When to Start with Wedding Cake Design

Planning a wedding is not easy. There are so many elements to consider. Often, as a result wedding cake design is put off until the end.

Foolish.

True, the actual baking of the cake should not happen until the last few days prior to your wedding (watch out, I've heard reports of bakeries that bake wedding cakes months in advance and keep them in the freezer until they need them - yuck), but baking and the actual building of the cake is only one of the last steps of the wedding cake design process.

The real question is what kind of wedding cake do you want? Do you want it to be a visual centerpiece of your wedding reception design? If so you need to start early to incorporate your overall design.

Think through the details of the kind of design you would like:

• Is your reception a formal, elelgant event? Consider a tall, hexagonal, regal cake matching the design of your wedding dress, accented with your favorite flowers and crystal wedding cake jewelry.

• Is your reception more whimsical? Consider a square or rectangular cake stacked in an offset fashion and decorated with fondant to look like a stack of gifts with a large bow on top.


• For a Cinderella themed wedding consider a round or oval tiered cake with a crystal pumpkin cake top making it's way up toward the castle somewhat in the style of the cake pictured to the right.


• For an Asian themed wedding consider an ivory colored cake with delicate lotus flowers or cherry blossoms - or go more bold with reds and yellows.

The options are nearly infinite. The trick, however, is to find a pastry chef who can make the wedding cake that you envision. Some can. Some can't. Some won't. Take time early in your wedding planning process to decide on a design concept at least - then you can start the process of finding a bakery that can provide that centerpiece wedding cake that you want.

Dusting, Painting, and Sculpting - Oh My!

Your wedding cake is so much more than dessert. It is a work of art designed to be the aesthetic focal point of your wedding reception. So why do so many brides choose essentially the same wedding cake design?

In many cases, I'm sure, it's because they don't know what the options are so here are the basics (I say basics because, I'm sure there is a talented person out there who does something outside the following list) to get you started:

• Sculpting: This option can range from the handmade icing flowers that are often found on traditional wedding cakes to... well, just about anything. I have seen pastry chefs who have created nearly life like babies out of marzipan. Really just about anything is an option.


• Fresh Flowers: Again, this is one of the more common options. It is worth mentioning though because it can be less expensive than paying a pastry chef to create flowers by hand - especially if all you really want is loose flower petals as often grocery stores will part with flowers that are past their prime (but would yield fine loose petals) at a greatly reduced price.


• Painting: In the hands of a real artist, the wedding cake can become a true work of art. Choose to use a solution made from icing color for an effect that becomes part of the cake or choose a pipping gel for a more 3-D effect on the cake.


• Dusting: This is a little more tricky to work with because ... well because you are essentially working with edible dust (sound's horrible, it's not) and we all know how hard dust is to work with. However, a skilled pastry chef can use the dusting technique to create dramatic works.

Of course, don't think you have to choose just one option. In reality you could easily choose as many of these options as you wanted to create your dream wedding cake. Combining the sculpting of flowers with dusting is actually a fairly common practice and goes a long way toward making the coloring of the flowers look much more realistic. Painting is a less common practice but combined with some of the other techniques (or even by itself if you have a true artist) can create a wedding scene that is reminiscent of any of the great artworks. Imagine what kind of cake you could have if you had Thomas Kincaid paint your wedding cake!

Be sure, as you consider your wedding cake design options that you consider too what you want to pair with your cake. Are there going to be elegant silver candleabras flanking the cake? Do you have your heart set on a lighthearted or themed cake topper? Make sure they will compliment each other. Perhaps you would prefer cake jewelry. What you choose is your decision. Just be sure that you consider all your choices in advance so you actually do end up with the wedding cake of your dreams.

Add to Technorati Favorites

How to Choose Wedding Cake Toppers

Labels: Wedding Cake Toppers, Wedding Cake Design

Help Jeanette, I've been to so many weddings where I saw a great cake top sitting on a beautiful cake - but the two didn't fit together. What should I look for to choose a wedding cake topper for the beautiful wedding cake my pastry chef is designing for me?

Answer: How to choose Wedding Cake Toppers

Finding Wedding Cake Design Ideas

Every bride wants the perfect wedding cake design. But how without a background in design and at least a general familiarity with the baking business how do you know what is possible and what is not? Indeed, there are probably more wedding cake designs than wedding themes. So if you've been wondering how to find ideas for my wedding cake design, here are some tips for you.

"How do I get ideas for my wedding cake design" is one of the most asked questions, the answer is that there really are several outlets for wedding cake design ideas.

• There are an abundance of wedding cake galleries on the Internet. Do a search for "wedding cake pictures" or "wedding cake designs" then take some time to browse and picture each design as a part of your celebration. Then if you find one that really strikes your fancy, you can print out a picture and file it to show your pastry chef when it comes time to find a bakery to create you masterpiece. Note: Doing the same search with your city and state included might find you a skilled wedding cake provider that you are unfamiliar with.


• Another option is a wedding planner; they will often have pictures of wedding cakes that you can adapt to meet your needs.


• Go to weddings, when you can get an invitation an look at the wedding cake - this will give you the opportunity to to taste it as well which could lead you to - and / or away from certain bakeries as well as giving you design ideas.


• Ask to look at your friends and family's wedding photographs. It's a rare individual that won't jump at the chance to show them off and the picture of the cake they commissioned might inspire you.


• If you are talented at design, you could even sit down and draft your own design for a wedding cake that reflects your wedding only.

Most bakeries have a book that contains a picture gallery of wedding cakes but save your visit to any pastry chef (regardless of whether they are in a formal bakery or are employed by the hotel that is hosting your reception). Why? Because A good pastry chef will be able to help you adapt an idea to fit your budget, but he or she can only do that if you have a design idea in the first place.

Wedding cakes come in all colors and shapes and can be adapted to what you want. From a cake that looks like a stack of wedding presents, to a stack of crowns, to a tower of pastry, pillars, and flowers complete with butterflies - your options are endless. Don’t wear yourself out worrying about how to get an idea for you wedding cake design there are plenty of sources out there.