On Top of the Cake Trends

When it comes to concocting the perfect wedding cake, time and planning are just as essential ingredients as butter and eggs

By Bev Bennett
CTW Features

Your wedding cake, luscious confection though it is, isn’t simply a tower of butter, eggs and flour. It’s also a reflection of something special you share with your partner.

“The trend is for a cake that is personal,” says Dede Wilson, a cookbook author and pastry artist in Western Massachusetts. “For example, if a couple met in Jamaica, they may want a cake with a tropical fruit topping. If one of the two is French, they may look for a classic French look in a cake.”

Margaret Lastick also designs wedding cakes to reflect her clients’ tastes. “The couple is looking for a design that says something about them and their personalities, or the part of their personalities they want on display,” says Lastick, owner of Royal Icing in Oak Park, Ill.

Very whimsical cakes are a trend now, Lastick says. “I have a cake called the Mad Hatter, which is very bright colors, lopsided layers and large daisies. It’s really wonderful, like ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ “ she says.

You can get your dream wedding cake if you plan ahead and are willing to work with a baker. It isn’t necessary to commit to vanilla or chocolate a year in advance but it’s a good idea to put down a deposit, usually 50 percent, to reserve the baker.

About six to eight months before the wedding, meet with the baker to sample some cakes and discuss preferences. Most bakers have photo albums of their creations for you to look at.

Half of Lastick’s clients want chocolate cakes; the other half want white cake, not yellow cake; and mousse fillings are her biggest sellers. “Chocolate gets involved in some guise with my clients,” Wilson says. “It’s not usually on the outside unless it’s white chocolate. My clients like a chocolate ganache filling or chocolate cake or frosting.”

Whatever you choose, make it something you’ll want to eat and remember. “Whether you’re having 50 or 200 guests, you’re not going to please everyone. Don’t worry about the person who’s allergic to nuts, or the mother-in-law who doesn’t like lemon. If you like chocolate, go with it. If you like rum, have rum brushed on the layers,” Wilson says.

A good baker will ask you not only about the flavors you prefer, but also about the theme and feel of the wedding itself. “I take my cues from the event. Maybe the wedding will be in a barn or in a formal home. When I know that I can come up with a cake that’s going to fit their day,” says Wilson.

You and the baker can visualize a design, but to be safe, Lastick suggests ordering an 8-inch model of the cake a few weeks before the wedding. That way, you can be sure of what you’re getting.

She cautions against changing your mind too often: “If you keep calling your baker and changing your order, it can be confusing for both of you.”

Two weeks before the wedding, call the baker to finalize the cake and filling flavors, make any decorative alterations and give the final guest count. Cake is priced by the serving, and you’ll pay for no-shows.

How about the tradition of saving a piece of the wedding cake for the first-year anniversary? “I don’t encourage that,” says Wilson. “I’m not fond of year-old frozen cake.”

Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"

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