BIG-DAY BAKES

Be inspired by professional bakers and the latest cake trends

Calling all couples with a sweet tooth! Creating your dream wedding cake is such a fun and creative process that allows your personality to shine through. To help you achieve your dream cake, we’ve gathered some of the top bakers from around the region to share plenty of inspiration.

www.photographybyroberta.co.uk CAKES BY ZOE LINCOLN

Located in Lincoln, the team creates bespoke wedding cakes for couples in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and surrounding areas.

Owner Zoe Campbell loves to make special creations for weddings, while including elements from different themes, colours and venues. Personal details can be included to make each one special to couples.

The amount of tiers needed will depend on how many servings the cake is needed for, or down to style preference. There are different options for each budget such as artificial, fresh or sugar flowers. For those looking for a personal touch, have characters such as yourself as cake toppers.

The team offer cake tastings so lovebirds can try different flavours before choosing their favourites. The most popular flavours for recent weddings have been the raspberry and champagne buttercream with a raspberry conserve, or the lemon drizzle cake with white chocolate buttercream and lemon curd.

Check out: www.cakesbyzoelincoln.co.uk

TOP ADVICE Owner Zoe Campbell says: There are a few essential details to consider when choosing and designing your cake. One of the key factors is the time of year your wedding is taking place and the type of venue you pick. If you’re having a tipi or marquee wedding, buttercream is not the most suitable design without refrigeration. Sugarpaste cakes are more stable and better for warmer conditions, but they still need to be somewhere as cool as possible, just not in the fridge!

Here are some points to think about when it comes to flowers... ❤ Fresh flowers are beautiful and come in so many different varieties, but some commonly used ones are not safe to be added to food, such as eucalyptus and gypsophillia. A quick internet search will be able to inform you of the ones that are food safe. ❤ Artificial florals make beautiful keepsakes and come in various colours and styles. Your cake maker would still need to add them to the cake, so they are food safe. ❤ Sugar flowers are my personal favourite as anything is possible. The blooms can be made in any colour or style, and they’re made especially for each couple. They also make a beautiful keepsake and will last for many years.

Situated in Derby, Julia Florence Cake Design creates beautiful, flawless and elegant wedding cakes, which are designed to wow guests in both taste and design.

The team works closely with couples to create showstopping bakes, dessert tables and dessert towers – all individually designed. They take on board the details at each event, including the flowers, colour scheme, venue styling, suits, themes and venues. Once all this information is gathered, the company will work closely with lovebirds to create something truly special.

The business specialises in subtle, bold and metallic colours, as well as pearl lustres, ruffles and glitter effects, which are complemented by beautiful handmade sugar flowers.

The dessert towers and tables are becoming more popular at weddings and create showstopping looks with lots of little treats, including a cake for cutting, cupcakes, macarons, brownies, cookies, meringues and cake jars.

Check out: https://juliaflorencecakedesign.co.uk

TOP ADVICE Owner Sarah Reilly says: Find a cake maker who completely understands your vision and who you can be honest with. I like my couples to feel comfortable telling me what they like and don’t like in terms of the cake’s appearance and taste. I want them to be super excited about seeing the cake on their big day and thoroughly enjoy the decision-making process and designing the bake.

It’s important to choose a baker experienced in all aspects of wedding cakes, including creating different flavours, baking, decorating, stacking and transporting the bakes. You should know what you’re paying for, why a cake costs what it does and what’s involved in creating the sweet treat from start to finish.

SOUTHWELL CAKERY

Based in Nottinghamshire, the award-winning Southwell Cakery has been supplying wedding cakes for nearly ten years.

The team specialises in large cakes with either a rustic semi-naked finish, textured buttercream or fondant icing. There are more than a dozen cake flavours available, including popular classics such as vanilla Victoria and chocolate mud. For the perfect finishing touches, the company also supplies finishing touches such as macarons and personalised cookie favours.

The team offers free consultations via Zoom or face-to-face meetings outside of the wedding season and can ship cake samples to couples further afield. The team has limited capacity to ensure the quality of all bakes and is a recommended supplier to numerous venues. Their order book is open 24 months in advance, and a booking fee secures any services.

Owner Ruth Harmer says, “We aim to supply cakes that tick all the boxes for couples: something that looks fantastic, tastes amazing and has been a stress-free experience for pairs from their initial enquiry to delivery on their wedding day.”

Check out: https://southwellcakery.wixsite.com/southwellcakery

TOP ADVICE Owner Ruth Harmer says: When planning a cake, think about your venue. For instance, a modern and glitzy boutique hotel would suit a contemporary and elegant cake while a barn venue would suit a rustic semi-naked cake with fresh floral décor, and traditional styles work for a grand stately home.

Each tier can be a different flavour; we recommend a crowd pleaser for one tier, with maybe another popular flavour for the second and something a little different for the third. Our elderflower and lemon cake is perfect for spring/summer weddings and our ginger and lemon cake is great for autumn. Think about what will be served for dessert at your wedding breakfast; you may want to avoid repeating similar flavours in the cake. As soon as you have booked your venue, start to contact your preferred suppliers. Some may already be unavailable, but we are happy to pencil you in our diary and start talking all things cake.

www.fieldphotographic.com

www.pearbearphotography.com

PEAK PATISSERIE

Located in Matlock, Peak Patisserie specialises in contemporary wedding cakes and sweet treats. Nestled on the edge of the beautiful Peak District countryside, the team supples wedding cakes within Derbyshire, south Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

Owner Eilish Shepherd knows how important weddings are to couples and creates bakes that will wow guests both on design and taste. She says, “I have a passion for contemporary cakes, with a focus on less is more, as I believe that minimal designs make more of a statement.”

Peak Patisserie is here to provide an excellent service and make all occasions special. The team is inclusive to all and aims for clients to remember the business not only for the outstanding cakes, but also for the incredible customer service. The staff will be there every step of the way to make sure that each cake is made to the highest quality.

Check out: https://peakpatisserie.godaddysites.com

TOP ADVICE Owner Eilish Shepherd says: Don’t leave it too late to secure your date. Book you favourite company as soon as you’ve confirmed your venue and date – this goes for all suppliers. Established and trusted companies book up its key dates years in advance.

When choosing your cake supplier, consider what you want and whether their style fits your vision. All designers are different, both in style and what they offer. Some may only offer fondant-covered cakes, while others specialise in buttercream designs. One company might create more contemporary cakes like myself, while another might produce amazing novelty cakes.

Choose someone who can make a bespoke creation and offers a design consultation, tasting service and delivery. It’s your special day, so your cake designer must take the time to learn a little about you and the wedding plans. It’s also essential that the baker sets the cake up at the venue to ensure it’s displayed as intended and safely delivered.

JULITA’S CAKES

https://www.cgmediaweddings.co.uk

Owner Julita Dawidziuk is a self-taught baker that moved to the East Midlands from Poland back in 2017 and now works with clients to provide showstopping designs. Julita says, “I had an opportunity to make a wedding cake for a friend and the joy it delivered to the couple plus the uncontrollable happiness of accomplishment I felt got me hooked. It’s not just a job; it’s my true calling.” She adds, “I want couples to be excited about their cake design journey and tasting session, which should be a fun experience. They should be happy with the final product and be involved in their cake planning process as much as possible.”

A cake is a big part of weddings with pairs doing an official cake cut, feeding cake to one another and then all the guests will be sampling the bake. These are the memories that will be included in their imagination forever.

Check out: www.julitascakes.uk TOP ADVICE Owner Julita Dawidziuk says: When planning a cake, start thinking of what you like and don’t like. You might hate the look of a fondant cake, but love minimalist designs with fresh flowers. Look around your home, as this is usually a good representation of your style.

If you’ve found your dream venue, does it have a modern, rustic, or traditional style? Is the space where the cake will be in the centre or to the side of the room? Take note of these things as it will help you decide how you want your cake to be presented.

Now for the fun part, choosing the colours, theme and elements you like. Collect all this information and create a personalised mood board – don’t be afraid to look for online inspiration. You now know your preferences, so everything else will become more straightforward and clear.