Choosing a wedding cake can be one of the most fun things that you do as you plan your wedding. There are a variety of decisions you have to make: What flavor of cake would you like? How should the cake be decorated? How extravagant do you want to be?
What flavor wedding cake would you like?
Wedding cakes were traditionally vanilla or white cakes. However, in recent years, there has been a trend towards choosing a wedding cake of a more unusual flavor. Current favorites include hazelnut, raspberry almond, carrot cake, banana cake, and a variety of flavors that incorporate fresh fruits. One advantage to of many these flavors is that they are likely to create a moister wedding cake. The traditional plain cake often tends to be too dry.
You may consider asking a family member to bake and decorate your wedding cake, but for the sake of your sanity -- and theirs -- it is highly recommended that you use a bakery. If you order your cake with enough notice, they may be able to recreate a favorite family recipe, or a traditional recipe that has been handed down from your grandparents. They'll also be able to tell you whether such a recipe can be successfully multiplied for large cakes such as wedding cakes.
Would you prefer a traditional or a contemporary wedding cake?
Wedding cakes traditionally have three layers; are covered in hard white frosting; and have a small plastic model of a bride and groom on top. A cake of this sort, decorated by an expert cake designer, can look very beautiful. However, more cutting-edge brides have been choosing a wedding cake that is more unusual, in colors that range from one end of the rainbow to the other. One logical choice is to match the color of your cake to the theme of your wedding. Although cakes are traditionally either round or square, many other shapes are also possible, and an asymmetrical design can look very elegant.
By Tuppy Glossop
