The Icons: What makes a Fondant Fancy?
The History of a Bettys Fondant Fancy
Over a century ago, our Swiss founder Frederick Belmont introduced the world to his handcrafted bakes and cakes in the first Bettys Café Tea Room in Harrogate. Frederick, a trained confectioner and chocolatier, would make Bettys famous for his continental cakes, baked in Harrogate.
From Jam Tarts to Sarah Bernhardts, and Marzipan Potatoes (yes, really) there was no end to the creativity and skill that went into producing Bettys famous fancies. Today our Fancy Counter remains an iconic tradition at Bettys, and our Fondant Fancies, well, they’re the queens of the counter.
What makes a fondant fancy?
The short answer…Premium ingredients, skill, and flavour.
To be more precise, delicately sweet Genoese sponge, rich, creamy buttercream, proper marzipan that is soft and authentically almondy (no flavouring!), plus the semi-soft fondant icing. Add a layer of tart raspberry jam, and dip the base in white chocolate to keep it fresh (a deliciously artisan trick) and our fondants are ready to land on your plate.
How do Bettys make Fondant Fancies?
Every Fondant Fancy starts life in our Harrogate Craft Bakery.
Once the Genoese sponge cakes have been baked, our skilled confectionery team begin by carefully ‘crumbing’ or removing the golden coloured top of each delicately baked sponge to make sure each fancy is the perfect colour and size. A fine layer of Swiss white chocolate is weighed out and spread with a pallet knife over the cake. Once set, this provides the confectioner with a sturdy base, ready for them to add a generous layer of vanilla buttercream and tangy raspberry preserve.
Next comes the second layer of sponge, topped with soft marzipan and another layer of buttercream. Now assembled, the cakes are cut into the perfect fancy cube shape, ready to be enrobed in ivory white fondant.
Finally, our team of craft confectioners individually hand-pipe our seasonal designs in royal icing onto each fancy.
The must-have treat of the season
While our classic Fondant Fancy recipe stays the same all year round, our innovation and confectionary teams, treat us to limited edition flavours to match seasonal flavours. From zesty lemon to tangy cherry, and unique combinations like orange and mango, or blackberry and lemon, there are always new fondants to try.
