Sunday, October 4, 2009

New Trends in Wedding Cakes

Gone are the days of plain-vanilla cakes with butter cream frosting and red roses. While there is

nothing wrong with a simple, more old fashioned cake, the trends are getting a bit more zany
with many new flavors, styles, and choices in wedding cakes. If you are a modern bride and
having a modern wedding, you may want to consider some of the new trends that are becoming
popular in wedding cakes. Let tradition go to the winds and pick a cake that suits you and your
groom, and the mood of your special day.

New Trend

One new trend that is happening for wedding cakes is leaving the traditional cake altogether and
choosing cupcakes instead. This allows you to have different kinds of cake and different kinds of
frosting and is much less messy than cutting the traditional cake. Many brides have also found
that cupcakes were much more budget friendly as well. If you still have a bit of kid left in you
and you are having a casual wedding, you may want to consider serving cupcakes at your
wedding.

Instead of the sweet and fattening icings, many brides are now turning to wedding cakes that
have toppings that are much healthier. Brides are beginning to favor cakes that are topped in
various fruits, depending on the season and the style of the wedding. A beach wedding may lead
to a cake topped with tropical fruits, or a spring wedding may lend itself to a cake topped with
luscious strawberries. Not only is fruit much healthier, but it is great tasting and a decoration all
its own on your cake.

Cheesecake with Toppings

Another new trend that is quickly picking up speed is having cheesecake instead of traditional
wedding cakes. While this choice can get a bit expensive, this is an elegant cake to serve at your
wedding. Cheesecake is great to serve at those evening weddings that are classy and elegant. If
you are having a wedding that requires black tie, but you are not wanting to settle for a regular
wedding cake, you may want to consider having cheesecake. There are many flavors and
toppings that you can choose, as well, when you decide on cheesecake, so be original.

If you want to stick with a more traditional wedding cake but you want it to look trendy and
chic, you may want to consider having a less traditional shape. Wedding cakes can be made in
different shapes including hearts, shaped like suitcases, stacked shapes, or even shaped to look
like presents. Having a different shape can give your wedding cake a unique look and help to
coordinate your cake with the theme of your wedding.

Remember that you want your wedding cake to be unique as you are and you want it to stand out.
There is no need to stick with tradition when it comes to wedding cakes. Throw tradition to the
wind and pick a cake that will make you happy and have guests raving for months.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Beach Bridal Scenes, Reception Decor & Wedding Cake Topper

Getting the best bang for the buck for your wedding can a tough act to follow. Look at the various expenses involved for planning the most important day in any one person's life and you'll understand. Wedding photographers are a plentiful bunch in today's market. Who to chose? Who has the best quality work? And who has the most referrals among happy satisfied newlyweds that make others want to commission their services? These are just a few questions couples must ask themselves before they spend the hard earned savings. One of the attributes I look for in a wedding photographer is their extensive utility of shooting unique yet formal shots that take the usual out of the unusual photo album. In addition, I would personally feel more satisfaction knowing that I have the most diversified spread of photos to reminisce of most important day of your life. To follow are some of the most unique shots you can commission your photographer to take:

1. Beach Bridal Scenes: Most weddings take place indoors at a church, convention hall, hotels, and homes that most folks don't realize that candid beach photography is a unique visual experience. If you're one of the fortunate few that live close to the beach or lake. Take a day to commission your photographer to take some photos at the beach or lake. The all white or black attire will meld together nicely with nature's ever changing backdrop. Therefore taking light and dark contrasts to the extreme and makes for a pleasant visual experience. Also, the different colors of nature lend a more natural look to your photos.

2. Reception Decor: Most of these shots come naturally with the other photos of the bride and groom that few ever take shots of just the decor. All venues are different, so pictures of the decorations that folks spend the most money on should be worthwhile subjects for your photographer. And lighting is so diverse that photographers can achieve stunning contrasts in everything that is shot. Again, utilizing your photographer's time and less of your money.

3. Wedding Cake Toppers: So many take pictures of just the whole cake or the bride stuffing a wedge into her hubby's face that few take photos of the cake topper. Again, the topper is a symbol used in many weddings to signify the unions of two people, therefore it would make a phenomenal shot. Keep in mind of how many of these toppers get saved, most end up trash or lost after years of moving. Why not keep it in memory with a professionally taken shot into a 4x6 or 8x10.

And so in the ever evolving trade of wedding photography, there are continuous amounts of new and inspiring shots. Recognizing and taking advantage of these unique landscapes can mean the difference in a diverse photo album or one that is like the rest. Explore and be attentive to your surroundings and you can also get your photographer to be more aware of these unique subjects.

Fall Wedding Cakes Be Made of Chocolate

Maybe it's the non-traditional wedding date. Perhaps it's the heady rush of the fall season, with colorful leaves and crisp breezes urging couples to make unusual wedding decisions. Whatever the cause, chocolate is becoming one of the most popular cakes for a fall wedding. (Yes, even the frosting can be chocolate!)

Traditionally, cakes at weddings are plain vanilla and white. But within the last couple of decades, modern brides have started to get their own ideas about how their Fall Wedding Cakes should or should not be made. Over time, chocolate cakes have become more acceptable for weddings, and today, they are a hugely popular alternative (probably because so many people LOVE chocolate cake). Modern fall brides are starting to abandon traditional white wedding cakes in favor of a more delicious, decadent treat for their guests.

Brides-to-be who decide to have a chocolate wedding cake at their wedding will discover a host of new options, like using chocolate truffles as an embellishment on the cake, and various unusual frosting flavors. Imagine dark chocolate fall wedding cakes with key lime frosting on the inside and a hard chocolate shell covering on the outside! Yum, everyone would remember that cake for a very long time.

(We keep saying "cakes" because many people these days will have a miniature cake to keep for themselves, for their anniversary. Some brides even have a small "table cake" for each table.)

Any professional cake baker should be able to create almost any kind of fall wedding cakes you can imagine. Don't be afraid to ask what is possible! Your day is very special, so make it uniquely you.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Look at Maui Wedding Cakes

Since Maui and Hawaii in general have been blessed with the most wonderful fruits and flowers, the best cakes on the island tend to take advantage of them. There are companies on the islands that have been creating designs and recipes for wedding cakes for over 50 years. Many have received worldwide acclaim. Several, in fact, have created wedding cakes for the rich and famous for weddings not even held in Hawaii.

The cakes are produced to order and then flown to their final destination to be enjoyed at the wedding reception as if it were happening right on Maui. In addition to the fabulous fruits and flowers available, there is an abundance of dairy products from some of the happiest, healthiest herds of cattle anywhere in the world. These natural items, unequaled in quality anywhere else in the world, combined with the talents of Hawaiian cake makers, are responsible for some of the best Maui wedding cakes ever.

There are creations available from Maui wedding-cake producers that simply can’t be reproduced anywhere else. Sweet pineapple butter cream fillings, decorated with some of the most beautiful flowers are a mainstay of the better cake makers. Frostings made from freshly picked sugar cane, grown a few miles from the bakery, can’t be duplicated using packaged products from your local supermarket – even if they originated from Hawaii.

For the adventurous, there are flavors and fillings available made from eclectic combinations of fruits and flowers that are as unique and wonderful as any found on the planet. No matter what you desire for your Maui wedding cakes, you can rest assured that it will be of the highest quality, made from ingredients that were still growing a few hours before they reached the oven and that there is no other place on earth that such a wonderful creation could have been produced.

About the Wedding Cake Box

This might sound like such a simple thing, but the wedding cake box is more complex than you could ever imagine. Wedding cakes come in so many different shapes and sizes that the cake box becomes more important than anybody would think. The cake has to be stored, transported, presented, and even cut before it is distributed. There are even cake slice favor boxes that you can use to give your wedding party a personalized favor. If you intend to freeze some of the cake for your memories then you will be considering a keepsake wedding cake box so that you will still have a great fresh taste for your first anniversary snack. This is why the wedding cake box is such a serious issue.

Different type Of cake Boxes

If you want to add special touches for all your wedding guests and for the wedding party as well, then you need the right cake boxes. Picking the perfect cake is step one, but don't forget about picking the perfect cake box as well. Before you go out and make a decision on a box you need to know what is available.

Traditional decorative cake boxes - This type of box is the perfect box for storage and transportation of your cake. The last thing you want to happen is to find out that on the day of your wedding something horrible has happened to your cake. These boxes are made specifically for the cake that you choose and will protect the cake while it is stored and while it is transported from one place to another.

Memories box - This is also known as a top freeze storage box and it is perfect for the preservation of your first anniversary cake. These are specially made boxes that are used to preserve the freshness and taste of your wedding cake while it is frozen. You will not have to worry about freezer burn with these boxes.

Personalized cake boxes - If you are looking for a great way to say thank you to your guests and your wedding party, then you need these personalized boxes. These are boxes that are used for your guests and wedding party to take a slice of cake with them and you can have it personalized for each guest or member of your wedding party.

So now you know that choosing a wedding cake box is very important and there are different types of boxes for different reasons. You need to make sure you are getting what you want and that you get the correct boxes for all the different reasons that you might need wedding cake boxes for.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Wedding Cake Flavors For Every Taste

A great deal of thought goes into deciding how a wedding cake should look. Brides agonize over the shape, color, and even height of their wedding cakes. However, many brides almost overlook one of the most memorable parts of the wedding cake: its flavor. Wedding cakes come in almost as many flavors as there are designs, so, before defaulting to a plain white cake, brides should check out the many different varieties that are available.

Brides who prefer the look of white cakes needn't settle for an average taste. There are several white cakes with a very special flavor. Almond-flavored or French vanilla-flavored cakes carry just a hint of almond; white chocolate cakes include small chunks of chocolate flavoring. White doesn't have to be bland.

Some brides forego the white cakes altogether and decide to add a little more color to their wedding cakes. Popular, but light-colored, flavors are very plentiful. Strawberry and lemon flavors are fun wedding cake options. However, some brides get fruity with orange or banana flavors. Brides who opt for fun-flavored cakes must make special efforts, though, to ensure that their cake choice doesn't clash with their cake's icing.

Rich, deep flavors are also popular choices for wedding cakes. Traditional chocolate cake is one of the most prevalent, non-white, flavor for wedding cakes. However, there are many other dark-colored choices available. Red velvet cake, Kahlua, and even Mexican chocolate would each be a memorable flavor in a wedding cake.

There is always room for more than one flavor in a wedding cake. Some brides have opted to include multiple flavors in their cakes to ensure that every guest will be able to find something they will enjoy. While one layer of cake may be strawberry-flavored, another flavor might be vanilla-flavored. Or, for a mixture of flavor in each bite, brides can order a marbled-style cake. Two or more flavors are swirled together to create a unique experience in each bite.

Changing the type of cake isn't the only way to add flavor to a wedding cake. Some wedding cake professionals add fillings to their wedding cakes. Fruit-flavored fillings, rich cream fillings, and even liqueur-based fillings all add another level of flavor to many wedding cakes.

For a truly unique take on wedding cakes, some brides are turning to non-traditional cake options like fruitcakes or carrot cakes. Covered in a thick layer of icing, these distinctive cakes have all of the style of a traditional wedding cake; however, their flavor is truly decadent. Tiramisu, a rich Italian dessert, is also a luxurious choice for wedding cake. Even cheesecakes are also growing in popularity as wedding cakes.

The important thing for brides to keep in mind when ordering their wedding cakes is to spend a little time deliberating over the flavor of their cakes. While guests will appreciate a cake that looks lovely, they will always prefer a cake that tastes nicely, as well. Then, brides can rest assured that their cake will remain stunning, not only in photos, but also in their guests' memories.

How To Choose the Perfect Wedding Cake

With that in mind there is enormous pressure on the couple to have the perfect cake. No one will remember anything about the food served at the reception after five years, but chances are if the cake was not picture perfect or it did not taste fantastic, it will still be talked about at your twenty fifth wedding celebration!

Factors to Consider

Taste

The taste of your wedding cake is to a certain extent a matter of personal choice, in the sense you may take into account the groom loves chocolate and the bride is allergic to strawberries. It is not rocket science to come to the conclusion that a strawberry topped cake is not the best choice. However other practicalities must enter the equation.

Weather and time is an important factor. How long before the wedding will be the cake be completed, strawberries go soft and mushy looking very quickly, they will look pretty bedraggled after about three hours depending on the weather and the humidity. Humidity affects the choice of icing, glaze or frosting. Whipped cream does not hold up well in hot weather it goes rancid very quickly.

The European wedding cake made with fruit is typically decorated with Royal Icing, but the more typical American wedding cake will use a type of butter-cream. Fortunately as prevailing weather conditions are different there are many types of butter cream icing. If you are planning to marry in the height of Summer a recipe using all butter is not a good choice, the properties of all butter, butter cream icing is no different from that of butter, it melts when it is warm. However if you have your heart set on butter cream icing then make sure that you have a recipe where the sugar is cooked to the soft ball stage.
Italian butter cream is someti8mes referred to as meringue butter cream, as it is more stable in hot conditions. Egg whites are whipped to peaks and then combined with hot sugar syrup; once this has cooled butter is added withy any desired flavourings. This example of a type of butter cream is softer and lighter than the regular butter cream and is used in Europe for genoise sponges.

Design

Choosing a wedding cake should be fun; it is a perfect opportunity to make a statement, it is your party and you can have what you want. However there are once again practical constraints. In Europe a layer of the wedding cake is traditionally held back for the christening. If you like this idea then you have to choose at least one layer of your cake to be a fruitcake, as it preserves well, drenched in brandy.

Theme

If you have a theme, talk to a baker, there are many props that can change the basic design of a cake. Use your imagination flavourings can add color as well as flavor, avocado icing or filling is a wonderful delicate color. A well-designed cake will enhance your theme and bring the whole concept of the design together as the celebrations culminate with the cake.

Don’t be Boring

The typical American sponge is not your only option, before making a final choice; think out of the box, if only to dream! Consider cupcakes building them to a pyramid, or the traditional French wedding cake the croquembouche, an iconic creation of choux pastry bound by carmellized spun sugar, and violets. Make the cake worrk for you, if you have a lot of children coming to the wedding it may be worth having two cakes as adult and children’s tastes are markedly different. The tradional Italian wedding cake, celebrates all tastes as ti is layers of biscuits or cookies inerwoven together.

Freezing Your Wedding Cake

If you need to freeze a wedding cake it is an excellent idea to make a dummy layer, before hand, it should be decorated exactly as your wedding cake will be. If it freezes successfully then you have no problems, but if it does not then you can make design adjustments. It is not necessary to have baked and iced more than one layer, because what happens to one layer will happen to the rest.