The Many Wedding Cake Options

These days you have many different choices when it comes to wedding cakes. Gone are the days when a white on white cake was just about mandatory. Today brides are doing many different things to make their wedding cake special. Learn about some of your options when it comes to wedding cake flavors and icing.

When you are deciding on a wedding cake the first thing you will have to decide on is the flavor of the cake. You could go with the basic white cake. It is a wedding classic but these days you have many more options. You can choose from such flavors as chocolate, mocha, lemon, raspberry or even carrot or spice cake. Don't be afraid to be different. Choose what you like.

Next you will have to choose a filling if you want one. This is another opportunity for you to get creative. Choose from flavors like amaretto, mocha, rum, orange, custard, cream cheese and more. The list is almost endless so you should be able to find a filling that you like.

Last we come to icing. There are many different styles of icing with different characteristics. Butter cream is a thicker icing that has a smooth finish. Whipped cream icing is lighter and fluffy but is also more delicate. Another popular icing is fondant. Fondant is another popular choice. It is a smooth thick icing that is rolled onto a cake. It is not as tasty as other icings but makes for a very attractive cake. Lastly there is royal icing. It is an icing that will harden after it is applied and it is used to create intricate decorations.

The type of wedding cake choice can be a difficult decision to make. Just remember that it is your day and you should ultimately choose what you like.

Incorporate Your Swedish Heritage in Your Perfect Wedding

Many people are now having a breakfast/brunch party the day after their wedding. This allows you to open presents and to catch up with those people you might not have had a chance to talk to. It's often a good opportunity to catch up with your parents' friends and your relatives.

Sweden has a tradition that must come from the old days when the daughters would leave their families to become members of their husband's families. As a last part of the goodbye at the bride's parents' house, the bride's family would make a cake so that the last bit of food the bride had at her childhood home was sweet.

The times that I've encountered the cake it's been a Princess Torte, a beautiful green confection full of yellow cake, marzipan, whipped cream and either vanilla cream or raspberry jelly. The Swedes are great about their pastries because as rich as they are, they're not horribly sweet. (Yum!)

(Of course, this could also be a great way to finish up the wedding cake from the day before, especially if everyone's traveling. Since single women no longer seem to take cake home from the wedding to place under their pillow so that they can dream of the man they will marry, there's often a lot of cake left over! And you don't want to waste cake! Just wondering, what did they wrap the cake in before Tupperware? Who wants to get marzipan and whipped cream in your pillow?) You might not HAVE to make a new cake, but it's a nice tradition to start!

Even though today's couples are becoming part of one another's families, it's still a lovely thought that you leave on your honeymoon with sweetness in your mouth, remembering your past and anticipating the marriage ahead. Your relationship deserves sweetness and tenderness. Start your life off with cake. You can get serious about your vegetables when you get back from your honeymoon!

Wedding Cake Prices

The wedding cake is a big part of the reception, let alone the wedding itself. That said, it's always a good idea to know where you stand by finding out the average wedding cake prices and what you'll be expected to pay.

First and foremost, you should realize that most bakeries charge per "slice" rather than per "cake. This system will allow you to easily determine how much the whole cake is going to cost, not to mention how much money you can spare for custom designs and cake icing.

Here is a Rundown of Wedding Cake Prices:

Simple Cake: A simply made cake with just a few decorations, cheap icing, and a basic design will cost about 1 to 2 dollars per slice. If it's a small wedding with only about 100 or so people, you can spend about $250 to $300 and get a elegant cake that'll please everyone.

Not-So-Simple Cake: A wedding cake that has multiple tiers, better icing, a nice design, and beautiful decorations will run about $4-7 per slice. If the guest list is long, the total cost will climb quite quickly: $5 per slice multiplied by 500 equals a massive $2500.

Complicated Cake: A 3 or 4 tier cake with the works -- tasty icing which won't bleed, elegant designs, fabulous decorations, etc. -- can cost anywhere from $8-12 PER slice. If you're on a budget, then this is pretty much out of the question. Then again, if it's a wedding of only about 50 people, you can spend $10 per slice ($500 total) and really dazzle your guests.

3 Easy Ways to Get Lower Wedding Cake Prices

1. Sacrifice some of the fancy-schmancy designs & decorations to get a lower cost per slice.

2. Choose a cheap, easy-to-manage icing like butter cream rather than fondant.

3. Use an online step-by-step guide to bake & design the cake yourself. Rather than paying dollars per slice with a private bakery, you'll pay just PENNIES!

Now you know exactly what to expect, as well as how to save, when it comes to wedding cakes & wedding cake prices.

Jazz Up Your Wedding Cake Presentation

Is there a centerpiece to a wedding celebration? Some say it is the centerpiece to a table where your guests sit and play games to try to win. Others say it is the wedding party table all decorated with bells and whistles that create the backdrop to a beautiful setting within the banquet hall for your wedding celebration. But what about the wedding cake? A wedding cake acts as a portrait-like creation that is one of many symbols of a wedding reception. A wedding cake as is a wedding invitation, banquet hall, etc... represents what it is that you want to set as a tone for your wedding party. So there is the freedom to let loose and have fun with.

We have given careful consideration to what would be an ideal wedding cake presentation and have come up with some ideas that may grab your attention and say "What" or simply get you to nod your head, either way, it is best that you know what you feel like presenting as your wedding cake. The key is to think about style and design as much to do about flavour and variety. What about wedding rings, or garter belts? Matching portraits of the bride and groom or a pair of stilettos! If you are a traditionalist, then our ideas might not be for you. Whatever the feeling or desire, you have to be able to be true to yourself and not create something you are not or do not want to have.

If you are planning on having your wedding celebration in Toronto, Ontario or within the southern Ontario region, then you are going to find your fair share of bakers capable of creating wedding cake masterpieces for your wedding party. The key however, is to have a determining factor to decide who you want to use when creating your wedding cake masterpiece. Is price a determining factor for you? If not, then is experience playing an important role in the decision of your baker(s) of choice? Whatever the case or whoever, it is best to be able to evaluate how you are going to sieve through the enormous group of bakers or specialty wedding cake makers located throughout the Toronto, Ontario and southern Ontario region.

In any event, a wedding cake is just as much fun for you and your guests to enjoy. It is best enjoyed eaten, however, presentation and look and feel for the cake is huge when deciding on how you want the cake to be at your wedding. Some say tradition merits the individual and it is best that a wedding cake be that, traditional. A three-tier cake, enriched with different flavours for the guests and family to enjoy. Then there are some who say conventional wisdom is best left alone and that you should shed you inner inhibitions and go for that Prada purse-cake look-a-like! You will definitely leave a mark with a cake like that, just make sure that it is yummy and that everyone enjoys it, in the end!

Wedding Cake Toppers

A skilled cake designer can come up with an endless spectrum of wedding cake toppers. They can come in any shape or form, the most common ones being the figurines of the bride and the groom, doves, daisies, roses, interlocking hearts, wedding rings, or flowers in a basket; the list is endless. The materials used for toppers can be anything, ranging from glass and porcelain to crystal or a wide range of other materials. Also, wedding cake toppers can be kept as a wedding day souvenir, and are at most times good enough pass off as a showpiece for your drawing room.

For those planning a theme wedding, wedding cake toppers can augment the atmosphere of the wedding reception. A skilled hand can replicate the wedding dress on top of the cake. For fairytale-themed weddings, a replica of the Cinderella glass slipper or a figurine of “Snow White” would be just about perfect; or, for that matter, a small figure of a dragon or a castle. Beach and marine themed weddings can give the wedding cake designer plenty of room to exercise his creativity. The wedding cake toppers can come in a plethora of forms then, like dolphins, seahorses, mermaids, lighthouses or more. For medieval-themed weddings, you can use a miniature knight and maiden as toppers.

A winter wedding also gives the cake designer plenty to work with. For example, crystal snowflakes or snow people can sit atop the cake. Though other materials can be used, glass seems perfect for this theme, as it can reflect the light like icicles. For those from military backgrounds, wedding toppers can be quite intricate. A naval wedding, for instance, can do with an anchor behind the figures of the groom and the bride. For the military wedding, two sabers crossed and placed behind the miniature figures of the couple would be ideal. For Western-themed weddings, cake toppers can range from horses and cows to the cowboy and cowgirl as the bride and groom.

Invaluable Wedding Cake Advice

While it may seem very unimportant, the wedding cake is arguably one of the most important pieces of the wedding jigsaw. Aside from the bride, the wedding cake is one of the most looked at things at the wedding. If you get it right then everyone will be praising and if you get it wrong people will be talking about how bad it was no matter how good the rest of the wedding is. Therefore, the wedding cake deserves a substantial amount of your time and attention.

As is the case with many of the traditional wedding practises, there are new modern ways to do your cakes. However, the most stylish option is the traditional 3 tier white iced cake. This way, you can easily add decorations and everyone will be in awe. There are a number of pitfalls that you need to avoid if you want to get your wedding cake right.

Firstly, make sure you choose a sensible design. While fancy designs may look good in pictures, in truth, the more complicated the design, the more that can go wrong with the wedding cake.

Secondly, make sure you consult with the person making the cake. While you may have a clear idea in mind, they have made thousands of cakes before that they should be well placed to offer you excellent advice on the cake that is right for you wedding.

Finally, you need to consider the guests. There are two things to consider in terms of the guests, firstly numbers of secondly tastes. You need to try and choose cake ingredients that you think everyone will like and you need to ensure that there is enough wedding cake for everyone. Again, it is important to consult with the chef because he/she will know how large the cake needs to be.

Unique Wedding Cakes

A gifted cake designer can go a long way in determining the quality and the character of the wedding cake.

For one, theme weddings can be a portal to truly creative wedding cake ideas. A medieval theme wedding would warrant a cake to be laced with pearls and a golden crown. An adventure-loving couple could have a cake topped with miniature figurines of the newlyweds in a small plane or a motorcycle. A Victorian theme wedding, for that matter, could have a cake adorned with bows and Victorian roses. For an Oriental-themed wedding, a cake with two tiers topped with a vase filled with edible handmade orchid is perfect.

Also, the theme for a wedding cake could depend on one’s favorite flower, whether it is sunflower, pansy, bird-of-paradise, rose etc. A talented cake designer can replicate bridal bouquets on the cake or a garden akin to one’s yard, complete with picket fences.

Then there are seasonal themed cakes. Seasonal themes give the cake designer license to let his imagination run free. For weddings that are set for the fall season, the cake can be adorned with grapes, grape leaves and chrysanthemums. The summer-themed wedding cakes can be accentuated with bows and white daisies.

Also, there are wedding cakes based on one’s favorite jewelry. The diamond lover can have a stunning diamond themed cake, though that can be an expensive option. For the jade lover, the cake can be made to look like a stack of complex shaped jade boxes. Also, there are wedding cakes based on china patterns.

For a truly unique wedding cake, it is best to talk to the cake designer, preferably weeks before the wedding date. Though there will always be that urge to come up with that particularly outstanding design yourself, there is no harm in picking the brains of a professional who does it for a living.