Wedding Day Advice | Cakes and Catering

Practical Tips on Choosing a Decadent Wedding Cake: Part 2

Now that you have decided on the fundamental aspects of choosing a decadent wedding cake, the next step is to have a little fun and enjoy choosing the style, filling and topping for your dream cake. Let the Wedding Directory tell you how-

Cake styles
Eye candy for your guests

Most wedding cake styles are tiered, which simply means they have more than one level. Tiered cakes can have round, square, rectangular, or abstractly shaped layers, and they can be stacked or arranged with pillars. An alternative to tiered cakes are the more non-conventional style which includes cupcakes, petit fours and individually portioned dessert options.

Tiered cake- Stacking is the most architectural method of tiered cake construction. Tiers are placed directly on top of one another and pillars are not used. Cakes are supported and stabilized by dowel rods and cake boards.

Dummy cakes- A dummy cake is made of Polystyrene and is decorated just like a normal cake tier. A dummy layer can be included in the construction of a multi-tiered cake to provide the look of a larger cake when the number of servings needed is much smaller than what you had in mind.

Photo Courtesy of: Darcy Miller’s Brides Guide and Martha Stewart

Single tiered- Single tier wedding cakes are a simple, elegant option for couples who would prefer a smaller, more intimate wedding. Single tier cakes are easier for couples to make themselves. A family member or wedding guest may be able to create a cake for the festivities, often at a fraction of the price of a bakery or wedding cake specialist.

Photo Courtesy of: Darcy Miller’s Brides Guide and Martha Stewart

Cake towers- Cake towers are fabulous for the opulent large scale affair where the cake takes centre stage. Multi-tiered towering cakes are achieved by supporting each tier with pillars onto a supportive base. The central column stand is a lovely contemporary alternative to that of the pillars.

Photo Courtesy of: Darcy Miller’s Brides Guide and Martha Stewart

Cupcakes and Petit fours- While petit four can refer to any bite-sized sweet presented at the end of a meal, they’re usually tiny, beautifully iced cakes. Petit fours are traditionally made with an almond sponge cake, but they can be any flavour of cake and filling you choose.

Photo Courtesy of: Darcy Miller’s Brides Guide and Martha Stewart

Wedding cupcakes- a modern alternative to traditional wedding cakes. They can be displayed on decorative trays or as a tiered wedding cupcake arrangement.

Photo Courtesy of: Darcy Miller’s Brides Guide and Martha Stewart

Type of cake fillings
Whatever tickles your tastebuds

The traditional wedding cake filling consists of white vanilla sponge cake or the classical fruit cake with marzipan. More recently however, cake fillings have taken on a variety of not-so-traditional characteristics. Here are just a few:

Carrot Cake is moist and flavourful with grated carrots and is frosted with a delicious cream cheese icing.
Black Forrest cake consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries or fruit preserves between each layer.
Mousses or Mousselines generally used as an alternative to buttercream. Easily flavoured with fruits or liqueurs
Custard and pastry cream – a filling made with milk and eggs. This delicious filling is a good choice for winter weddings.
Cream Cheese is a filling that is soft and creamy and is set on a base made from biscuit, pastry or sponge. Fresh fruit is often used as a topping.

Types of cake icing
It’s not inside, it’s on top

Icing is a sugary based mixture that is normally used to decorate cakes, pastries and cookies. Icing adds a variety of colour, decoration, flavour and sweetness to any baked item. General ingredients include, butter, food colouring, egg whites, icing or castor sugar.

Thick Glace Icing is a simple and versatile icing that can be used on almost any baked item, you can change the consistency and colour with the use of water and food colouring.
Buttercream Icing is a type of icing used inside cakes (between layers), as a coating, and for decorative elements. Just about any buttercream recipe may be flavoured with other ingredients to change the colour/texture/flavour to suit your taste. Popular additions are melted chocolate, praline paste (eg. Nutella) and strong coffee.
Cream cheese Icing is a delicious complement to carrot cake.
Ganache refers to a variety of icing, fillings for pastries, and glazes. It is typically made from chocolate and cream. The rich chocolate glaze is normally poured over cakes to create a glossy, beautiful finish.
Royal Icing is a pure white icing that dries to a smooth, hard, matte finish. Besides its lovely finish it also colours beautifully which makes it a favourite amongst professionals who use it not only for icing cakes and cookies, but also for intricate piping of decorations (flowers, borders, and lettering).
Toffee Topping this indulgent topping can be used as a cake topping as well as a hot dessert topping.

Cake toppers
The cherry on the cake

Traditionally cake toppers were represented by figurines of the bride and groom in formal wedding attire. However, modern weddings have embraced more of a variety of options like natural flowers, an array of fruit and berries, or even uniquely handmade figurines representing the symbolic events of the couple’s courtship.

Fruit

Inspiration by: Style Me Pretty Photos by: Jamee Photography