Asked By:
Fabian
in
Cakes
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201 days ago
Julia's Answer
Your wedding cake may just be the most significant confection you ever buy, so it's key to know what you're getting into. The more informed you are, the better the decisions you will make.
Taste the Cake : At tastings, clients are invited into the bakery to sample exemplary cakes, ask questions, and review portfolios. This is an excellent opportunity to meet bakers and fully understand the range of their abilities.
Select a Style : Deal with the cake after all decisions about dress style and reception decor have been made. These elements can serve as a blueprint for the design and structure of your wedding cake. Choose a cake that's compatible with the style of the venue, the season, your gown, the flower arrangements, or the menu.
Size It Up : Generally, three tiers will serve 50 to 100 guests; you'll likely need five layers for 200 guests or more. If the reception is in a grand room with high ceilings, consider increasing the cake's stature with columns between the tiers.
Price It Out : Wedding cake often is priced by the slice - the cost varies. The more complicated the cake (based on intricate decorations or hard-to-find fillings), the higher the price tag. Fondant icing is more expensive than butter cream, and if you want elaborate molded shapes, vibrant colors, or handmade sugar-flower detailing, you'll pay for the cake designer's labor.
Find Ways to Save : Order a small cake that's decorated to perfection but can only feed a handful plus several sheet cakes of the same flavor to actually feed the guests. Stay away from tiers, handmade sugar flowers, and specially molded shapes. Garnish with seasonal flowers and fruit for an elegant (but less expensive) effect. If you'll have a dessert table (or another sweet) in addition to the cake, consider a cake sized for half your guests. Servings will be smaller, but the fee will shrink too.
Get the Facts on Frosting : Butter cream or fondant? That's the main question. Butter cream is often much more delicious. But if you love the smooth, almost surreal-like look of fondant, consider frosting the cake in butter cream first and then adding a layer of fondant over the entire confection.
Consider the Weather : If you're having an outdoor wedding in a hot climate, stay away from whipped cream, meringue, and butter cream : they melt. Ask your baker about summer icing options; You might want to go for a fondant-covered cake - it doesn't even need to be refrigerated.
Mind Your Magazines : Keep in mind, magazines have food stylists, editors, and assistants working nonstop to keep the cakes looking perfect. These people spend hours fixing the sweating, dripping, leaning, or sagging that can happen to a cake after it's been sitting for a while. Most cakes in magazines are iced pieces of styrofoam, which certainly doesn't taste very good. So don't expect your cake designer to be able to replicate exactly what you see in print.
Encourage Cake Collaboration : If you want to garnish your cake with fresh flowers, find out if the cake designer will work with your florist, or if you are responsible for the blooms. If the florist is running the show, will she have time to adorn the cake? Be wary of elaborate floral accents if your reception space decor is labor-intensive.
Get Him Involve : The popularity of the groom's cake, traditionally a Southern custom, is on the rise. The bride's cake - the one cut by the couple at the reception - is traditionally eaten as dessert. The groom's cake is usually darker and richer (often chocolate) and nowadays crafted to show off the groom's passions and obsessions. Give slices to guests as a take-home memento or cut and serve both for dessert.
Get It On Display : Your cake will likely be on display before it's cut and consumed. Make sure there is a designated cake table that allows the most elegant presentation possible. A round table is perfect for round cakes, but a linear cake design may call for a rectangular table. Figure out your options.
Top It Off : There are many beautiful and unique ways to top off your cake, so you can avoid plastic figurines (unless you're going for cool-kitsch).
Lock Down Delivery Details : Cake delivery takes coordination. Complex cakes may not necessarily be delivered in final form. Allow time and space for assembly, if needed. Refrigeration may also be required.
Find out more about wedding cake at http://www.allshoppingdirectory.com/wedding/catering/cakes/ to help you on your way to your perfect wedding cake plan.
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200 days ago |
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