painting cakes

i think there’s a misconception that high end cake decorating entails fondant and dragées and other decorations that are technically edible but always end up getting left on the plate. don’t get me wrong, fondant is great — if you want a cake to look like an anatomically correct heart, it’s the way to go — but when it comes to something like a wedding cake, I don’t think you should have to compromise on flavor. instead of a tiered cake covered in fondant and sprayed with edible gold paint, why not have a buttercream portrait of the bride and groom?