Choosing your wedding cake can be a little bit daunting! Most of us (sadly) don’t think about cakes everyday, so it can be tricky to know where to begin. My name is Cherry and I am the owner of a Melbourne based boutique cake business called Cherry Cakes, and today I’m going to give you my top four tips to help you pick and design your dream cake.

1. To start with I like to remind my customer to have fun! This should be one of the less stressful parts of planning a wedding. One of the fun jobs! Often it involves trying samples, and who doesn’t love eating cake? Cake businesses want to make this experience as stress free as possible for you. So enjoy yourself!

2. Picking the right cake maker. At the moment the market is flooded with cake businesses and it can be tricky to know who to pick. I think style is an important factor to take into consideration when picking a cake maker. Although most businesses are fairly versatile and make all different types of cakes, there is usually a unique vibe, or style that each cake maker brings to their products. If you are going for something super lux looking, stick with a cake maker that specialises in this type of cake. If you want something rustic and earthy find a vendor that leans towards this style. This ensures that you are playing towards their strengths. Check out the social media of the businesses you are interested in and see if their vibe matches up with what you are after.

I’m a firm believer in the saying “you get what you pay for.” It’s always best to go with a reputable business that has plenty of experience. At times this is reflected in cost. A lot goes on behind the scenes to make sure you cake not only looks and tastes good, but is also structurally sound. Knowing the best ways to build a cake, and transport it securely comes from having lots of industry experience. Although there are plenty of cheap deals out there, keep in mind you aren’t just paying for the cake, you are also paying for the piece of mind that comes with knowing whoever you hire will do the job well.

3. Picking a flavour. Most cake businesses offer tastings. Which is a fun excuse to eat cake! At Cherry Cakes we offer tasting packs once a month that can be purchased, but all businesses work differently. Have a chat to your cake maker about what they offer in the way of tastings.

I think it’s always good to have a look over the menu of your preferred cake business before you commit. In the same way that each cake business has its own unique style when it comes to decorating, cakes menus can also vary a lot too. At Cherry Cakes we love to focus on local and seasonal ingredients, along with creative flavour combinations. Other cake businesses prefer to go for classic flavour combinations (think chocolate and vanilla.)

4. Designing your cake. This is the most creative part of planning your cake, and I like to remind customers to feel free to be as hands on or hands off in the process as they like. If you have a very clear and specific vision in mind, tell your cake maker! If you only have a vague idea of what you are after, that’s ok too! I usually encourage customers to email me photos of cakes that they like, colour pallets, and anything else that is inspiring them. Pinterest and Instagram can be your best friends for this!

I hope my few tips have gotten your creative juices (and taste buds) going! Best of luck with planning your cakes!

Ms Zigzag says: Thanks so much to Cherry for contributing these handy wedding cake selection tips. We have connected with Cherry through our dedicated Cake Month and look forward to collaborating on more cake content in the future! 

About the author Cherry Murphy of Cherry Cakes: Cherry Murphy is a qualified chef and pastry chef. Having moved to the city to study patisserie, Melbourne has become her professional base. Cherry has worked in a number of commercial kitchens with roles including Dessert Chef at the Westin Hotel, Cupcake Designer for Little Cupcakes and Head Chef at John Gorilla cafe. She is a wedding caterer and cafe supplier (and self-proclaimed good time gal!)