There are several factors to consider when deciding on your wedding cake. The most important being the number of guests and your budget. A popular suggestion is to serve the cake with tea and coffee whilst the bridal party has photos taken. It can also be served as part of the dessert to avoid waste. If being served as tea, you will need to cater for the total number of guests and if there are fewer than 100, it may be more cost effective to choose a smaller cake and cupcakes.
Many things might inspire your wedding cake design and we have seen various trends over the years.
There are many delicious ideas for cake flavours, frostings, fillings and sauces so decide what appeals to you both and then go cake tasting. If you are having trouble agreeing on a flavour you can please everyone by having a different flavour for each tier. Your cake should be consistent with your theme but remember it is as personal a choice as the rest of your wedding – so go with what you love. The cake is regularly the centre of attraction in the reception.
Whatever you decide on, your cake should be as unique as you are as a couple, so go with your own preferences. Once you have your heart set on something, be sure to show your baker pictures to see whether they can recreate it. Some bakers specialise in fondant, while others prefer working with buttercream; some will make sugar flowers while others may be talented at creating custom motifs or sculptured figures. If you prefer to use fresh flowers, your baker will usually liaise with your florist.
Bear in mind that your baker might be making several cakes for the same day. If your cake is made a few days in advance it shouldn’t influence the taste and may be necessary if you have an intricate design that will take many hours to create. The price will depend on the size, choice of flavours and fillings and how detailed the design is.
We recommend that you get your wedding cake delivered to your reception, especially if it is multi-tiered and requires careful setting up. There should be a cake table ready at the venue, with a knife for cutting and remember that you will need a cake stand. Many bakers have stands available for hire and will be able to advise what will work best.
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