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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

108 replies

CaptainTripps · 03/12/2013 16:15

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!

OP posts:
AmberLeaf · 03/12/2013 20:20

who knew that people could get so acidic over cake.

revivingshower · 03/12/2013 20:21

I also like stollen and almond croissants Xmas Smile

IHaveSeenMyHat · 03/12/2013 20:21

I'm drooling over Taffeta's description of proper cake Grin

GigiDarcy · 03/12/2013 20:41

Can't believe the number of marzipan haters! When I was little, instead of the usual chocolate coins etc, DM gave me a block of marzipan Xmas Blush

GigiDarcy · 03/12/2013 20:41

In my stocking that is!

NigellasGuest · 03/12/2013 20:51

I once ate a whole block of marzipan Blush

I adore it.... and anything almondy...
riciarelli, anyone?
Just The Most Gorgeous Things Ever

Taffeta · 03/12/2013 20:57

One of the many nice things about Christmas is the leftover marzipan from covering the cake. Rolled into balls and dipped in good melted dark chocolate and refrigerated. Each year, I make lots, put them in pretty bags as gifts but then "forget" to give them, and DH and I scoff them.

youretoastmildred · 03/12/2013 21:00

Surely no one eats the fondant. you make a nice cake, add fondant icing to make the birthday girl go "ooooooooooooooh", cut it up, everyone peels off the fondant and eats the cake.

No?

hijack: how can you make a small banana loaf into a plate of cakes for a school thingie? They definitely want individual cakes. Would it be child abusively embarrassing for my daughter to slice it up and erm ice the slices? Like maybe use .... cream cheese icing with some chocolate buttons stuck in it? Is that the weirdest thing ever? Slices of banana would be good but go brown.

(I said to dp "there's these soggy bananas but I'm not making banana bread if no one is going to eat it because that's just throwing good money after bad." he said "I am going to eat it." I said "ARE YOU SURE?" he said "yes". Now he hasn't, and we have a cake we don't need at the same time as having a need for cake. Bonkers. I should have made individual buns of banana bread but the peremptory orders barked by the school arrived afterwards)

mousmous · 03/12/2013 21:02

you marzipaners should get yourself to lübeck in germany. capital of the marzipan world, who can resist a marzipan potatoe!

mousmous · 03/12/2013 21:04

or some other cute marzipan figurines

revivingshower · 03/12/2013 21:10

Re banana cake could try cutting it into little blocks cover with chocolate or fondant so you cant tell it is cut up then add a little butter icing and choc buttons or whatever, this might look better than slices of cake for a school thing.

UsedToBeNDP · 03/12/2013 21:12

YANBU. I hate icing too. Revolting

revivingshower · 03/12/2013 21:13

Or even do the cubes but ice with cream cheese icing all over. Or give it to me and buy a packet of Mr kiplings for school.

charitygirl · 03/12/2013 21:13

I completely agree OP but I must shamefacedly add that the older I get the more partial I am to

  • sheet fondant icing
  • that weird artificial jam and buttercream
  • the pristine wodge of shop bought sponge

As a child I wouldn't have touched any of it.

Taffeta · 03/12/2013 21:16

yy mousmous, Aldi v good for marzipan binges.

breatheslowly · 03/12/2013 21:57

Mildred - You could ice it and decorate with banana chips (though I think chocolate buttons as you suggest would sell better).

I freeze bananas that are teetering on the brink and defrost them when I want to make hummingbird cake.

youretoastmildred · 03/12/2013 22:11

thanks, good ideas - I knew lot would help.

thehairybabysmum · 03/12/2013 22:25

I've just made a square plain choc cake for my DSs party tmw...I'm going to cover it with melted mars bar and white chocolate lego men that are just cooling in my fridge! Yum,,Grin

breatheslowly · 03/12/2013 23:36

How do you make white chocolate Lego men?

Doearwigsmakechutney · 03/12/2013 23:44

Yanbu. Fondant covered cakes, however fancy, look terribly twee to me. The cake equivalent of a Clinton card with a cute bear on it. Yuk!

I do however love marzipan, homemade icing (though am hopeless at making royal icing) and buttercream. But what's with the buttercream quantities (recipe-writing) people? Recipe books specify a ludicrous amount for cakes. I normally make half, and they are still achingly, deliciously sweet

Anniegetyourgun · 03/12/2013 23:47

Mm, cake.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 04/12/2013 00:09

They make marzipan liqueur! How have I never seen that.

Marzipan and royal icing for me every time (but so many fussy people don't like fruit cake). For my 21st birthday I had a beautiful homemade and marzipanned and royal iced fruit. It was my birthday, and I was going to have the type of cake I liked Grin

thehairybabysmum · 04/12/2013 07:17

I used this ice cube tray minifigure. They've turned out really well!

Stinkyminkymoo · 04/12/2013 07:31

YANBU, I always feel a bit of a tit peeling it off and putting it on the side of my paper plate but I find it so cloying

Butter icing though... Mmmmmmm!!

FriendlyElephant · 04/12/2013 10:22

YABU. A shop-bought birthday cake, the ones with childrens' TV characters on, is one of my favourite things in the world (along with Pop Tarts, Golden Grahams and Angel Delight diabetes here I come ). The icing is the best bit.