Wedding Cakes
After dinner and before the dancing the wedding cake  takes center stage and it has since ancient times. However, what was once a simplistic single tier of white cake (and a mere piece of bread in Ancient Rome ) has evolved into an extravaganza of towering tiers, scintillating designs, a hullabaloo of flavor, bold colors, and frosting to die for. Conjuring up fantasies of cutting the cake can have a bride's mind in a flurry over what type of cake to choose. After all, the sky is the limit, especially when hiring a professional cake designer to build a custom cake. There is no perfect cake that will suit everyone, but depending on your style and budget, this guide will help you choose a cake that is sure to please.
First, consider the style of your wedding. Is it traditional, modern, dramatic and glamorous, simple and casual, or did you choose a theme? Here are some of the typical directions to take when choosing a cake style. Or find the cake style that best suits you with this fun quiz at Brides.com.
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Traditional: Perhaps your ceremony is set in a white chapel, your dress is simple, but feminine, and you choose white calla lilies for your bouquet. A traditionally styled cake will be round and either white or another pale color, possibly accented with a few colorful details to match your wedding colors. These might be little flowers (fresh or sugar) or a pretty weave in the icing. The final touch is as classic as can be: a bride and groom cake topper. Fancier, but still classic cakes, might have ribbons, flower garlands, and fruits as adornments too. |
Extravagant: You want your wedding to be perfect and you are ready to go the extra mile to make this event the party of a lifetime down to the last detail. That means getting a cake that is as elegant, glamorous, and stylish as you. It will probably have several tiers, which may be square or round, covered in intricate details, such as icing pearls, spun sugar decorations, scrolls, and floral details or latticework. Instead of white, it will be slightly opalescent, champagne colored, or of another hue that coordinates with the rest of the wedding color theme. |
Contemporary: The same old white, fluffy, princess wedding gown is simply too passé for your tastes so you chose a white suit instead. Your style is more minimalist than romantic so things at your wedding will be sleek, stylish, and bold. The cake to match will never be round, but it will probably be square, hexagonal, triangular, or even off-kilter. It will sport a bright or metallic hue, never a plain white shade. Embellishments and decorations will be simple but fresh looking. |
Casual: You like to keep things simple and laid-back, but that is no excuse for having a cake that doesn't look great. It should have clean lines, few embellishments, and feature romantic or whimsical touches, such as leaves or seashells. The shape may be round, square, or scalloped (petaled) and the colors to use will blend naturally with the other wedding decorations. Neutrals, earth tones, and soft shades of blue, pink, or green are good bets. |
Unique: You never want to blend in with the crowd, but you still want a touch of tradition and romance infused into your wedding. Instead of a white cake, you'll take advantage of the many colors of icing and the new trends in cake shapes, from off-kilter to multi-shaped (molds can be made to look like everything from footballs to hearts). Accents will be whimsical, bohemian, or funky, and will have a pop of color to them. Beads, dots, and scrolls may be the perfect decoration choice for this style of cake. |
Other types of cakes and desserts that you might consider are not necessarily traditional in any sense of the word. However, they offer unique alternatives to the standard wedding cake, and are particularly suitable for casual, semi-formal, and quirky weddings. Cupcakes are becoming extremely popular. Petit fours, mini cheesecakes, croquembouche, tiers of donuts, truffles, and crème brûlée are also possible options.
It's What's on the Inside That Counts
Sure you want a cake to speak worlds about you and your personality, but you also want the cake to taste good. Remember, you will eventually eat it. Your choice of filling and frosting will also have to take into account when and where your reception will be. - Buttercream, an icing and filling is sweet, creamy, and mild. To give it a kick, liquor or fruit flavoring can be added. However, because buttercream consists of butter, sugar, and eggs, it's not the best choice for summer or outdoor weddings when rising temperatures will melt this type of cake.
- Fondant gives that smooth look, similar to porcelain. Because it is made of a sugar that is poured or rolled over the cake, it won't go bad. Chocopan is similar to fondant but, as the name suggests, tastes like chocolate.
- Ganache is another chocolate icing that gives a smooth look to a cake. However, like chocolate, it will melt in the heat.
- Royal icing is a thick, all-weather frosting used mostly to create decorative cakes that feature weaves, lattice, and lace.
- Whipped cream frosting is light, and perfect for summer as long as it is kept cool.
- Mousse is light and fluffy. You can add virtually any flavor to it you want.
- Genoise is a French sponge cake.
You'll also need to choose flavors. Always be sure to get a tasting sample before committing! Choose flavors based on your initial impression when you try them and on the time of year and style of wedding you'll be having. Casual summer weddings go hand in hand with fruity confections, while a wintry wedding might be more chocolatey. Here are some fun flavor ideas that you might want to consider. - Fruity Flavors for Spring and Summer
- Angel food with whipped cream frosting and fresh berries
- Mocha cake with Grand Marnier buttercream filling
- Orange-chiffon cake with grenache filling
- Lemon-chiffon with lemon mousse filling
- Vanilla cake with whipped-cream-and-strawberry filling
- Vanilla cake with fresh peaches and a peach mousse filling
- Vanilla cake with coconut mousse and lime curd
- Fabulous Flavors for Fall and Winter
- Pistachio cake with pistachio praline and whipped cream filling
- Carrot cake with cream-cheese filling
- Sponge cake with walnuts and chocolate chips with chocolate mousse filling
- Hazelnut with raspberry-and-grenache filling
- Genoise cake soaked in Bailey's Irish Cream filled with white chocolate truffle icing
- Tiramisu
- For Chocolate Lovers
- Chocolate cake with peanut butter truffle filling
- Chocolate cake with mint-flavored ganache
- Espresso soaked chocolate cake with a layer of Bavarian cream covered in ganache
Don't forget that you can mix and match the filling between layers and you can get different cake flavors in each tier.
Other Details- Pick a size (number of tiers) according to whether you want the cake to be purely ornamental or if you are using this as the sole dessert on the menu.
- Chat with your florist and your cake designer to coordinate the inclusion of flowers on the cake.
- How far in advance must the cake be created? How long will the type of cake you choose stay fresh?
- When planning the cake, be sure to discuss any ornaments, cake jewelry, fresh flowers, or other embellishments that you want to include on it, and whether or not it will pose any issues for how the cake is built. Very heavy items need support built into the cake so that it won't topple over.
Saving Money on the Cake
- Opt for cupcakes instead. They only cost about two or three dollars a piece versus a four dollar piece of wedding cake.
- Order a second dessert and cut the size of the cake in half.
- Keep the cake simple yet big or spend whatever you must to get a tiny, elaborate cake of your dreams for you and your spouse. Then you can serve sheet cake for your guests in the same flavor.
- When it comes to eating the cake, plan to eat and serve the top tier. Year-old wedding cake doesn't taste that great anyway.
- Use pretty plate sauces instead of flowers to save time and money.
- Get a plain cake and dress it up with crystals and cake jewelry for an elegant look that costs less than fancy sugar flowers and hard to make molds.
- Instead of a round cake, try a square shape. They look interesting and unique, and when you cut them, they make even slice cutting down on waste.
- Skip the groom's cake.
- Do it yourself!
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