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They look the same, taste pretty similar, and have similar properties – but are marzipan and fondant the same thing? And can you use them interchangeably – one in place of the other?
Marzipan and fondant can sometimes be used in place of the other in recipes, but that’s not to say they are the same thing. In fact, they are quite different, and they are used for different things in cake making and decorating.
Not only are marzipan different in terms of ingredients, they are also different in terms of properties. This includes how they can be used, and how they can be stored.
What is Marzipan?
Marzipan can be created in many different ways now, but it is traditionally made with almonds and water. The almonds are first blanched, which helps to remove the inner nut from the skin. The de-skinned almonds are then blended or chopped until they are basically a fine dust, similar to the consistency of flour, before sugar is added.
The sugar-almond blend fine blend is known as almond flour.
From there, almond flour can be mixed with a number of other ingredients to create a number of different marzipan variations. Originally, the recipe comprised of almond extract, egg whites, the almonds, and confectioners’ sugar, also known as icing sugar or powdered sugar.
What is Fondant?
According to the dictionary, fondant is:
- a thick, creamy sugar paste, the basis of many candies
- a candy made of this paste
It can be either poured or rolled, the latter of which is slightly firmer. The poured variety leaves a glossy finish, and it is smooth and not sticky.
Rolled fondant is commonly used as the flat surface over a cake, such as the white icing on top of a Christmas cake (for example), which the festive characters or Christmas decorations then sit on.
How Are Marzipan and Fondant Different?
As well as being made from different ingredients, the taste, texture and properties of marzipan and fondant are different.
Fondant, without flavourings, tastes very sweet, but that’s pretty much it. It doesn’t have a specific flavour.
Marzipan, on the other hand, tastes very much of almonds, because it is created from the actual almond nut. Some recipes will even tell you to add one or two drops of almond flavouring to your fondant to try and replicate the marzipan taste.
Of course, if you/the eater of the cake has a nut allergy, marzipan (made from almond nuts) is not a safe ingredient to use. In such a case, rolled fondant can make the perfect substitute. You can also make nut-free marzipan with ingredients such as soy paste or peach stones, and other types of nut can also be used.
Moving from taste to texture, poured fondant is a thick but still relatively runny liquid, whereas marzipan has a consistency similar to Blu-tack. Marzipan will retain the shape you mould it into, and cooking or baking it will make it even firmer and harder still. Rolled fondant will hold its shape better, but marzipan is usually preferred for shaped cake decorations, such as flowers.
This doesn’t happen with fondant. Although it does get firmer and harder to a point, it is still usually too runny to create shapes and other decorations with it. For the most part, fondant is a decoration that is poured over a cake or other baked treat.
Can I Use Fondant Instead of Marzipan?
You can use fondant instead of marzipan in certain recipes, but there are a few things to bear in mind.
Firstly, marzipan and fondant have different consistencies. Because of this, stretching isn’t something marzipan copes with very well, making it difficult to create a flat, even surface such as rolled icing over a cake. Rolled fondant, on the other hand, stretches well, thins out evenly, and makes the perfect cake covering.
Secondly, the texture of marzipan and fondant are different, because of the different main ingredients. If you need a very smooth texture, you will want to choose fondant. When it is well mixed, there are no lumps or gritty bits.
Marzipan is the opposite. The almond nuts, even when properly blended or very finely chopped and crushed, will still hold a certain amount of grittiness.
Thirdly, the two cake decorations have different tastes. Fondant, both poured and rolled, is quite plain in taste, unless you had something to flavour it. Marzipan, because of the almonds, will always have a sweet, nutty taste. This is something to bear in mind when decorating a cake that has already been flavoured.
