The wedding cake - traditional design or novelty chocolate?

Shop online for your wedding cake - UK - USA

When it comes to planning your reception, the wedding cake is truly the centrepiece that expresses your style and creativity more than any other element. There are many different types of wedding cake, but it is important to choose one which you adore, as well as considering a certain amount of practicality — whether it will provide dessert, how it is to be transported and so on.

Deciding whether you will be serving the cake to your guests as dessert will firstly determine what flavour and size of cake you will require. It is very common for the cake to double as dessert in the US, whereas in the UK it is often served later with tea. If you have many guests and don’t think the cake will be large enough for everyone, it is becoming popular to have additional sheet cakes that are kept in the kitchen to add to the portions from the actual wedding cake. This is an excellent way of reducing the cost.

The flavour of the cake can be anything from chocolate to carrot, but remember that you should avoid nuts if you're worried that anyone might have an allergy. Fondant frosting is perfect for creating certain refined styles of cake, but buttercream is a budget-conscious alternative that can work particularly well if you desire strong colours or a luxurious flavour. However, bear in mind that buttercream will melt in hot weather, so consider the season, climate and venue.

Now to the exciting bit — the style of your cake. The traditional design is tiered — this creates impact, as well as providing enough for guests to eat. You can choose between elevating each tier on columns, or placing the tiers directly on top of one another. You could have two, three or even four tiers, but the price will rise the higher you go.

Neutral colours are regaining popularity, particularly minimalist white. The decoration of the cake could also co-ordinate with the rest of your colour scheme — pastel shades, such as pink and peach, work particularly well. If you have a bolder colour scheme such as burgundy, accent this shade in the cake decoration rather than try to recreate it with the frosting as you risk clashing the shades.

Only your imagination or the skill of your baker restricts the actual decoration. Flowers provide classic and elegant ornamentation, and you could consider silk, icing, or even fresh ones to match your bouquet. Confectioners are very skilled at creating novelty decorations made from fondant, so you could incorporate elements such as your entwined monograms or a representation of where you met or the proposal took place.

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Wedding Cake