I have never been interested in fondant. I have never eaten it, nor have I seen it used outside of those extreme cake shows on the Food Network. Those shows actually drive me a little nuts. Fondant is also a little scary to me. It seems so delicate, and gives me flashbacks to the first time I tried to make dumplings, which ended with me nearly in tears and a kitchen that looked like the scene of a horrific crime.
So, I am in awe when I find a blog like Pink Little Cake. It is quite nice to find someone with such a delicate, subtle touch, and who is a good instructor. She does not work exclusively with fondant, but does a great job with it. Most recently, a simple (appearing) way to make tiny roses; an elegant cake topping. She combined punk rock aesthetics with Easter and fondant here (Steve Ignorant would approve of the homemade approach, I'm sure). And she goes all the way up the scale with a replica of a Burberry purse. (And just for the sake of salivation, she made this lemon cake.)
Is fondant the American contribution to the world of food art? If Japan gave the world sushi, has America given the food world (besides hamburgers) pop-culture cake sculpture? I cannot find any useful history of fondant on the Internet – does anyone have any thoughts as to its origins, and how it’s become so popular in contemporary cake decorating?
I will not be attempting to use fondant anytime soon. I like making food that’s more … durable? I will never get frustrated if my home fries come out looking like a compost bin, because there is no expectation of prettiness. But I will tune in to Pink Little Cake every now and then to marvel at the craftsmanship.
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