For a tasting, you must enter.
Clients are invited to the bakery for tastings, where they can sample delicious cakes and ask questions. This is an Wedding Cake Tips opportunity to get to know the bakers and build relationships. Selecting your wedding cake baker should be taken seriously; make sure they share your enthusiasm about making it perfect on your big day!
Never pick the cake style randomly.
Your rustic semi-naked cake may be your favorite, but it may not fit for a black-tie wedding. Once all other decisions regarding dress style and reception decor have been made, you can focus on the cake. Use these elements as inspiration when designing and structuring the structure of your cake; choose something that ties in with the theme of your venue, season, wedding gown, flower arrangements and menu. When asking your baker for decorations like ribbons or sugar flowers they should not be an afterthought – the wedding cake shouldn’t just be an afterthough.
Prior to hosting your party, you must decide on your guest list and the size of your space.
When ordering a cake for any special occasion, first consider how many people will be attending. Three tiers typically serve 50-100 guests while five layers will accommodate 200 attendees. If your reception will be held in an expansive room with high ceilings, columns between tiers can be added for extra height and visual interest. A “stacked” cake has its layers directly stacked upon one another without any separators.
Wedding cakes typically cost per slice.
The cost of a slice of cake varies based on its complexity, but generally ranges between $1.50 and $15. This range increases if the cake features intricate decorations or hard-to-find fillings; fondant icing tends to be pricier than buttercream frosting, and cake designers charge extra for their labor when crafting intricate molded shapes, vivid colors or handmade sugar flower details. According to our Real Weddings Study, an average wedding cake costs $540 on average.
There are many ways to save.
Make a delicately decorated cake that serves only a few people, but you’ll need several sheets of the same flavor for everyone else. Avoid elaborate designs like tiers and sugar flowers made by hand; for an elegant but more budget-friendly effect, garnish with seasonal flowers or fruit. If you have many guests coming over for dessert, opt for smaller cakes and other sweets instead – servings will be smaller but costs will decrease too!
Select the Appropriate Frosting
Buttercream or fondant? That is the crucial question. Buttercream typically performs better, tasting much smoother. But if your cake’s look is smooth and almost surreal, buttercream might work better first before covering it in fondant. Ganache, a creamy frosting made of cream and chocolate, is another option. It can be left dark brown, but you can request your baker to add vibrant fruit. White chocolate can be dyed almost any shade while Swiss meringue is another popular icing made by whisking egg whites with sugar. Although swiss meringue is more widely popular for wedding cakes, mashmallow flavoring still adds a romantic touch to cakes such as strawberry, raspberry or lemon. The light marshmallow taste pairs beautifully with fruit-based cakes like strawberry or raspberry.
Weather is always critical when making decisions.
When planning an outdoor wedding, steer clear of buttercream, meringue and whipped cream as they tend to melt when exposed to heat. Ask your baker for summer icing suggestions; fondant-covered cakes might work too – no refrigeration required!
Do not set unrealistic expectations.
Remember, magazines like ours employ food editors, stylists and assistants who work tirelessly to ensure cakes look perfect. After some time has passed, cakes may start sagging, sweating, leaning or sagging again. If their methods don’t work they can use Photoshop to fix it; additionally they may create cakes from non-edible stuff – most featured in magazines are made of Styrofoam iced pieces which don’t taste great either. Don’t expect your cake designer to replicate what you see in print exactly.
It all comes down to the details.
Decoration costs can be quite costly. Fresh fruits and flowers are usually the most budget-friendly option; in some cases, your florist may even apply fresh flowers at no additional charge. On the other hand, delicate gum paste and sugar paste flowers require handcrafting one petal at a time, making them more costly. Overall though, adding on items like marzipan fruits or chocolate-molded flowers will increase the price tag significantly – however it’s a worthwhile investment regardless.
Consider including another cake in your wedding reception menu.
Traditional Southern tradition, the groom’s wedding cake, is becoming increasingly popular. Traditionally, the bride’s cake is served as dessert and cut by the couple at their reception. This cake is darker and richer (often chocolate), intended to showcase the groom’s interests and obsessions. You can give guests slices as souvenirs or serve them both together for dessert.
Minimizing is always possible, but it will come at a price.
Mini cakes, where each guest gets their own cake, is a popular idea among bakers. But it can be more complex and time-consuming to make than larger cakes; each requires its own decoration which could take as long as an hour to complete (if that’s even possible!). Furthermore, mini-cakes do not usually come with boxes so the bakery must create individual ones for transporting – which adds up quickly when multiplying this by how many guests will be attending. Nonetheless, these treats look beautiful served up on silver trays served by waiters!
Display is something to take into account.
Your cake will likely be displayed before being cut and served, so to present it elegantly, choose a table that works for the shape of the cake. Round tables work best for round cakes; however, rectangular tables may be better suited to longer creations. When selecting decor for the tabletop, consider using beautiful fabrics from your florist – they will surely help make the presentation stunning!
Cake toppers come in a wide range of options.
Classic figurines are a timeless choice, but more couples are opting to personalize their cake topper (or cake stand) as an expression of love on their special day. You can select something special that symbolizes you both as a couple, such as a clay figurine of your pet, comic-action heroes figurine, or elegant monogrammed acrylic pedestal. Or collaborate with your baker to incorporate an heirloom piece like fine porcelain antique into the recipe. Country wedding cakes look exquisite when adorned with gingerbread or sugar cookies. You can personalize it even further by adding a bouquet of sugar flowers, an array of icing ribbons, or even a block carved to showcase your monogram.
Additional Resource:
https://www.brides.com/gallery/the-50-most-beautiful-wedding-cakes
https://www.pinterest.com/stylemepretty/wedding-cakes/
https://unsplash.com/s/photos/wedding-cake
