Your Wedding Cake

More Options Than Ever Before

The wedding cake is a defining element of any bride and groom’s special day, so the same level of thought and attention should be given to the selection of the cake as to the bride’s dress, the flowers, the location, and the overall theme. I have attended many weddings, of both family members and friends, and the weddings all had one thing in common: the traditional cake-cutting ceremony was always the climax of the event, and a heavily photographed affair. Mark Brickman of Baker’s Man, Inc., in Alpharetta, Georgia, says the wedding cake is “one of the most important factors of your wedding reception, as it is the last item your guests will eat. It is, therefore, the last impression they will have of your wedding.”

Preliminary Planning

Selecting an appropriate wedding cake will involve careful planning and coordination far in advance of your first consultation with a cake designer. Before scheduling an appointment, you will need to establish the following guidelines:

• Your budget
• Your approximate number of guests
• Your flowers (including whether you want to use natural flowers as a decorative item or topper on the cake)
• Your color scheme and the theme of your wedding
• Photo or sketch of your wedding dress
• Your china pattern or other accessories, with which to coordinate
• Whether you will include a table topper (for instance, if you want to display something sentimental, such as photos or figurines)
• Other details of the event, including whether the wedding will be indoors or out, location, and time of day
• Two or three possible cake-design ideas.

These details will give any cake designer a clear idea of your personal style, taste, and preferences. By pulling everything together in this manner, you can also coordinate all aspects of your wedding day more simultaneously, rather than planning everything individually, around one element.

Many cake designers have web sites from which you can obtain initial information, including prices, available flavors, and portfolios. But most cake designers like to meet their clients in person for an initial consultation, as far in advance as possible of the wedding date. Four to six months in advance of the wedding date is normal for many cake designers. Other designers require nine months to a year to plan and design a cake, especially if your wedding date falls during the busiest times of year (spring, summer, and early fall). Most consultations will involve tastings of different cake flavors, fillings, and icings, as well as a review of pricing and the cake designer’s portfolio. If you have a photo of your dress, or a fabric swatch, the cake designer can use it as a basis to sketch out a cake-design concept.

Some cake designers specialize in certain styles of cakes, or have a unique cake flavor or icing. For instance, Chef Bala Subrahmanyam, The Cake Maker in San Francisco, California, uses white-chocolate fondant as icing on all of his cakes. Ann Warren of Cupcake Café in New York City, on the other hand, makes all of her cakes with butter-cream frosting. Other cake designers, like Mark Brickman of Baker’s Man, Inc., customize all aspects of their cakes to their clients, and rarely make two of the same cake in a month.

Cake Design Details

The next stage of the decision-making process is determining the overall design and other details of the cake, such as the number of tiers, the level of intricacy in the pattern, the shape of the tiers, and, of course, the flavor, filling, and icing. Although many brides still choose the traditional round, white, tiered cake stacked with pillars, white butter-cream icing, and a traditional topper, many now prefer something more original. According to Bonnie Lyons of New Renaissance Cakes in Seattle, Washington, “there is a much broader array of designs than there was even five years ago.” Bonnie added that her clients are much more informed, and come in with ideas from bridal magazines. Sylvia Weinstock of Sylvia Weinstock Cakes in New York City says her brides tend to be older, more traveled, and sophisticated, and they know what they want. Many are inspired by art or architectural motifs, which they want to incorporate in their wedding cake. Some brides like to match the cake design to either the pattern in their dress or to their flowers.

Cake-design trends also include ideas like “adding color to the cake and customizing it to match the flowers and bridesmaids’ dresses,” according to Mark Brickman of Baker’s Man, Inc. He finds that his clients are also choosing more angled, whimsical, topsy-turvy cakes as well as square tiers, stacked, staggered, and decorated to look like a stack of presents.

Another new trend is to opt out of one big wedding cake in favor of a smaller cake for the bride and groom, and to have sheet cake or a dessert table for guests. The advantages of this option are less fuss with delivery and setup issues, as well as a reduced overall cost. Ann Warren of Cupcake Café says another trend is “the use of cupcakes in lieu of a traditional tiered cake.” Cupcakes are also less expensive per person, and add flexibility with flavor options. In general, many brides now choose more than one flavor for their wedding cake. For instance, one tier may be white, another chocolate.

Most cake designers have an assortment of available flavors for the cake, including, in some cases, cheesecake, carrot, or spice cake. Filling flavors run the gamut: anything from chocolate mousse or raspberry to newer tropical fruit flavors like passionfruit or mango. Icing options include the traditional butter-cream icing or rolled fondant (made of sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin), which gives the cake a smoother, sleek look, and is more suitable for outdoor weddings in warmer climates. The key is to get the right flavor combinations for the cake, filling, and icing, because one thing is certain: Unlike the days of old, when the concern was mainly the look of the cake rather than the taste, brides now expect their wedding cakes to taste good. Cake designers will guide you through the process by helping you narrow down your selections.

Delivery Information

Once a bride chooses her cake design and flavors, the final stage is finalizing delivery arrangements and the contract, which will usually include a deposit to hold the date. Many cake designers have a geographical range within which they will deliver their cakes. Other designers can deliver anywhere in the world. This is particularly important if your wedding will take place in a remote area, outside of your designer’s geographical range. These days, there is no reason why anyone other than your designer should have the responsibility of delivering and setting up your wedding cake. In fact, many cake designers, such as Mark Brickman and Chef Bala, personally deliver and set up their cakes at the wedding reception site, to ensure that it is done correctly. It is also paramount that a client provide as much information to the cake designer about the reception site as possible—especially whether it is an indoor or outdoor site. Cake designers need to know the air conditions in order to determine the appropriate time to deliver and set up the cake. Certain types of cakes, like cheesecake or cakes with butter-cream frosting, can’t sit out too long or they will melt. The freshness of the cake must also be preserved. In fact, Sylvia Weinstock recommends that the bride and groom cut the cake before the main course is served. She adds that the longer the cake sits out before the cutting, the less fresh it will be; and the banquet staff can be cutting and serving the cake to guests during the main course. Bonnie Lyons of New Renaissance Cakes also suggests that brides “ask the baker how close to the wedding date they actually bake the cake,” in order to take the level of freshness into account.

Most wedding-cake designers receive the majority of their business from positive word-of-mouth. Even so, it is important that a cake designer is a licensed kitchen professional, and that his or her bakery meets all state health-code requirements. Mark Brickman actually gives his clients a tour of his kitchen, so they can see where their cake will be created. Other factors to consider in choosing a cake designer: Bonnie Lyons says to remember that “you get what you pay for.” In other words, you can choose a cheaper cake, but chances are it will taste like an ordinary cake made in a supermarket for an office party. Or you can splurge and get a customized cake that you and your guests will remember for both its look and its unique taste. Most important, a bride and groom should trust their instincts about a cake designer, because it will be a close working relationship for several months. Ask lots of questions. Make sure that you like the cake designer, and that he or she is willing to listen to what you want in regard to every aspect of the cake design and selection process.

Chef Bala, The Cake Maker, says that he wants his clients to know that he is their friend. Bala takes the time to educate his clients on all aspects of the cake-creating process; he will also offer leads in other areas of wedding planning. In fact, if a cake designer is reputable, he or she will want to give your wedding cake the special, personal attention that you expect and deserve. Many cake designers limit the volume of cakes they make in a week or day, for that very reason.

~Dana P. Clark

Featured Cake Designers:

Baker’s Man, Inc., Alpharetta, Georgia (Atlanta area) – www.bakersmaninc.com

The Cake Maker, San Francisco, California – www.cakemaker.net

Cupcake Café, New York City – www.cupcakecafe.com

New Renaissance Cakes, Seattle, Washington – www.newrenaissancecakes.com

Sylvia Weinstock Cakes, New York City – www.sylviaweinstockcakes.com