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Cake Guide 101

wedding_cake_2.jpgCake School

Choosing a cake can be a sweet treat for a bride who is in the know, prepared and well versed in wedding cake terminology. Use the guide below to prepare for your adventures in finding the perfect wedding cake.


WHAT’S YOUR PERSONALITY CAKE TYPE? (TYPES OF CAKES) Big or small, round or long, a wedding cake can suit your personality. Find a cake that fits your needs, budget and your personality. Keep in mind 3 points: design, size and decoration. The cake design can showcase your wedding theme or color scheme. You can create beautiful matching lace or beadwork from your dress onto the cake. Cake bases come in many shapes including: round, oval, square, rectangle and hexagon.Uncommon shapes are awe-inspiring but more expensive.

Your guest list will determine the size and amount of tiers. There are single tiered, multi tiered, cupcake tiered, novelty styles, and satellite wedding cake styles. Satellite, novelty and cupcake tiered cakes are more modern choices, giving a chic and very contemporary feel. Decorative icing with intricate design work, fresh flowers, sugar flowers and fresh fruit are all great ideas for cake toppers and decoration.

 A SWEET TOPPING Trust your taste buds when it comes to the type of frosting, there are many options. Butter cream icing, almond flavored marzipan, fondant frosting, two-toned white and milk chocolate ganache icing, multi colored fondant icing, chocolate flavored icing and royal icing. Ganache is a rich dark-chocolate glaze. Marzipan is a paste made with ground up almonds and sugar.

Wedding_cake_4.jpgCRÈME DE LA CRÈME Vanilla pastry crème is a classic French style cream. It is incredibly versatile and can be flavored with chocolate, vanilla or flavored liqueur. Butter cream is one of the most popular creams; it has a smooth texture and is not too sweet. This cream is easy to cut and allows for specialty designs like basket weaves. It is generally the best value, but does require storage in a cool place as the base of the recipe is butter and could cause running if not stored properly. Whipped cream is a light and soft cream and it can add an incredible texture to your cake. Whipped cream is also affected by room temperature so be prepared with cool storage prior to cutting.

TO BE FONDANT OR NOT TO BE FONDANT Rolled fondant is a special type of frosting that is rolled out, smoothed and draped over a cake. This creates a smooth, satin finish perfect for fresh flower or sugar flower placement. It gives a porcelain look that is a beautiful backdrop for detailed icing. Fondant is very versatile and can be shaped into many different shapes, but due to its labor intensive nature, is more expensive.

FLAVORFUL FILLINGS When deciding on flavors and fillings, consider the style and design for a better cake. Sturdy styles of cakes such as fruit cakes, carrot cakes and even mud cakes make a tiered wedding cake stronger. Sponge style cakes won’t take the weight of layers, but they are perfect for satellite style cakes. Fruit fillings like coconut, strawberry, banana and apricot are rich in taste and can dictate a sophisticated palate. Classic flavors include: custard, chocolate, mocha and white chocolate cream.