Avoiding all the wedding cake mistakes and planning confectionary perfection requires careful thought. Your wedding cake should be a masterpiece of delicious details that tastefully conveys your theme and personality. Whether you envision stately tiers or something simple, your wedding cake will be an important part of your wedding day. These tips will help you avoid disaster and have the wedding cake of your dreams.
Know Your Wedding Cake Style
Before you head to a tasting, have your style in mind. If you walk into a tasting without ideas, it will be extremely stressful and unsuccessful. Think about your invitations, colors, flowers, wedding dress and linens. All of the elements that come together to create your wedding day should inspire the design of your wedding cake. Traditional wedding cakes are white, but you might accent with a ribbon, dots or quilting to create texture. Think about the shape of your wedding cake. Not every wedding cake is round. You might consider a modern square or a hexagon. Think about your embellishments and whether you want the minimalist cake or want to add frosting banding with patterns and sugar flowers. You might even want to design with real flowers. Imagine the type of topper you want. You could choose flowers, something vintage, traditional or a custom topper that looks like you and your partner. Once you have your collage of ideas for your wedding cake, start the process of choosing a baker.
Choose a Cake Designer Wisely
Shopping around for a cake designer can be time-consuming, but is the sweetest part of planning. Tasting cakes can be a satisfying experience. Make sure you shop for a baker no less than six months prior to your wedding day. If your wedding cake is a last minute item on the checklist, it will be a last minute disaster. Since wedding cake design is an art, you are on a journey to discovering an artist. This master baker must be able to roll out fondant and sculpt every tier of deliciousness without error. You will be looking for experience, just as much as talent. This will require tasting several flavors and fillings, and exploring a gallery of samples. You will be investing too much in this perfect day to risk the wedding cake to an amateur. The most important thing to consider is whether the baker can create your vision for your wedding cake.
Jack of All and Master of None
Avoid the jack of all trades and master of none. Your caterer might serve the finest cuisine and delicious desserts, but they might not be an expert in wedding cake design. A boutique baker or a custom cake designer might be the best place to find the wedding cake master. Avoiding the big commercial bakeries can avoid limitations to style and flavor. If you want something custom, seek out a custom wedding cake designer.
Planning the Details
A tasting is the opportunity to consult with a professional wedding cake designer to sample a variety of cake flavors and fillings. The best cake designers will be able to customize your cake on the inside and the out. Do not settle for a cookie cutter cake designer. You are hiring a baker for their ability to create something uniquely designed according to your imagination. Choose the flavors and fillings, and share your vision for the shape of the masterpiece. Envision your wedding theme, colors, invitations, centerpieces and wedding dress. Imagine all of the details of your wedding day in a cake. Working with a professional cake artist will build the number of tiers you desire and sculpt your wedding cake to match your design.
Designing the Wedding Cake
To design your wedding cake, you should understand the basic wedding cake lingo. Beading creates a beaded border like a string of pearls along the cake’s edge. Cornelli is a lacelike pattern. Basket weave uses horizontal and vertical lines that are interwoven to create the look of a basket. Latticework are crisscross patterns. Dragées are round silver or gold sugar balls used as decorative accents. Gum paste is an edible sugar paste used to create realistic molds of flowers and fruits. Pillars are the separators between tiers of a cake. Piping is a technique that uses a metal tip on a pastry bag to create leaves and borders. Swiss dots are tiny dots that resemble Swiss dot fabric. You also need to know your icing.
Avoid Icing Fails
Know your icing and choose the icing that will work best with your vision for the aesthetic and the taste. Buttercream is a delicious butter and sugar blend that is easy to cut and shape; however, it will melt and disfigure at warm temperatures. The designs will never be perfect, but it is a perfect trade to get the cake look. If you are choosing buttercream, consider your weather conditions and be realistic about your expectations for design. Fondant is a sugar and gelatin mix that is rolled out for a smooth and firm finish. This is better for decorating and holds up in warmer weather. You will sacrifice the flavor for the look with fondant. It is not as delicious as buttercream, but is best for sculpting cake art. You can request that your baker place fondant over buttercream to have the best of both.
Crystal Ballroom Lake Mary
Crystal Ballroom Lake Mary creates fairy tale celebrations in a ballroom designed just for you. Bring imagination to Crystal Ballroom and design a wedding from fantasy with master designers and planners. This all-inclusive venue combines the furnishings, décor and services to create magical weddings. Bring your cake designer or choose Crystal Ballroom vendors to bring your vision to life.
