A recent episode of The Great British Baking Show 2020, which is currently airing on a weekly basis on Netflix, has ignited the popular debate of what the difference is with marzipan vs fondant.
The first week of The Great British Baking Show saw Cake Week being deployed. The contestants were asked to create their own Batternburgs, which saw Loreia create a bubblegum and cream soda one while Laura did raspberry ripple and coconut due to hating marzipan.
The technical challenge ended in disaster, as Sura knocked Dave’s cakes onto the floor while she tried to swat a fly away from her own creation. Then the showstopper stage saw a number of terrifying-looking cake heads being made.
In the beginning, though, fans were left wondering what makes marzipan different from fondant. For one thing, fondant is what covers the cake, while marzipan is used to make the decorations.
Fondant is typically used to decorate cakes, candy, cookies and pastry, while marzipan can be used to make candies as well as create decorations. Fondant can be either poured or rolled in type. The former is a soft icing, while the latter is like a sugar dough.
Meanwhile, marzipan is made by blanching almonds, then grinding them with sugar and corn syrup. Sometimes the mixture is cooked, but the main giveaway that icing is marzipan is that it will primarily taste like almonds.
Be sure to check out The Great British Baking Show on Netflix, as new episodes are currently dropping every week on the streaming platform.
