Feature Article
by Tracey Baxter
Ahhhh -the wedding cake! Few wedding elements are as anticipated! Even those who won’t eat any will still marvel at it! So of course you’re going to look at photos and pick a super design and taste the finest cakes in town right? But do you need to spend a fortune on a cake? No. Here are some ways to make sure you get the most bang for your frosted sugarlicious buck:
Know who is cutting your cake! Of course I am aware that by the time it’s to be cut, you’ll have already paid for your cake, but you don’t want that money wasted. Cake slices are typically 1 inch wide by 2.5 inches long. Bakers will use that as the guide when planning the tier sizes and number of tiers needed. If the person cutting the cake varies greatly from that standard slice, some of your guests may not receive a slice of cake. In effect you just increased your cost per slice. So proper cake cutting is a must! If you don’t have an event-day coordinator, just be sure your caterer does not pass the cake cutting off to an untrained intern! Unfortunately, I have seen this happen at all wedding price points and have had to offer 'on the job training' and have even taken the reins myself when I was just supposed to be a guest!
Don’t plan for extra slices so guests can have seconds. Bakeries charge “by the slice” so definitely use an accurate guest count when you tell them how many guests you’ll serve. Few guests want a second piece of cake and fewer will be bold enough to ask. In fact, some don’t eat cake at all; especially if they have been provided a full meal at the reception. Nor should you think about giving a bigger slice for all guests. Properly cut, a standard 1 x 2.5 inch cake slice is a generous portion at 5 inches tall.
No cake will taste good after a year in the freezer. Not even a cake from the best bakery and covered with industrial foil wrapping will taste good after 12 months in a freezer! So instead of saving it for your anniversary, plan to cut and serve that top tier. 6 inch round cakes serve 12 guests. At $4 per slice or more, you’ve just saved at least $48! A larger top tier would be even bigger savings. To celebrate your anniversary with your wedding cake, order a small cake in the same flavors from your baker in a year. If your baker offers a free top tier, ask if you can have a certificate to be redeemed for a fresh anniversary cake instead. Trust me; you’ll want a fresh anniversary cake in a year!
Fondant is smooth and elegant but always additional per slice. Not to mention it's a rare baker that makes fondant yummy. Most bakers offer butter crème frosting with piped butter crème decoration in their base per slice fee. A professional wedding cake decorator actually can create a smooth butter crème frosting that is almost as flawless as fondant. I know this because I can do it and I’m not even a cake pro! So just ask to see photos of their butter crème covered wedding cakes specifically. That way so you can compare their work to the other decorators’ frosting smoothing capabilities. You’ll probably be surprised at how smooth butter crème really is!
Brides often ask, “What about sheet cakes in the kitchen and a dummy cake just for pictures?” Well, I didn’t want to go here but… there is a reason these things are called ‘dummy cakes’! Dummy cakes are not free. “Dummy” cake forms are made of Styrofoam and still must be decorated. Styrofoam forms are not cheap so to the cake form price, add the decoration costs, the decorator’s time plus the real sheet cakes you still have to purchase; added up dummy cake is not a money saving option. Oh yeah… and then what do you do with the dummy cake? Put it on your mantle? Toss it in the trash? Nope, not such a wise investment after all. I guess if you are enterprising, you could rent it to others. Which leads me to – can you rent a dummy cake? Yes. They are usually around $150 to rent. That’s One Hundred Fifty Dollars…. to rent….a cake…. that isn’t real … that you have to return … because it will be rented to others again. ...just like it was rented to others before it was yours. Yuck. Yes, I’ve seen them cheaper. Yes, they look cheaper too.
Your Wedding Planning Homework!
It's time to taste some cake! Cake tastings in most bakeries are free. Take advantage and schedule one ...or two ...today! Bring pictures but until you've tasted their cake, don't show them. They'll always tell you " Yes, of course we can do that lovely design". The question you need to aske yourself is - do you like the taste of their cake enough that you actually want them to?
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Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com
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