Confectionary Vocabulary

So, you’re getting ready to choose your wedding cake or cupcakes. What could be easier? If it looks good and tastes good, it is good – right? Well, right. But here are a few pointers to help you navigate the world of confectionary vocabulary and get the most out of your tasting.

For this entry, I’ll focus on what goes on top of the cake. The most common term you’ll run into is buttercream. This can mean different things. What I call an “American buttercream” is generally made up of powdered sugar, butter, milk and flavoring. This is the super sweet stuff. Other buttercreams include Swiss meringue and Italian meringue. There are slight technical differences in the way they are each made, but they both consist of a meringue base (beaten egg whites and sugar) that is then combined with butter and flavorings such as fruit purees, vanilla extract, and chocolate. The result is something that is silky in texture and slightly sweet in taste. If you’re someone who doesn’t usually like frosting, try this.


The second most common term you’ll run into is fondant. This is basically a sugar dough that can be colored, rolled out, and then applied to cover a cake (and even a cupcake). The cake is coated with a thin layer (usually buttercream), and the fondant is then smoothed over to create a pristine surface. It can also be used to make decorations, or ‘toppers’ as I like to call them, for cupcakes. After years of watching me roll and cut fondant, my four year old describes playdough as “fondant you can’t eat” (a terrible waste, in her opinion).

Now that you’re armed with the basics, jump in and enjoy your tastings! Go with what you like and don’t hesitate to ask your baker questions.


Photos by: Burk Jackson

This Post copyright 2007 Allison Kelleher for Cupcake Mama