Cakes

Below are some of our favorite ideas for wedding cakes - we'll be adding more ideas soon.

CHOOSING A WEDDING CAKE

When to Begin
At least four to six months before the wedding, you should start to think about the cake, choose its final design, and reserve the services of a professional.

Who to Order From
When choosing a cake designer, familiarize yourself with the designer's style by looking at photographs and tasting samples. Your cake should be as delicious as it is beautiful!

You can order a wedding cake from the hotel or caterer responsible for the reception, hire a specialty cake designer, or enlist the help of a talented amateur baker.

Cost
The price of a wedding cake is calculated per number of servings. The more elaborate the cake, the more expensive it is. Prices range from a couple of dollars per slice for a simple cake from a local bakery (I have seen some great looking cakes come from the local Kroger store) to as much as $15 per slice for an exquisite cake from a celebrated designer.

A good way to reduce costs is to order a smaller cake to display, then feed the majority of the guests from sheet cakes. This can be accomplished discreetly; after the official cake cutting, have the cake whisked away to be cut out of sight of the guests.

Payment policies vary. It is important to get a signed contract from each cake vendor that clearly explains its policy. Most cake makers require a deposit of between 20 and 50 percent of the cost of the cake. The remainder of the payment will be due anywhere from a week or two before the wedding to the day of the wedding.

Design
The design and flavor of the cake should reflect the style of the wedding as well as the bride and groom's personal taste. A tall, heavy shape is stately and imposing, while thin, floating tiers seem airy and light. Separating the tiers of a cake that is too thick and heavy will make it seem lighter. One simple shape such as a dome or a cube has a strong but quiet presence.

Flavor
A snow-white cake is traditional, but the bride and groom should feel free to choose their favorite flavor. Chocolate, lemon-poppy-seed, even carrot cakes are appearing more and more frequently at today's weddings.

Flavors have personalities, too, so try to use ones that reflect the mood of the wedding. Chocolate is decadent, vanilla is luscious and pure, spices are autumnal, and lemon is bright and tart. A plain cake that tastes wonderful will be as well remembered as one covered in painstakingly crafted gum-paste flowers.

Frosting
Buttercream is most popular for wedding cakes because it is light and delicious. Unfortunately, it requires refrigeration and does not hold up in heat. If the reception is to be outdoors in the summer, you should consider another option.

Fondant and marzipan are ideal for keeping larger cakes fresh when they become too large to refrigerate.

Rolled fondant has a matte finish resembling porcelain. It holds up well, and even helps to preserve a cake.

Marzipan, made of almond paste, is used in a similar manner as rolled fondant, and has a delicious and unique flavor.

Royal icing dries very hard, so it produces delicate and long-lasting decorations.

Gum paste is thick and malleable-ideal for realistic reproductions of fruit, flowers, and other forms.

Meringue can be used for beautiful, airy decorations and complements a cake of almost any flavor.

Decorations
A cake can be inspired by a detail of the bridal gown. Lace, ribbon or a bow, rosettes, coils of fabric, a row of buttons or pearls-any of these can be re-created in icing, gum paste, meringue, or marzipan and repeated all over the cake's surface or used as the starting point for the design. The beauty of real flowers is unsurpassed. Use flowers that mirror the composition of the bridal bouquet or the table centerpieces. Make sure they have not been sprayed with chemicals; even so, treat flowers as garnishes unless they were specifically grown to be eaten.

Fruit can be used for a less formal effect. Fresh fruit can be coated with sugar, or miniature pears, berries, or tiny champagne grapes can be used as decoration.

Remember, a few well-chosen details may be enough, and emphasize the ones you think best express the desired style.