A Piece of Cake!

Photo credit: Barbie Hull Photography

Wedding Cakes are very important. The wedding cake is probably the most beloved wedding item that guests, family and the bride and groom will look forward to … and I completely agree! The wedding cake sets the tone for the whole reception and is one of the most paid for single food items while also acting as the centerpiece of the whole wedding!

Wedding cakes are a big deal. Plus, the wedding guests look forward to the cake more so than eating the wedding menu dinner! When you’re in the middle of planning the wedding and it comes time to pick out a wedding cake, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.  After all, you’re finalizing the most expensive dessert that you will ever buy in your lifetime…. No joke…

Think about your wedding costs. Consider your budget and the price of your dream wedding cake. If the list price of your dream wedding cake is a little much, compromise on the overall design. A few less adornments on a wedding cake will never let the guests know you had to compromise on what you wanted.

Instead of hand drawn flowers created in frosting and whip cream, compromise and use fresh flowers instead. Using flowers on the cake is classic, simple and sweet, plus you can say that your wedding cake is ‘going green.’

Photo credit: Vanessa Stump

Another aspect to think about is to use faux tiers made out of cardboard or foam along with real cake tiers. This will give the cake height – making the impact you crave for and saving you money at the same time.

The next step that you should think about is theme and color! What do you want your wedding cake to look like? Have you looked through wedding magazines to look for cake ideas? When it’s time for a meet and greet with the pastry chef for designs on your wedding cake, try to give him or her photographs of the cake you wish to have. If you decided that you haven’t seen your perfect cake in wedding magazines, try sketching a drawing of the cake of your dreams. This way the pastry chef will have at least an idea to work with.

Once you’ve met with the bakery and the pastry chef, they can help you decide on an approximate size of the wedding cake in relation to your number of wedding guests. So, be sure to get a final head count of guests before picking out the cake.

Picking flavors is the best part of wedding. Cake tasting is where all the fun is. And it’s probably one of the most stress free wedding planning tasks that you must do. When deciding on flavors, here are some things you must think about.

Food Allergies! While some people have food allergies, you can’t cater to exactly everyone. But, if you know of a guest who has a food allergy, be sure to take that into consideration. Some food allergies in wedding cakes that you might consider are almonds and other nuts as well as fruit allergies. Dairy/Lactose is also a factor, but that’s one that a person with food allergies would probably expect in a cake frosting or filling. If you or a guest of yours are allergic to nuts, stay away from marzipan and nut toppings. If allergic to a specific kind of fruit, be sure to leave it out of the filling, or consider just having a whip cream filling instead.

Also consider the time of year of the wedding. If you are having a Spring / Summer wedding that is outdoor, whip cream and butter cream frosted cakes are out of the question because these cakes tend to melt in the heat.

Photo credit: The Cake Girls

My best advice when picking out a cake for your wedding day is to enjoy every minute of it! It’s one of the more pleasant wedding planning duties that engagemed couples have to look forward to.

Happy Planning