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Something New

After the dress, your wedding cake will be one of the centrepieces of the day, much photographed and admired. However, the cake not only needs to look great but must also be a treat to eat! To help you choose the perfect cake to complement your wedding theme WeddingNotts have put together a Something New page full of great tips and ideas.

Ideally you should try to order your wedding cake about 4 - 6 months prior to the wedding date. However, each baker or cake designer will have their own ordering requirements. Some may ask for advance ordering upto a year before the wedding date so plan ahaead if you already know who you want to use.

You must consider carefully the price, workmanship, quality and taste as these will vary considerably from baker to baker. To find your cake designer, visit local wedding fairs to view cake design samples, go on the internet or ask for recommendations from friends and other wedding service vendors that you may be using. Perhaps you have a family member or friend who is skilled enough to make the wedding cake that you want. Your reception venue or catering suppliers may also be able to provide a wedding cake in addition to the main catering. If they can provide the type of cake that you have set your heart on, then fine, otherwise do not be afraid to look elsewhere!

Before ordering your wedding cake, always ask to see samples of previous work to assess the quality and style of workmanship and arrange a consultation to discuss your wedding cake requirements that includes a bit of product tasting!

You should also ask the bakery for details of their order, payment and cancellation policies. Make a note of the bakery address, telephone number and a contact person to whom you should refer all your questions. Find out the last day that you can make changes to your cake decorations before everything is finalised.

A brief word of caution about health and safety. Since you will be responsible for feeding cake to a large number of people, it could be worth checking just what Department of Health certification your baker or designer currently has. Are the ingredients fresh or are the cakes baked and frozen in advance? Obtain a list of ingredients and be aware if they include any known items such as nuts or colourings that may incur allergic reactions. Don't be afraid to ask for advise from your baker about serving and storing your cake.

The cost of the cake will depend on the size or number of tiers, type of ingredients and time spent on intricate decoration. A deposit will normally be payable when ordering, the balance to be paid before the cake is collected.

There will be an additional fee if you require the baker to deliver and set up your wedding cake at the reception site. This will include a refundable deposit for any cake stands, pillars or plates that you have hired. Since decorated wedding cakes can be fragile, this could be well worth the additional cost. If you do have to ship the cake yourself, make sure each tier is wrapped separately in a sturdy container and securely contained during transit.

Do discuss payment terms at the outset and we would advise that you send any order in writing to confirm all these details.

Some reception venues or caterers charge a fee per slice for cutting the cake (if supplied from an outside bakery). Do ask beforehand if this is the case at your chosen venue so that you can budget for this.

Your baker will ask you for the number of guests who will be attending the wedding. This will determine the size and number of traditional cake tiers or individual cup cakes required. If you intend to save the top tier for your first anniversary do let your baker know as this should not be included when calculating the number of slices required per guest.

The table below offers a general guide to the average number of slices per size cake. However, 'slices' do vary and you need to discuss this with your baker and caterer.

SIZE OF CAKE	FRUIT
	ROUND	SQUARE
Single Tier - 10"	50 to 70	70 to 90
Single Tier - 10"	70 to 90	100 to 120
Three Tiers - 10" + 8" + 6"	110 to 140	130 to 160
Four Tiers - 12" + 10" + 8" + 6"	200 to 230	260 to 300
Five Tiers - 15"+ 12"+ 10"+ 8"+6"	360 to 440	450 to 500

	SPONGE
	ROUND	SQUARE
Single Tier - 10"	25 to 30	35 to 45
Single Tier - 10"	35 to 45	50 to 60
Three Tiers - 10" + 8" + 6"	55 to 70	65 to 80
Four Tiers - 12" + 10" + 8" + 6"	100 to 115	130 to 150
Five Tiers - 15"+ 12"+ 10"+ 8"+6"	180 to 220	225 to 250

If you are catering for a large number of guests it may be more economical to have a smaller decorated cake for display purposes and a large sheet cake without decoration for cutting 'behind the scenes' to serve to your guests.

It is has become fashionable to have multiple cakes artfully displayed on tiered stands. This sample is from our featured local supplier Top Tier Wedding Cakes.

The cake should reflect the scale, theme and style of your wedding. You must make decisions not only about size but also flavour, shape and colour.

Shape - heart, round or square (or novelty)
Flavour - traditional fruit cake, chocolate, plain sponge, carrot or even a different flavour for each tier. See Alternative Wedding Cakes below.

Take along photos and clippings to your consultation and any ideas that you may have relating to your wedding theme such as colour charts or material swatches.

Some types of cakes work better in cooler seasons (such as fresh cream) so try to plan appropriately.

Visit the WeddingNotts Picture Gallery for more design ideas

Choosing the right decoration and topper for your cake can help to personalise your wedding centrepiece. Toppers have varied in fashion through the years, but should reflect your design, wedding style or add the romantic or personal touch you wanted.

Suggestions for toppers include real flowers, iced or paste flowers, fruit, berries, seasonal treats, figurines, monograms, sugar models, heirloom models or toppers, candles, fountains and even edible jewels.

If you want something different to the traditional tiered wedding cake, you could try one of the following alternatives:

Wedding Cheescake

For something completely different, why not try a Wedding Cake made from layered whole cheeses.

The savoury Wedding Cheesecake by The Teddington Cheese is uniquely created from different cheeses and tiered into 3 -5 layers. The Wedding Cheesecake offers a delicate and surprising mix of colours, textures and tastes.

Mini Wedding Cakes
A selection of tempting, delightfully decorated individual wedding cakes suitable for serving as a dessert at the reception. They can look stunning arranged on a pyramidal multi level cake stand and can be made in a whole range of different flavours, colours and textures.

Croquembouche

A deliciously sophisticated and different wedding cake cum dessert made with cream filled choux pastries (profiteroles) dribbled with melted chocolate.

Chocolate Fountains

If you are having a large wedding, the traditional wedding cake can be supplemented with other desserts such as fruit and marshmallows to dip in the now very popular chocolate fountain. Local supplier Chocolate Fountain Fantasy.

Groom's Cake
A tradition from the deep south of the USA, the Groom's Cake is being used more and more to supplement the traditional bridal cake. The Groom's Cake, usually chocolate or rum flavour, is great for those guests who prefer an alternative to the traditional rich fruit cake.

The cake is normally displayed at the reception on a separate but beautifully decorated table positioned suitably so that all the guests can witness the first cutting of the cake and where you will have a prime photo opportunity. (Try to ensure the background will not detract from these shots!).

A whole new range of cake stands is now available to display your wedding cake perfectly. From silver, steel or acrylic there are a vast number of traditional, contemporary or designer stands to choose from. You can purchase or hire the stand most ideal for your style of cake.

Cutting the cake has traditionally signified the start of a new life together. A special cake knife is used to cut the cake at the reception. If the venue manager or caterer cannot provide a pretty cake cutting knife you will need to purchase or rent one before the event. It is usually a silver knife either decorated with flowers or, if you purchase one specially, carved with the bride and grooms details to make a wonderful wedding keepsake. If you are hiring a cake stand for the day you may be able to hire the cake knife as well. Ask your supplier at the time of ordering.

Traditionally, the bride and groom cut the first two slices of cake from the bottom layer of the cake together. The groom places his hand over the top of the brides to help and guide her. The groom may then feed the bride a small piece of cake, and the bride feed some cake to the groom. In some areas the bride and groom will then serve cake to their new respective in-laws!

The cake can be served instead of a dessert at the reception or in addition to coffee and sweets. Alternatively, the cake can be sliced and boxed as a more traditional wedding favour for each guest to take away from the wedding.

All cakes should be stored in a cool, dry place on a flat, solid base. Never put cakes, other than fresh cream cakes, in the fridge. Sponge, chocolate or carrot cakes will keep for upto one week after delivery. Fruitcake will store pefectly well for months (but not years), therefore you can save the top tier for your first wedding anniversary celebrations.

Some people prefer to freeze the top tier of the cake for later and the cake should be removed before cutting, wrapped carefully or placed in an airtight container and frozen as soon as possible. Some bakeries may freeze batch cakes beforehand so you must find out if this is the case before you re-freeze.

Do you or your baker have an emergency back-up plan for if things go badly wrong? Ask them!