Beautiful and very special Gluten Free Fondant Fancies with Pistachio, Orange and Raspberry that make Mr Kipling French Fancies look like children’s party food. Inspired by the Great British Bake Off, these morsels of deliciousness would happily grace the tables of the most sophisticated afternoon tea or celebration.
Originally posted 24th October 2016 – Updated 29th April 2022
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The story of my Gluten Free Fondant Fancies… Inspired by the Great British Bake Off
Meet my very special Gluten Free Fondant Fancies, flavoured with Pistachio, Orange and Raspberry. They’ve actually been on the blog since 2016 and were originally inspired by the Great British Bake Off. At the time, I was doing a gluten free ‘bake along’ and when semi-final week came around, the show-stopper was to create unique and delicious fondant fancies…
You will be forgiven for expecting to see ‘Mr Kipling’ French Fancy copycats… But you see, I’m not really a huge fan of Mr Kipling. Even as a child, I thought the cakes were way too sweet and really rather ‘twee’. Maybe I was an unusual child…
But when I saw the fondant fancies produced by the GBBO bakers, my inspiration and creativity was fired. The idea that fondant fancies didn’t actually have to be sickly sweet, pastel-coloured and rather tasteless (other than the overwhelming flavour of sugar) was a revelation… And thus, I have joined the rebellious ranks of bakers who have taken fondant fancies to the next level and given them the status of 5 star quality.
These are no ordinary fondant fancies… THESE are utterly delicious, worth every minute of effort, Gluten Free Alchemist Fondant Fancies that exude sophistication.
Fondant Fancies or French Fancies? A brief history
Fondant fancies (or French Fancies as they are actually called and trademarked) were first launched in 1967 in the UK, by the company Rank Hovis McDougall. They were one of some 20 varieties of cake that were to be sold under a new brand name of ‘Mr Kipling’… Which (in case you are wondering)… No… Was NOT a real person, but a clever bit of marketing.
French Fancies are small, individual, cheaply produced square sponge cakes, topped with a ball of imitation buttercream, all covered in pastel-coloured fondant icing. But we can do better than that… right?
The BEST Gluten Free Fondant Fancies you’ll find on the net
Anyone who follows Gluten Free Alchemist, knows that if it’s not at least as good or better than the wheat and gluten version (of whatever it is), then it’s not good enough. And I truly believe that these Fondant Fancies are WAY better than the original, and quite possibly the BEST gluten free Fondant Fancies you’ll find on the net.
They may be one of the fiddliest cakes I’ve ever made, but are they worth it? Damn right they are! Because these gluten free Fondant Fancies are ALL about flavour, fruit and nuttiness. They transport to the divine and delightful world of cake that might fit with Alice in Wonderland and the best afternoon teas in London! Utterly delicious and (even if I do say so myself…) A…MAZ…ING… An explosion of flavours that excites and tantalises the tastebuds.
The unique Gluten Free Alchemist fondant fancy flavour combo…
Because these babies are made with a soft and tender pistachio-orange sponge… that imparts a rich and nutty flavour, perfectly paired with a citrus tang. There’s a little burst of summer raspberry sauce hidden within, that brings a fruity surprise… A top slice of sweet (homemade) almond marzipan and a delicate side-coating of raspberry buttercream… And of course (traditional for any French Fancy), a light enrobing (from top to bottom) of liquid fondant icing. Unlike standard Fondant Fancies however, for this recipe, the icing has had the sweetness cut through and tempered with a little lemon juice.
For decoration? A little powdering of freeze-dried raspberry and a couple of pistachio nuts… And now you could be eating at the palace!
Is it really worth making gluten free Fondant Fancies?
Now… I’ll be honest… Making Fondant Fancies, whether Mr Kipling lookalikes or artisan beauties, is a fiddly affair. It’s a process of several stages with lots of chilling and waiting around in between… Even the GBBO bakers had 4 hours at their disposal to pull them together.
But honestly… Sinking your teeth into them at the end of the marathon is SO worth the effort… They may not be your average speedy mid-week bake (but then neither are homemade ‘Mr Kiplings’), but they are perfect for any celebration, or special occasion. They really are quite divine…
Are these Gluten Free French Fancies Coeliac-safe?
The recipe for Fondant Fancies shared here, is made with a gluten free flour blend and some ground pistachios. So yes, it is completely safe for people with Coeliac Disease (Celiac). Specifically, I used my Gluten Free Alchemist White Flour Blend A (which can be found at the bottom of my Flours and Flour Blending Page). But a good alternative commercial blend (such as Doves Freee baking flour) should be fine.
As always however, be absolutely sure to double-check ALL ingredient labels for hidden gluten or ‘may contain’ warnings if anyone eating the fancies is gluten free for specific health reasons.
How to make Gluten Free Fondant Fancies – a guide to each stage
Although fiddly, my gluten free fondant fancies are honestly not that hard to make. If you can bake a cake with a little patience thrown in… then you can make these.
Stage 1… Marzipan
If you are making your own marzipan (to be recommended), then it can be whipped up ahead of time. Homemade marzipan is so much nicer than the shop-bought stuff and only takes 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to make with just one bowl! So, it has to be asked… Why on earth would you buy it?
Plus… If you can’t eat almonds, then at Gluten Free Alchemist we have the most incredible Nut Free Marzipan Recipe that you can use instead!
Once the marzipan is made… Wrap it tight in clingfilm and pop it in the fridge until ready to use… It will last for a couple of weeks +.
If you don’t want to make your own marzipan, that’s fine too… I promise I won’t judge. 😁
Stage 2… The Fondant Fancies gluten free sponge
This is like any other cake really… A ‘creamed method’ recipe, baked in a square baking tin (I used a 9 inch Masterclass tin)… Which is later cut into squares.
Once baked, it will need time to cool completely and will also need to be chilled in the fridge to firm up so that it is easier to cut and decorate. It’s not wasted time though… Because you can make your delicious raspberry buttercream while you’re waiting and (if you haven’t made it ahead of time), the marzipan too. You can even start readying equipment for the next stages and prepping the fondant icing.
If you can’t eat nuts at all, then use an alternative favourite orange or vanilla sponge recipe. Just make sure it’s sturdy enough to cope with cutting and shaping.
Stage 3… The raspberry buttercream
If you’re anything like me, you’ll always forget to soften the butter ahead of making buttercream… And then you’ll be scrabbling around trying to get the microwave to make it softer without melting it… But hey! We live and (don’t) learn.
Once the butter is soft however, making buttercream is a piece of cake… A simple case of whisking together the butter and icing sugar with a little seedless raspberry jam and (optional) colour.
Stage 4… Marking up the cake ready for filling with surprise jam
Once chilled, the cake needs to be marked up for even cutting, unless you aren’t bothered about uniformity. But I think that when making the effort to create something as special as gluten free Fondant Fancies, then it’s worth going the extra mile to make them equal.
To mark up the cake…
- Cut a square of baking paper the same size as the cake tin that was used.
- Measure and draw onto the paper a 5×5 grid of equal-sized squares (if you’re anything like me, you’ll need a calculator for this one). Or if it’s easier, fold the paper as a 4×4 grid (fold in half and half again both ways) for slightly larger squares.
- Place the grid paper on top of the cake sponge and (using a cocktail stick), poke a hole through each intersection of the lines. This will leave a ‘square-marked’ pattern across the sponge top, that will serve as a guide for ‘filling’ the fondant fancies with jam.
Stage 5… Filling with jam for a hidden surprise AND topping with marzipan
It’s easiest to hide the jam in the fondant fancies and top neatly with marzipan BEFORE the squares are cut… So:
- Using the guide marked on top of the cake, take a sharp knife and cut a small hole in the CENTRE of EACH MARKED SQUARE (in the middle of each set of 4 dots). This will be the middle of each cake once cut into little square sponges.
- Fill all the holes with a drop of raspberry jam.
- Once the holes are filled, warm the remaining raspberry jam, so that it is runny and brush a thin layer across the whole top surface of the sponge. This will be used to stick the marzipan to the top.
- Roll the marzipan out, so that it is large enough to fit the whole square top… Then using the paper template, cut the marzipan to make a square the right size for the cake.
- Transfer the marzipan square to the top of the cake and gently press, to stick down.
- Before cutting the cake, pop the whole thing back in the fridge to chill and firm up again… for 10 mins or so.
Stage 6… Cutting the cake into squares
- Take the cake from the fridge and grab the paper grid-template and cocktail stick again.
- With the grid placed back on top of the cake, re-mark the marzipan with holes at each intersection as you did previously.
- Remove the paper and with a large, very sharp knife, cut the cake using the marked holes as a guide, into neat squares.
- If the sponges feel very soft, pop them back into the fridge to firm again ready to buttercream the sides.
Stage 7… Spreading the buttercream on the sides of the fondant fancies
- When ready, take each small square sponge and (using a palette knife) carefully spread a layer of raspberry buttercream round the 4 ‘vertical’ sides (not the top or bottom).
- Place back in the fridge while you make the fondant icing.
Stage 8… Making the fondant icing
- Take some ready-made fondant, cut it into small pieces and drop into the bowl of a free-standing mixer (with the beater attachment in place).
- Add the lemon juice and start beating.
- As the icing starts to soften and break down, gradually add water a little at a time, until it reaches a consistency of ‘thick but pourable’.
- Add food colouring paste until the fondant has reached the colour you want.
Stage 9… Covering the French Fancies with fondant icing
This may feel like the messiest part of the process, but it really is quite easy to do.
- Pop a wire cooling rack on top of a large sheet of baking paper (to catch the drips).
- One by one, hand-coat each French Fancy with ‘liquid’ fondant by drizzling from the top, down the sides and using a flat/palette knife to help in covering. You don’t need to cover the base of the cakes.
- As each fondant fancy is coated, place it upright on the wire rack, ready to ‘drip dry’.
Stage 10… Decorating your gluten free fondant fancies
By now, you will be desperate to try one. But there is one final and important stage. Because all gluten free Fondant Fancies deserve a little decoration.
- As the icing starts to firm, top each Fondant Fancy with a couple of unsalted pistachio nuts, a sprinkle of freeze-dried raspberry powder and a little (optional) edible glitter.
- Set aside at room temperature (if you can wait that long) to set completely.
Here’s my recipe for Gluten Free Fondant Fancies with Pistachio, Orange and Raspberry
And that’s all you need to know… Gluten Free Fondant Fancies that will stop any show, at any celebration and are so delicious that no one will ever realise they are gluten free. You’ll find the recipe just below. And I promise… If I can make them, you can too!
If you do make them… Let me know… These one’s have to be worth posting on social media, right?… So, don’t forget to tag me in. You’ll find me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. (@glutenfreealchemist #glutenfreealchemist). Or you can just leave a comment and rate the recipe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Either way, enjoy. And don’t forget to check out our other amazing recipes in our on-line Gluten Free Recipe Index. All shared with my love, for FREE.
Gluten Free Fondant Fancies with Pistachio, Orange and Raspberry
Key equipment
- 9 inch square non-stick baking tin
- Oven
- blender/food processor
- fridge
- ruler
- pencil and scissors
- tooth pick
- small sharp knife
- small saucepan or microwave and glass bowl
- large sharp knife
- stand mixer
Ingredients
Sponge
- 180 g plain gluten free flour blend I use GFA Blend A (See NOTES)
- 70 g unsalted pistachios ground into fine meal
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 1½ tsp baking powder gluten free
- pinch fine sea salt
- 250 g unsalted butter softened
- 250 g golden caster sugar
- 5 large eggs At room temperature – UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’)
- 1 orange zest only finely grated
- 1 tsp orange extract
Jam to fill the sponges and brush over
- 4 tbsp seedless raspberry jam approx
Marzipan
- 350 g marzipan approx (either homemade or shop bought). See notes for link to easy 4 ingredient homemade marzipan
Raspberry Buttercream
- 250 g unsalted butter softened
- 200 g icing sugar powdered/confectioners sugar
- 2 to 3 tsp seedless raspberry jam
- red food colouring paste Optional – to desired shade
Fondant Icing
- 750 g ready-made white fondant icing cut into small pieces
- 1 small lemon juice only – sieved
- 80 ml cold water approx
- orange or red & yellow food colouring paste to desired shade
To decorate
- 50 unsalted pistachios shelled
- a sprinkle of freeze-dried raspberry powder
- edible glitter optional
Instructions
Sponge
- Base-line a 9 inch/23 cm square non-stick baking tin with baking paper.
- Pre-heat the oven to 190 C/375 F/Gas 5.
- Grind the pistachios in a food processor until a fine 'meal', but be careful not to let them become a paste.
- Weigh and mix together the flour, ground pistachios, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt, making sure all lumps are completely broken down. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric whisk, until pale and fluffy.
- Beat the eggs together with a fork in a small bowl and then add them, a little at a time to the butter mix, whisking thoroughly to ensure the mixture is well-blended and smooth.
- Add the grated zest and orange extract and beat again.
- Carefully add and fold in the dry mix until fully amalgamated (but be careful not to over-mix).
- Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top springs back and a skewer/toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Once baked, turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- When the cake is cool, place in the fridge to firm up ready for filling, cutting and decorating.
Buttercream
- Beat the softened butter in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
- Gradually add the icing sugar a little at a time until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of seedless raspberry jam and (if using) a little red food colouring paste to the pink shade desired.
Marking up the cake ready for filling with surprise jam
- Once the cakes are chilled and firmer, mark it up ready for filling with a jam surprise.
- Cut a square of baking paper the same size as the cake tin that was used.
- Measure and draw onto the paper a 5×5 grid of equal-sized squares.
- Place the grid paper on top of the cake sponge and (using a cocktail stick), poke a hole through each intersection of the lines. This will leave a ‘square-marked’ pattern across the sponge top, that will serve as a guide for ‘filling’ the fondant fancies with jam.
Filling with jam for a hidden surprise AND topping with marzipan
- Using the guide marked on top of the cake, take a sharp knife and cut a small hole in the CENTRE of EACH MARKED SQUARE (in the middle of each set of 4 dots). This will be the middle of each cake once cut into little square sponges.
- Fill all the holes with a drop of raspberry jam.
- Once the holes are filled, warm the remaining raspberry jam, so that it is runny and use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer across the whole top surface of the sponge. This will be used to stick the marzipan to the top.
- Roll the marzipan out, so that it is large enough to fit the whole square top… Then using the paper template, cut the marzipan to make a square the right size for the cake.
- Transfer the marzipan square to the top of the cake and gently press, to stick down.
- Before cutting the cake, pop the whole thing back in the fridge to chill and firm up again.
Cutting the cake into squares
- Take the cake from the fridge and grab the paper grid-template and cocktail stick again.
- With the grid placed back on top of the cake, re-mark the marzipan with holes at each intersection as you did previously.
- Remove the paper and with a large, very sharp knife, cut the cake using the marked holes as a guide, into neat squares.
- If the sponges feel very soft, pop them back into the fridge to firm again ready to buttercream the sides.
Spreading the buttercream on the sides of the fondant fancies
- When ready, take each small square sponge and (using a palette knife) carefully spread a layer of raspberry buttercream round the 4 ‘vertical’ sides (not the top or bottom).
- Place back in the fridge while you make the fondant icing.
Making the fondant icing
- Take the ready-made fondant, cut it into small pieces and drop into the bowl of a free-standing mixer (with the beater attachment in place).
- Add the lemon juice and start beating.
- As the icing starts to soften and breakdown, gradually add water a little at a time, until it reaches a consistency of ‘thick but pourable’. (NOTE: you may not need all of the water stated or you may need a drop more)
- Add food colouring paste until the fondant has reached the desired colour.
- (If not using straight away, set aside at room temperature and cover the bowl with clingfilm).
Covering the French Fancies with fondant icing
- Place a wire cooling rack on top of a large sheet of baking paper (to catch the drips).
- One by one, hand-coat each French Fancy with ‘liquid’ fondant by drizzling from the top, down the sides and using a flat/palette knife to help in covering. Do not cover the base of the cakes.
- As each fondant fancy is coated, place it upright on the wire rack, ready to ‘drip dry’.
Decorating the fondant fancies
- As the icing starts to firm, top each Fondant Fancy with a couple of unsalted pistachio nuts, a sprinkle of freeze-dried raspberry powder and a little (optional) edible glitter.
- Set aside at room temperature to set completely.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
These were amazing! One of the best sweet recipes I’ve tried in a while
Thank You Sisley. So glad you loved them, x
Fondant fancies are my favourite thing on earth – I’ve been presented with towers of them on several birthdays – lucky me. But me old mukka Kipling is paling in comparison to these beauties!
Thanks Chloe… WAY better than Mr Kipling. I’d happily have a birthday tower of these and scoff the lot 🙈
These look perfection and pretty as a picture. A lovely combination of flavours and something a little different with the pistachio, orange and raspberry.
Thank you so much Lesley. The flavour combination works so well. x
These look and sound amazing. Must give these a go soon xx
Thanks Susan. Definitely worth the fiddliness! Let me know how you get on xx
These look amazing and sounds delicious. Going to give these a go soon. x
Che spettacolo! They look so lovely. Brava!
Awww…. Thanks Alida! x
such a lovely combination of flavours – yum 🙂 #cookblogshare
Thank you so much! x
These are as pretty as a picture. Worth the time and effort at least once I'd say, just so you can say you've made your own. Excellent baking!
Awww… thank you. Definitely worth the effort….. once! You never know, if I ever get a whole day with nothing to do, I may just have another go!
These are absolutely stunning Kate! And belive me I feel your pain about how fiddly these are to make! Thanks for linking up with #TreatPetite
Thanks Kat. You're welcome! 'Pain' describes the experience pretty well! x
These look fabulous! I love the combo of flavors and look forward to trying this…I don't think mine will be as pretty though 🙂 Thank you for linking up at Sunday Fitness & Food!
Thanks Angela. You're welcome x
Yours turned out beautifully! x
Thanks Amanda x
I've always wanted to make but yeah, the whole process looks A LOT. BUT they do (and yours especially) look amazing if you put the effort in. I'll have to bite the bullet and try making them.
Thank you MissPond. They are quite a pain to make, but I am really glad I gave them a go. Being gluten free, we can't buy them ready made, so making them was our only option! SO worth it (at least once……) x
Wow Kate these look amazing! I am so impressed at your dedication and it looks like it was worth it as you have stunning cakes here. Thanks for linking up with #CookBlogShare
Thank you Mandy. You are so welcome! Thanks for hosting xx
Just watching them make these on GBBO put me off giving them a try. I'm not great a fiddly jobs, the first would have looked decent but they would have got progressively worse as I lost focus the more I made. I only ever make small batches of these things to try and keep my attention up.
Yours look really lovely (much better than the ones on GBBO) and they sounds delicious. I'm going to take a look at the marzipan recipe you recommended as I want to start making my own.
Thank you Charlotte. What lovely comments.
Please try the marzipan. It is such a fab recipe. I use it lots!
Ooooh Kate! These look so good and so pretty! The hubby has just seen them too, I need to make them x
Ha ha! They are pretty tempting! The sponge for these was really good….. I will definitely be using for other recipes too x
Oh. My. Goodness. These little fancies are to die for, Kate! You've really gone to great lengths to create this stunning recipe, despite upping your hours at work, chores, erm… life! I am impressed by your dedication to spend a whole day on these, and look how they turned out! They also contain some of my favourite ingredients. Berries, citrus, nuts… these are my kind of treats. Thanks for sharing on #FreeFromFridays
Thanks Mel…. I'm not sure dedication was the intention….. It was more of a case of 'I'm committed now…. better get on with it! The flavours were amazing though. For a sweet cake, they tasted really fresh! x
They are so pretty, love the colours and flavours. Your fancies are very tidy and uniform, unlike many in the show!
Thank you Lucy. I think the uniformity was more luck than judgement…… I couldn't even be bothered to try the sponge!
These look so very pretty – I am not surprised they took so long to make, but they do look amazing. I agree about how fiddly and time consuming Fondant Fancies appeared to be, which is why I know they were not for me. Thank you for linking up xx
Thanks Jenny. They were fiddly, but I am so proud of the results! x
These are perfect, the flavours sound wonderful x
Awww.. thanks Cathy x
Wow, they look amazing! You've certainly made up for missing a couple of weeks! Well done- fiddly they are
Thanks Hannah. It felt like a couple of weeks work for sure! ……Another gluten free bake version to tick off the list! x
how pretty – they look like elegant high tea fare – I have never had home made fondants and after looking at your recipe I am not sure I will ever have the time and patience to make them (esp not while holding down a 5 day a week job) – fine work indeed
Thank you Johanna. They do look rather sophisticated don't they? And they were delicious!
I am not sure I will ever make them again though…. They were ridiculously time-consuming!
Ooh yes please, they really look and sound AMAZING Kate. Seriously what's not to love about them, raspberries, pistachios and marzipan,….homemade marzipan as well! I absolutely love marzipan, but have never made homemade so will defo try this (probably on our christmas cake). And yes, Miss GF should definitely get to try a fondant fancy, i fondly recall my Grandma getting them periodically for us to enjoy after a meal 🙂 Yum!
Angela x
Thanks Angela. This homemade marzipan recipe is so so easy and very very moreish! Absolutely recommend you try it! x
I really wish I could just grab one of these beauties off the screen! Amazing, like all your gf recipes! Pinning and stumbling!
Thank you Ilka. That's really kind of you. I have to admit though, they are rather tempting! x
They sound amazing and quite an undertaking. I bet you can sympathise with the GBBO bakers now. I'd much rather have one of yours than a Mr Kipling any day (even if his were GF) Beautiful presentation as always
Thanks Katie. I never much liked the Mr Kipling ones as a child, but these were absolutely delicious (although there did seem to be rather a lot of them for a small family so we shared widely!)
I am in awe of the GBBO bakers having tried to do a few weeks of GF parallels this year….. I have no idea how they get through it! x
They look amazing!! Thank you for sharing with #InheritanceRecipes 🙂 Solange has already pinned this recipe to our IR board but I'm pinning them to Bake Sale Ideas as well…
Thank you Margot. That's really kind of you xx
Looks really pretty and tasty♥
Thank you xx
I already loved your Battenberg cake but this recipe tops them all. thank you so much for adding it to the #Inheritancerecipes
Awwww… Thank you Solange. What a lovely comment! You're welcome x