Probably the most common thing I hear at the end of my bridal meetings is “Well, that wasn’t hard at all” which has always made wonder why brides think it would be hard? I mean it’s cake…. if anything it should be super easy!
So here are some tips and tricks that I think are super handy when picking your cake.
The internet is awesome. It is full of amazing cake makers and cake ideas – Pinterest and wedding blogs are a great way to look at designs from the comfort of your home and figure out what you like! Still can’t work it out? Write down all the things you don’t like – that is just as handy!
Technology rocks. Because of this, we have handy items like tablets, smart phones and lap tops, so we no longer print our photos and don’t have them in an album to look at. Instagram, Facebook, Flickr – all those fun things are great and cost effective ways for any business to showcase their wares without spending a tonne on printing and ultimately it makes it easier for you to do the ground work.
Not sure what you want? One of my ‘go to’ design tips is to look at the venue you have chosen. Does it have high ceilings? Then a modern tall cake would be perfect. Does it have low ceilings in a country setting? Then a classic shaped cake will match.
Once you have a shape, your canvas is ready to decorate. Fresh flowers are a great choice. I recommend always ordering extra flowers from your florist so that the cake will match the room. Bridesmaids wearing pale pink? Let’s add some water colours! Before you know it, you have a design that is simple yet striking and will complement all aspects of your wedding.
Texture goes a long way. Not convinced on a water colour number? Rough textured buttercream or horizontal lines create a simple but striking design that suits any venue, in any style.
Flavour contrasting. I am asked quite often what the most popular flavour is or what would I choose? As a rule of thumb, I recommend two contrasting flavours. What if you have a three-tier cake? Make the top and middle tiers one flavour and the bottom another flavour; this will give you an awesome (and practical )50/50 split. Chocolate salted caramel for one half, champagne strawberry for the other. Two quite obviously different cakes, one a bit decadent, one soft and light. That should easily cater for most people’s tastes.
Hot days. We live in a wonderful country that has pretty nice, warm days. But what about when it’s really hot? There are a few ways to battle this. One of them is fondant. Lots of people don’t like fondant because it reminds them of the thick marzipan and fondant laden fruit cakes from their childhoods.
But these days, the inside cake is something delicious like toffee and blackcurrant and instead of the nasty marzipan, the cake is sealed with a rich chocolate ganache. The fondant is rolled to a delicate 3mm thick and laid over the ganache. So by the time the cake is cut up into pieces there really is very little fondant on the portions and any outside pieces have a delicious bit of ganache on them! YUM!
Want it to still to look like a textured butter cream cake? Decorate with some royal icing, an old school method that I love. It sets hard, is striking white and perfect for a “just been frosted” look on a hot summer’s day.
Cakes are delicious. These days weddings come in all shapes and forms. Things are less formal, especially when it comes to the cake. There’s no reason why your cake can’t mimic your favourite dessert, or be covered in delicious things. The most common request we receive is “I want to look at it and think…. I need to eat that.” Torched meringue, toffee drizzles, meringue shards, macarons. The list goes on.
I hope these little tips and tricks help you design your cake, and just remember, it’s your wedding day, Have some fun!!
Images by Miss Ladybird Cakes
Ms Chinoiserie Says: I love the idea of contrasting flavours – salted caramel and champagne strawberry sounds like heaven! I’d definitely be asking for a second slice!
About Gina of Miss Ladybird Cakes: From as early as I can remember, I have spent my time creating things. As a child my mum kindly showed me the many ways of creating beautiful things out of nothing. Our room was always full of trinkets and objects made from anything we could find. Living in the country was a great treasure trove of creativity. As I got older all I wanted to do was help my mother cook dinner. This sudden love for cooking took me to the library where I found loads of big old cooking books. During my week I would take out the cook books and study them over and over again until I had rounded up three good recipes. A big trip to the supermarket later (out of my mother’s pocket of course) I’d spend all weekend creating the new treats. Usually a chocolate cake, a slice of some sort, and some cookies – maybe even a cheesecake, which my father enjoyed especially!
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