One of the most special parts of a wedding reception is the cake. Often the centerpiece of the reception, you want your wedding cake to have great style, taste good, and fit in with your budget. Yet many brides go into the process having no idea of the basics of wedding cakes. Here is how to order the wedding cake of your dreams.
There are two things that you absolutely must know before ordering your wedding cake. The first is the number of guests that you will have and the second is your budget. It is a given that you will not have an exact head count when you order your dessert months before the wedding, which is fine; a general ballpark should be sufficient for the baker. The price of a wedding cake can range wildly, anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand, so this is why it is important to have a firm budget in mind before meeting with bakers. You don’t want to fall in love with one of their designs only to find that it is ten times the price that you are able to afford!
It is smart to have a few other general things about your wedding established before ordering your dessert. You need to know the when and where, whether it will be indoors or outdoors, and what the essential style or theme will be. If you go into a meeting with a baker knowing at least that much, she should be able to walk you through the rest of your choices.
The look of your wedding cake should suit the rest of your wedding. For instance, if you are having a traditional wedding, wearing a classic gown and pearl bridal jewelry, you should also have a traditional cake, such as an all white buttercream. The accents can also tie in with your bridal attire; tiny frosting “pearls” can be used to create a delicate border on the edge of the tiers to mimic your pearl bridal jewelry, or you can have the baker replicate the pattern of the lace on your gown in fondant.
The indoor or outdoor question is a big one, because certain ingredients can stand up to being outside on a hot summer day, while others cannot. A fondant covered cake will do fine in the heat, but a buttercream or whipped cream frosting will melt and run by the time the dessert is cur, ruining the effect. Even if you do have a hearty frosting like fondant, you should never display a wedding cake in direct sunlight at the reception.
Your budget will have a big impact on the shape, size, and decorations on your wedding cake. The ones that you see in the magazines that are five tiers tall and covered with a profusion of handmade frosting orchids cost thousands of dollars, which is not what the average bride will spend for her dessert. However, don’t shy away from showing your baker designs that appeal to you, no matter how fantastical they may be. If you loved the grand orchid cake but found it too pricey, a similar confection could be created using fresh flowers on a three tier cake. A tried and true trick for saving money is to have a smallish display cake made to put out at the reception, but to also have the same flavor made in an inexpensive sheet cake to cut in the kitchen and have the waitstaff serve to guests. No one will be the wiser, and you will get to “have your cake and eat it too”.
Square Wedding Cake 