C A K E S , C A N D I E S , C O N F E C T I O N S & D E S S E R T S
C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E
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Cream cheese frosting or fondant? Classic vanilla cake or
coffee with salted caramel filling?? Fresh flowers to deco-
rate your towering tiers, or delicate details made from sugar
paste???
When it’s likely to take center stage at your reception and
serve scores of guests, deciding on the style of wedding cake
that’s right for you can get a little overwhelming. But there’s
no need to spend another second sweating your sweets –
this wedding pastry primer will help you make the perfect
choice.
FROSTING AND FONDANT
Buttercream is THE most popular wedding cake frosting. It
works especially well with more intricate designs or deco-
rations, as you can easily cover minor imperfections with a
scroll, dot or flower.
But do keep in mind that buttercream is better suited to
indoor, air-conditioned venues, as a breeze may cause this
stickier frosting to attract debris and hot weather can lead to
a melted mess.
Another option that has recently staged a comeback is
rolled fondant, which has a thick, dough-like consistency. It
had a bad reputation for a number of years because the only
brand available nationally tasted terrible but now there are a
number of great commercial and homemade options with a
pleasing flavor similar to marshmallow.
The benefit of fondant is that it provides a silky, smooth
surface that can look chic on its own or provide a fantastic
canvas for more intricate designs, such as airbrushing, sten-
cils, weaving and more. It’s also great for outdoor weddings,
providing a protective layer that will stand up to more chal-
lenging temperatures.
Other frostings that work with a limited number of cake
designs include whipped cream, chocolate ganache and
cream cheese.
FLAVORS
The iconic wedding cake is a classic white, but with the
countless old favorites (carrot cake, red velvet, German
chocolate), seasonal flavors (hazelnut chiffon with cherry
marmalade) and gourmet combinations now available, you
should feel free to get creative with as many tiers as you like.
EMBELLISHMENTS
Fresh blooms are an easy route, but bakers have numerous
decorating techniques at their disposal, including butter-
cream and royal icing for piping; fondant and gum paste for
sugar flowers and edible pearls; and modeling chocolate for
toppers and other accents. They also use can pastillage (like a
sweetened Play-Doh) to make decorations or isomalt, a sug-
ar-substitute that’s great for making decorative jewels.
In addition, marzipan works perfectly for delectable faux
fruit, edible luster dust adds sparkle to details, or, for faux
bois (false wood), a wood-graining tool and chocolate pan-
els create a fun woodland motif.
Copyright © CTW Features
Bring On the Cake
Flavors, frosting and all the chic embellishments. Here’s everything
you need to know about the wedding cake
By Anna Sachse, CTW Features
