How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Cake

November 19, 2007

Wedding Cake: The Reception Centerpiece

The first thing people see when entering a reception hall is usually the wedding cake. Traditionally the cake will consist of three or more layers with a decorative topper. The cake would be frosted in white with tasteful decorations, and taste even better than it looks.

For a bride and groom choosing the right wedding cake can seem difficult; there are so many sizes, styles, flavors and toppers that it can be difficult to decide. Luckily bakers can make the task of choosing a cake much easier. Many bakers have a portfolio of cakes they have made in the past as well as catalogs of wedding toppers and even more design ideas.

The best part is that many bakers will allow the bride and groom (or the bride and some close chosen friends or family members) to taste each flavor of cake and icing to be able to pick the flavors they enjoy the most.

Wedding Cake Styles

Traditional wedding cakes will be iced in white or light cream colored butter cream frosting. The cake would be vanilla pound cake, and would stand at least three tiers high depending on the number of guests. Traditional wedding cakes are often decorated with piped white frosting and silver or gold edible beads.

Floral wedding cakes will often be frosted in white, cream, or a very pale pastel colored frosting and decorated with candied or fresh edible flowers. Some cakes may even be made with flower flavored cakes or icings if desired. Lavender is a popular flavoring for deserts.

Contemporary cake designs will use fondant to create beautiful unique designs on the cake which can be decorated with food coloring paint, colored fondant pieces, and frosting to create a truly unique look to a wedding cake.

Personalized wedding cakes are increasingly popular. The cake can be frosted with colors which coordinate with what the wedding party will be wearing or the colors of which the reception area is decorated. Other touches such as fondant bows, candy pearls, or other special touches can be added to make the cake match the wedding theme if desired.

Taking the Cake

The baker will need to know a few things in addition to the style of cake the couple will want for their wedding. These things include the date and time of the reception, flavor of the cake, flavor of the frosting, number of guests to be served, and which topper is finally chosen.

The flavors can be decided quite easily by tasting what the bakers have available. A new trend is to offer as many flavors of cake as there are layers to the wedding cake. The date and time of the wedding is important because certain types of cake (like ice cream) or frosting (such as cream cheese) may not hold up as well in warm temperatures.

The number of guests at the wedding should dictate the number of layers of the cake as well as the size of the layers. Each baker should have a cake chart for the bride and groom to view and pick the best choice for their wedding cake. They need to remember a small top layer to keep in the freezer to share later when the frenzy is over!