Picking the Perfect Cake
2010-03-28 | Maria Binasco
Finding The Right Baker
When hiring a baker for your wedding, check your local directories for bakeries in your area. In Northern California, The Knot and Here Comes the Guide list some of the best bakeries around. Please note however, that these are paid advertisements. There are plenty of small, excellent, word of mouth establishments, possibly operating out of their home that may be an excellent option as well. Aim to meet with at least two to three bakers to compare their prices, flavors and styles. Ideally, meeting with bakers six months to one year before your wedding is a great idea.
When you first meet your baker, allow at least two hours for consultation. Bring your ideas, photos, color swatches, flower types, picture of your wedding dress, and the venue. They'll want to know the date, time and location of your wedding, as well as the number of guests you're expecting. The environment of where your cake will be displayed will also be a huge consideration. Things like shade, sun, wind, humidity, and heat will have a big impact on the type of cake that will work for your event.
Check Their ReputationWhile you're there, check out their portfolio to make sure their cakes look fabulous. Make sure they have plenty of experience creating a similar style of cake that you're looking for. For example, you may not want to work with someone who creates decorative and elegant cakes, when you're looking for something extremely modern. Any good baker may be willing to create your style of cake, even if they don't specialize in it. But, you may feel better with some visual proof, knowing they really can create the style you're looking for, and have done it plenty of times before.
Most kitchens are always cooking and will offer their various cake filling and frosting combos that are on hand, ready for you to taste. Always sample before you commit. Not only does the cake need to look fabulous, it needs to taste fabulous too.
Keeping to a BudgetIf you're on a budget, talk to your baker about ordering a smaller cake to display, and serve from sheet cakes hidden in the kitchen. Not only could this save costs, but it makes for more efficient cake serving for the wait staff. A baker could also create a "fake cake" for display, made of Styrofoam, that is covered with real frosting and decor. Depending on the baker, and the size of the "fake cake", this may not end up saving you any money. If you're into a huge cake or need a cake with height, ask if you can have a large cake with some of the layers as Styrofoam dummy layers. Your cake will appear more grandiose, but be so much less expensive.
To Freeze or Not To Freeze?When I was first becoming a wedding planner and was going through the certification process.. our class had the pleasure of learning about and enjoying a cake from Katrina Roselle in Northern California. I was shocked to find out that as part of their creation process.. they froze their cakes! You mean they didn't work 48 hours straight before a wedding to get the job done? Nope. They froze their cakes, maybe weeks beforehand, just as a lot of professionals do.
Why freeze a cake in advance? You want to have the time to decorate it right before the event - which would not be possible if you decorated it the same day right? Freezing cakes also saves time, especially when three are so many other cakes to bake and so many other things to do. Properly freezing cakes takes time, a ton of saran wrap and is an art in itself. The goal is a cake that tastes as fresh and moist as the day you cooked it.
For more information on wedding cake design, wedding cake toppers or cupcake wedding cakes, visit Wedding Cakes & Toppers at www.wedding-cakes-and-toppers.com
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