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A to Z Weddings - Choosing your Wedding Cake
Tips & Advice
from our professionals:
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Where do I start?
Hiring Your Vendors
The Ceremony
The Reception
After the Big Day
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Choosing a wedding cake will be one of the most important decisions you will make in the wedding planning process. This will be the centerpiece of your reception and it will reflect your taste and personal style. However, there are many things that you should consider before choosing the perfect cake in Buffalo and Western New York.Your cake can be the focus of the reception and all eyes will be on you and your cake during the traditional cake cutting ceremony. Your cake should not only be a showpiece, it should be delicious! Here are a few tips to consider before choosing your wedding cake.
Leave it to the Pros!
This is a job best left to professionals. You, your mother, or aunt do not want to be up all night putting the final touches on your cake the day before your wedding. Look on our site for possible bakeries in Buffalo and Western New York. It may take up to six months to get an appointment with popular designers or bakers. And remember, most bakeries have a limited number of wedding cakes that they are able to produce each week. Since most weddings are on Saturday, bakers have multiple clashing deadlines. It may be difficult to get a baker on a busy wedding weekend, so book early.
Pre-Consultation Questionnaire
Before you make an appointment to see a cake baker or designer, you must ask yourself some important questions regarding budget, style, and cake size. A good rule of thumb is the old "who, what, when, where," PLUS budget is a good guide to determining your wedding cake needs. Write down the answers to these questions:
* WHO will eat the cake = number of guests (any other desserts?)
* WHAT do you want the cake to look like = your personal wedding style
* WHEN must you have the cake delivered = wedding date and time
* WHERE will the cake be placed = climate, temperature, lighting, etc.
* BUDGET = cakes should be approximately 2.5% of your wedding budget
Cost
Be prepared to put down a deposit of 25-50% for your cake. This will ensure that your cake will be made and delivered on time. The balance must be paid before the event. Ask your baker for their policies. Cakes can be very expensive. On average, you can expect to spend $1.50- $6 per slice, but for a very elaborate cake, the price can go as high as $15 per slice.
The more intricate the cake, the more expensive it will be. Elaborate handmade details can make the price go up, as will rolled fondant icing. You pay extra for this craftsmanship. Be sure to ask if delivery in Buffalo and Western New York, set up, and accessories are included in the price.
Taste
This is the most important aspect of the cake. Not only do you want it to be beautiful on the outside but you also want it to be delicious, even memorable, on the inside. Be sure to set up a tasting with your baker to sample the different varieties offered and pick the one you like best. Margaret Lastick of Royale Icing in Chicago makes some of the best cakes we have ever tasted and are truly unforgettable. Her innovation and creativity are unparalleled in the wedding cake industry. She practices European-style cake-making incorporating fine art and gourmet cuisine. Taste is everything. Fillings, flavorings, icings, and toppings like chocolate curls, fruits, candied flowers, handmade spun sugar flowers, and marzipan all look amazing, but make sure they also will TASTE as good as they look.
Style
What style do you like? There are so many different types of wedding cakes. The style of your wedding, the location, and the number of guests are all factors to consider when you are looking at styles of wedding cakes. Here are just a few of the many choices:
* Stacked - The layers of cake are placed one upon another without space between the tiers.
* Tiered - The layers are separated by spacers, like columns to create more height.
* Flat or Sheet - This cake can look equally grand with unique colors or decoration.
* Shapes, Patterns, or Theme Cakes - This is a popular trend, especially for the groom's cake.
Icing
Again, you have many choices, but taste should be your deciding factor. Butter cream icing is the most delicious of all the three popular types of icing.
Butter Cream - Butter is the key ingredient. Top bakers will only use the finest ingredients, such as European butter for their masterpieces. Butter cream is soft and fluffy, and it is more commonly known as frosting. Some bakers do not have the ability to work in butter cream because of its softness, but most master bakers will not use anything else due to the superb taste. They can make butter cream look smooth as the popular fondant icing that many brides want today.
Rolled Fondant - This is the popular choice for wedding cakes today; however, rolled fondant is not the best tasting of your choices. Rolled fondant is very beautiful. Smooth and sleek, rolled fondant is difficult to master. The fondant is rolled into a sheet, draped over the cake and trimmed to size. Malleable and durable, it can also be used for flowers, ribbons, and other shapes.
Royal Icing - This is probably the easiest icing to work with. Sleeker than butter cream, but not molded like rolled fondant, royal icing is perfect for intricate designs such as scrollwork, latticework, or basket weaving techniques.
Flowers and Decorations - Flowers are a traditional detail on your wedding cake whether they are real, edible, or handcrafted artwork. If you use real flowers on the cake, you need to make sure that they have not been sprayed with any chemicals, which may get on the cake. Keep them on water and refrigerate until the last moment. Nothing looks worse than limp, wilted, or browning flowers on a white wedding cake. Sugar flowers are a lovely alternative, but they are very difficult to make so they usually cost quite a bit more. Make sure any flowers used have the stamen removed; they will leave a horrible stain on a white wedding cake.
Location of Cake
If you plan to have an outdoor wedding it is best to have to an alternate indoor location for your cake. At the very least, don't take the cake outdoors until the very last possible moment if the day is very hot or very humid. Heat and humidity can easily melt or spoil the icing on your cakeý and then, you have the added issue of pesky insects. If you are having an indoor reception, make sure your cake is easily accessible for the guests. Hold the traditional cake cutting ceremony in a location where everyone can see you. We have been to weddings where we have never even seen the cake!
Color
If you want your cake to match the colors of your wedding, it's best to take a swatch of fabric with you to the baker so they can match it as closely as possible. Don't drive yourself crazy; we promise, it will never, ever be a perfect match to your gowns or flowers. Settle for knowing it is a color that will blend with your wedding colors.
The wedding cake of your dreams is within reach. Just remember these basics and you shouldn't have any problems getting a beautiful and delicious cake.
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