Monday, December 15, 2008

Selecting Your Wedding Cake

Everyone looks forward to the moment when the bride and groom take center stage to cut the cake. The band strikes that familiar refrain, conversations come to a halt, and the room stills to witness a ritual that in itself has produced many a tradition and superstition.

Wedding cakes have become as varied as the ceremonies. No longer restricted to white vanilla cake with a plastic bride and groom smiling from the top tier, today's confections run the gamut of flavor and decoration. From chocolate and spice to Swarovski's crystal swans cake topper, there is something to suit every palate, and ever style.

The most important consideration to make when selecting your cake is personality -- this cake symbolizes you and your fiance's union, and should be a "marriage" of your favorite tastes and decorations.

Cake flavors that are gaining popularity include chocolate, spice, poppy seed, carrot, Grand Marnier, and even cheesecake. Still, the wonderful thing about wedding cakes in the 1990's is that any flavor is possible, as well as acceptable.

Frosting and filling flavors are also straying from the traditional. Fillings provide the most variety, since they can include the more ordinary chocolate fudge or lemon mousse, but also extend through the range of fruit flavors possible in various gelees and preserves. If you can't decide on one filling flavor, choose one for each layer!

Possibilities are widening in the shapes of wedding cakes, also. While tiers are still popular, many couples find the plastic pillars that separate them tacky. Many bakers will work with your florist to decorate the cake, and together they can devise some cascading fresh flower decorations that wind around the pillars and look very elegant.

Stacked cakes are gaining momentum because of the myriad of shapes they come in. Hearts, squares, and hexagons are prevalent, as well as the more traditional circles. Can't decide on one shape for your stacked cake? Combine various geometric shapes for an interesting solution!

Cake decorations are becoming more unique and individual as couples are taking more interest in designing the perfect cake. Details such as ribbons, lace, charms, beads, tulle, bows, and streamers add a festive touch. Many brides choose to decorate the cake in details of their own gown, complete with a mini-bouquet as a cake topper.

Other unique cake toppers include a commissioned sculpture of the newlyweds on skis, replicas of Mickey and Minnie, and statuettes of beloved pets. Keepsakes are replacing their cheap plastic counterparts, and some couples are even incorporating cake toppers used at their parents' or grandparents' weddings!

With all of these wonderful ideas, you probably aren't even sure where to start. The first step is to choose a baker, and although this seems to be a daunting task, finding the right baker can mean everything to creating that perfect cake.

Ask around to find friends who can recommend good bakeries. Shop around, and be sure that you choose a reputable shop. Be sure to ask plenty of questions. Will there be extra charges for fillings, delivery, or elaborate decorations? Since many bakers charge by the slice, instead of the decorations, find out how big they consider a "slice" to be. Many bakeries have different definitions of a slice, and this can be reflected in their "per-slice" charge.

Look through their album of cakes to see what styles are available. If you can't find one you like in the album, go through cake decoration books and magazines for ideas. A good bakery should be willing and able to copy a picture of a cake with a minimum amount of change from the original.

Once you decide on a bakery, reserve your date. You need not place your order just yet, but it is important to make reservations since some area cake bakeries are booked up to two years in advance.

Ordering the right size cake is another very important consideration. The cake should be large enough to serve every guest at your reception, and you may want to allow for extra so that you can keep the top layer for your first anniversary celebration, a popular tradition.

Candies and cookies frequently accompany the cake in wedding receptions. How you display the confections will dictate how many you should order. If you place them in a basket or on a tray next to the cake, you will need to order more than you would if you put a couple at each place setting.

As with all other wedding plans, the choice is up to you, and your choices are forever expanding with new cake flavors, frostings, fillings, decorations. Make your cake a memorable treat long after the wedding by bringing your personality to its design!

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