requesting this year not for it be eaten. Its horrible stuff and no one in the family likes it, they just want to challenge me each year with a new 'theme'

YABU. Everyone knows children's birthday cake is not about the cake. I make them for my dcs and they love it. It's all about their faces when they see it.

Nice, eating cake is not the same as birthday cake.

What binky said. My children don't eat icing but they love seeing what mummy's managed to deisign for their birthday. It's a fairly cheap and easy way of impressing them!!

I am getting sick to death of cupcakes that are half dry, tasteless sponge and half violently sweet frosting, urgh. And 'salted caramel' this, that and the other - completely out of hand!

Now, see, me, I could leave the cake really. It's all about the icing. I'd turn down a slice of Victoria sponge. But I luuuuurve to eat icing. I eat chunks of the stuff.

So, YABU. Sorry.

When I was wee it was the hedgehog cake with chocolate button spikes and buttercream.

Definitely edible!

Agree about the fondant stuff being chewy - and all slimy on one side too.

YABU. I suspect these cakes are made for the way they look rather than how they taste. Peel off the fondant if you don't like it. I love it when I see an amazing cake at a party, especially if it's homemade. I know how much work goes into making them and why not if it makes the birthday child happy. It's about them after all!

I could never trust a marzipan eater. Weirdos.

I love fondant icing and I love cake.

I love birthday cake, even shop bought. I love peeling the fondant icing off and eating the cake separately.

Mmm, I'm drooling at the thought of cake now!

Don't like marzipan though, yuck!

Yabu. I love all sorts of cake. Fondant icing or none, I'll eat it. I've been known to drive down to M&S food to buy a small birthday cake just for the taste of icing . Unsweetened tea and iced cake is the best.

I hate icing, all of it. In fact I don't really like cake at all.

Why am I fat, 'tis not fair?

YABU - I adore fondant icing :) especially when there's a layer of buttercream underneath so it sits smoothly. And my cakes are just as delicious underneath the (no artificial colours) icing designs.

Glad you told me this before I embark on dd1's birthday cake. She'll be pleased as fuck to get something like this at her party...

I like pretty much any cake, icing , marzipan and the word plethora.

YANBU, it has taken over cakes and this isn't good. Although I'm baffled by the marzipan hate on here. Maybe this will change your minds: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pesce_di_pasta_di_mandorle.jpg

MrsTerryPratchett, unfortunately, when you've practiced with playdough, you discover that actually the ready to roll fondant icing isn't the same consistancy, and i had a triceratops that ended up looking like he was on his way to extinction and collapsing on DS's cake....

I'm a bit fan of making their birthday cakes, making sure it's a good cake inside, although as DS tends to ask for something relatively complex (after seeing all the bought cakes with exciting designs and no flavour ) you're pretty much stuck with the ready roll stuff unless you are very skilled (anyone know how you can make a triceratops out of buttercream without losing the will to live, I'd love to hear about it! This year, he wants a rocket, I reckon that's a bit more do-able, rectangle cake cut into the right shapes and then iced with giant buttons for the windows...)

Oh and I hate marzipan and fruit cake thinking both are vile, but acknowledge most people think I'm wrong.

Yanbu

Icing is great if it's something like buttercream, fondant is unpleasant.

My favourite icing is a chocolate ganache that is whipped just a bit too far, so it spreads rather than pours. Essentially chocolate truffle. Yum.

I hate sheet icing and marizpan, its so vile and overloaded with sugar, buttercream is fine, and cream cheese icing too.

Totally agree. I love cake. Looooove cake. But elaborate things covered in fondant and sugarpaste decorations are more about looks than taste.