Taste is Relative

Personally, I'm getting quite tired of people who say, "I hate the taste of fondant," or "I've heard that fondant is gross, so I don't want it on my cake."

Novice cake decorators go to Wilton for all of their cake decorating needs, and rightfully so; Wilton is all over the craft stores, the tools make decorating (nearly) dummy-proof, and the stuff is "cheap." The only problem is that nowadays people's first interaction with fondant is, unfortunately, Wilton's fondant.

Wilton fondant isn't that bad. It's rather stiff, so it's great for decorations such as figurines, flowers, etc., and it can be combined with other types of fondant for a more pleasing taste and texture. However, Wilton fondant on its own is not recommended. The taste leaves a lot to be desired, and it's hard to cut into. Overall, it leaves a bad taste (pun intended) in everyone's mouth. This is when people make snap judgments and assume every type of fondant is the same. I like to call those people "WRONG."

Let me tell you a tale of first impressions...
My husband and I went to a restaurant one day and he was craving steak. He ordered it and was thoroughly disappointed. A majority of the steak was fat, it was rather bland, and it wasn't cooked the way he wanted it. He vowed then and there that he would never eat another steak again, claiming that all steaks are horrible, fatty pieces of cow, and that all steaks must be the same.

That last sentence was a lie. He loves steak, and would never turn his back on it. Do you see my point, though? Not all steaks are the same: porterhouse, New York strip, filet mignon, etc., and they're not all prepared the same way. Same goes for fondant. There are a large number of brands, as well as different recipes for homemade fondant. Some taste like buttercream, some taste like chocolate, some people roll out a very thick layer to cover their cake, and some roll it out so thin that you don't even realize it's there. How many brands of fondant is there? Let's see...

So much fondant!

This isn't even all of it, plus there are many recipes for homemade fondant, as well. Marshmallow fondant is probably the most popular, and it's great for novice decorators and professionals alike. The great thing about MMF is that it tastes like marshmallows, which is always a plus.

I realize that first impressions are critical, but in the food world, everything deserves a second, third, or even tenth chance. I'm not saying that you'll grow to like Wilton if that's the only fondant you try. I'm saying don't give up on fondant altogether, because fondant won't give up on you.