Every few months, baker Tom Nieto heads to the magazine racks for an item he'll see dozens of times: the quarterly issue of Martha Stewart's wedding magazine. "I can't tell you how often brides come to our shop with her books and magaines and ask: 'Can you do this?' '' he says.
''This'' could be a multi-tiered glamour cake decorated with large pearls or a triple-layer gateau covered with basket-weave frosting and studded with sugared kumquats.
Nieto has seen the trends come and go during the 13 years he's been making wedding cakes at his store, Masterpiece Bakery. The traditional fruitcake is a thing of the past, unless it's a Jamaican dark rum cake which Nieto is sometimes called upon to decorate.
Dummy cake tiers are also long gone so guests are seeing the real thing. Souvenir pieces of cake can be done separately from fruitcake for those who want to stick to tradition, he says. Popular choices for cakes today are mousse, fresh fruit or cheesecakes.
Nieto says it's not unusual to have a different type for each tier - wedding cakes have anywhere from one to 10 - to please every palate on the guest list. To make the choice easier, Nieto says he gives samples so the bride and groom can decide what they like.
Decorations are often fresh flowers - chosen to co-ordinate with the wedding flowers - or fruit, either artificial or real depending on the type. Prices vary with a two-tier starting at about $190 and a three-tier $295 and up. Nietopoints out his prices include delivery and set-up.
Eager couples should take note - wedding cakes take time. Nieto says he's already taken a number of orders for summer weddings.
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