The Wedding Cake
Use these four options to simplify your choices:
Formal
An elegant, generally all-white cake with an understated design. Flowers of sugar paste are popular accents,
as are sugar-paste roses and lillies. Typically, the cakes are composed of three-to-four-inch-high tiers
(inside each tier are four layer cake). One common combo: citrus-vanilla-flavored cake topped with buttercream.
No matter the icing you choose, the white color almost never varies, so don't try to match shade to your off-white
gown. A no-fail pick: pearlized white, which emits a slight luster.
Contemporary or Modern
A hip take on the traditional cake-it's taller (tiers are four to six inches high) and design-heavy,
with repeated patterns on the sides or the top.(The motif above is a royal wedding). Tastewise, these
cakes are usually bold. You can ask for any design that piques your interest. A baker can create
silhouttes of butterflies, birds, flowers, and more by hand or with pastry cutters.
Romantic
A whimsical cake inspired by something sentimental-in this case, the embellishment on a gazebo. (Here, the
baker used sugar paste to mimic Roses, leaves, and crawling plants.) Whereas modern cakes tend to feel
structured, these are much less formulaic (note the flowing design and how the flowers grow naturally). Because
these cakes are highly personalized, you'll need to work with the baker to develop a vision. Feel free to
bring an inspiring photograph, a favourite quote, fabric swatches or even a beloved childhood storybook.
Casual
A laid back, creative alternative to the typical design extensive wedding cake. Here, a simple two-colored
schemed cake evokes a playful mood and gives guests a sense of youth. Usually, this choice is catered to close-knit
friends and families who would enjoy and won't mind the informality.
Ask Tia Maria:
Mario sep, dili! (Sweet heavens, no!) You can have lemon, banana, or red-velvet cake,
among many others. You are limited only to what your baker is willing to try-and a good baker
should be willing to experiment. That said, don't go too flavor-crazy with the cake itself; the filling
is often a better way to introduce a pet taste (mango, passion fruit). And steer clear of nuts (which
are in almond cakes and often in carrot cakes as well), unless you're sure you have no nut-allergic guests.
There are a few types, all with a different look and taste.
- Buttercream: A generic term that refers to icing made with butter, powdered sugar, and
flavourings. There are also versions made with shortening or a combination of shortening
and butter.
- Meringue or mousseline buttercream: Smooth, creamy, and made with egg whites, this holds up well in
hot temperatures, but it's time-consuming to make and therefore more expensive.
- Fondant: A smooth sheet of sugar paste, this icing can be flavored and tinted different colors. It
holds up well, but many people don't enjoy its chewy texture. So if you want to enjoy fondant for the
look,ask about having a layer of buttercream underneath.
Four pieces of advise:
- Most bakers deliver locally and are skilled at it, so if you have that option, take it.
- If you're transporting the cake yourself, choose the filling carefully. A looser filling, such as mousse
or curd, won't travel as well as a jam-based one.
- A layer of fondant on the cake adds extra protection.
- The cake should be refrigerated until the moment it leaves the baker's and afterward kept in a Styrofoam
box on a flat surface.
Some couples believe that a smaller display cake plus a larger sheet cake saves money, but that's not
always the case. Say you have 200 guests. If you ask for a sheet cake for 100 and tiered cake for 100,
the baker still needs to bake the same amount of cake. The only savings is in decorating time. That said,
if your cake is truly elaborate, it will be less expensive to keep it small and offer a sheet cake for
serving. But single-layer sheet-cake slices won't look the same on the plate as those cut from a tiered
cake.
That depends on what your cake is made of. Avoid mousse fillings, which need refrigeration; opt for
jam. If you choose buttercream icing, be sure it's made with a mixture of shortening and butter as opposed
to just butter; the combination holds up longer without degrading. Of course, in a hot-weather setting, you
might consider forgoing a cake altogether and offering something that is easier to keep cold, such as pies,
cookies, or cupcakes.
Yes. Many caterers provide a small dessert as part of the per-person price of the meal -- think plates of
cookies or petits fours at each table. You can also offer guests:
- A dessert bar, with everything from make-your-own sundaes to cookies, cakes, and pies.
- A chocolate fountain, which can be pretty expensive.
- An espresso or cappuccino bar.
- A cotton-candy machine -- lots of fun for the children.
- A "Sorbetero" that rolls into an outdoor reception, mid-dancing, as a refresher.
Many venues have a spot where they routinely display a wedding cake, chosen to showcase it and
to keep it safe (in front of a mirror in a corner or near a picture window, for example). Make
sure there isn't anything distracting in the background, like a fire extinguisher, or an exit sign
that will show up in photos. And know that spotlights and sun streaming through windows
can melt icing over time-particularly buttercream.
If you don't want the cake where the site suggests, look around for a spot you prefer.
One to avoid: the edge of the vibrating dance floor.
Well, no, you don't have to do anything. But if you have a cake on display, your guests are
going to expect a little funfare. It is up to you whether to have a simple ceremonial slicing
or to go all the way with a special song and mutual feeding.
A bit of background:
History holds that cake cutting is symbolic of the first joint task you undertake as husband
and wife. Traditionally, the husband feeds the wife first.
The traditional bride-and-groom statue is waning in popularity in some areas (though if you
want one, you can certainly find it from any wedding supplier).
Some other ideas:
- Borrow your parents' or grandparents' topper, or look at auction sites like
eBay for a unique option.
- Inscribe your new monogram on the tiers in icing.
- Bundle some fresh flowers and arrange them on the top tier.
- Find a figurine or even a holiday ornament that reflects something you fancy.
- Place childhood photos in small lightwieght frames and set them on the confection.
- Ask the baker to create a bow out of fondant and place it on the top of the cake.
Follow these steps:
- Remove nonedible decorations, like flowers, and place the unwrapped slice
in the freezer for a few hours until the icing hardens. (If the cake is iced with fondant, omit this step.)
- Wrap the slice in several layers of plastic wrap, then in foil.
- Put in a plastic bag, then squeeze out all the air.
- Place the bag in a cake box or a plastic container and freeze.
- Remove from the freezer a few days pre-anniversary and let it defrost in the fridge.
- Unwrap and dig in!