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WEDDINGCAKES A Guide To
A GUIDE TO WEDDING CAKES
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ke Teahous
Cupca raphy. The uttall Photog
Karena N
Hello brides! Ready those cake forks – the sweet feast is here! Cake is the theme of the day, and we can’t wait to help you decide just what wedding cake is right for you. Whatever cake you dream of for your big day, we’re here to help. This guide will detail all the ins and outs of choosing the sweet confection you crave, even if that might be in the form of a biscuit or two. (Trust us, it’s possible.) We’re delving into flavour combinations, accessories, traditions and designs. We’ve even asked a few in-the-know experts to give us the low-down of terms you’ll come across when chatting to your wedding cake designer. In short, this is the guide you’ll want to have with you while you’re planning your day. Sit back and lose yourself in cake land.
Milque Photography and Films. Cake Bitz.
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A GUIDE TO WEDDING CAKES
8 MONTHS OUT
Wedding Cake Countdown
Start flicking through magazines and browsing Pinterest to see what sorts of cakes grab you. Also, consider how you’ll be serving your cake – will it be dessert, or will guests take a piece home? (Hint: the Queensland Brides Pinterest is a great place to start.)
7 MONTHS OUT Start visiting cake decorators and bakers, discussing your plans with them. Get quotes (in writing!). Shop around to see who can give you the cake you want (or the other desserts you require), at a price that suits your budget.
6 MONTHS OUT Book your cake decorator and order that cake! Sometimes, cake decorators need a little bit of lead time, especially if they’re popular. You’ll be parting with a first deposit, too.
2 MONTHS OUT Start purchasing any other cake accessories – cake stands, toppers, the cake knife, and so on – and if guests are taking cake home, organise take-home boxes. Keep up to date on those payments, too!
1 WEEK OUT Call your cake designer and confirm delivery time, and confirm this with your reception venue. No surprises on either end, that way!
THE DAY Lights, camera, action – cut the cake, kiss your new husband, and then scoff down a slice later. You deserve it.
Sassafair Events Sophie Baker Photography Helens Designer Cakes
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A GUIDE TO WEDDING CAKES
Choose the Cake each.
eas Airlie B
y. Sweet Id
raph iles Photog Brooke M
Tick off our checklist to finding the cake of your dreams. Have you tasted the cake? This could be the difference between chocolate mud and chocolate truffle.
Does your cake suit your wedding style? Rustic weddings call for the ever-trendy naked cake, while burlap-wrapped cakes might not fit a white-tie extravaganza.
Is it big enough to feed your guests? Find out more on page (xx).
Does it suit the weather? Jess Jackson Photographer Rebellyous Cake Co
Hot weather = no buttercream.
Can your cake designer create the cake you want? For example, you want a chocolate fantasy, choose a baker who is skilled with handling chocolate creations.
Have you scheduled enough time for the cake to be finished? Don’t leave it till the last minute: a six-tier, elaborately decorated cake cannot be finalised in a weekend.
Have you got a clear idea of what you want? You’ve heard too many cooks spoil the broth – too many opinions spoil the cake. Make sure you consider all opinions before any tasting appointments.
Does your ideal design suit your budget? Hugely important, and be prepared to compromise. Gold leaf and intricate designs will add to all those costs.
Milque Photography and Films Creative Cakes by Lisa
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A GUIDE TO WEDDING CAKES
Photo by Lover of Mine. Mio Cupcakes.
How much cake is that? Wondering how much cake you need to budget for? Wonder no more. Serving & Slice Guide
4 inch
9 inch 14 inch
6 inch
10 inch
16 inch
8 inch
CIRCLE
SQUARE
4 inch: 4 servings
4 inch: 4 servings
6 inch: 8 servings
6 inch: 9 servings
8 inch: 12 servings
8 inch: 16 servings
9 inch: 16 servings
9 inch: 20 servings
10 inch: 24 servings
10 inch: 25 servings
12 inch: 32 servings
12 inch: 36 servings
14 inch: 41 servings
14 inch: 49 servings
16 inch: 50 servings
16 inch: 64 servings
12 inch
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A GUIDE TO WEDDING CAKES
The Budget Give your budget some love – here are six easy ways to save on your wedding cake.
Studio Impressio
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1. Use dummy tiers. These foam tiers mean you don’t have to spend money on intricately iced tiers, as they’re usually just covered in fondant. Make sure one layer is real cake, though, so you can cut it on the day! You can then serve your guests from a sheet cake hidden from the reception room. 2. Serve your cake as dessert. Most couples have cottoned on to this money-saving gem, hooray! Rather than serve your guests an additional course, plate your cake up nicely with chantilly cream and exotic fruits and serve for a delicious dessert. 3. Keep your cake simple. Sugar flowers, endless tiers, and intricate piping all add to the cost of your cake, and can often be swapped for less labour-intensive designs. Fresh flowers are generally far cheaper than sugar flowers (it can take up to two hours to create just one bloom), so opt for these if you’re really keen for flowers. 4. Choose buttercream rather than fondant. While it’s hard to get the super-smooth look of fondant using buttercream, the experts can get a pretty close match – and it is almost always cheaper. 5. Or, go naked. Naked cakes are all the rage, and use a small amount of buttercream to achieve a rustic look that’s all about the flavour. 6. Square cakes will feed more guests, so go that route to see more value for money.
Calli B Photography. Sweet Clementine Cakes.
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A GUIDE TO WEDDING CAKES
Taste Test CAKE Orange and poppy seed Coffee and walnut Hazelnut truffle Vanila bean almond Chocolate almond truffle Dark chocolate, Amaretto and almond fudge Gluten-free vanilla and sour cherry Cherry ripe Brown sugar fig meringue Red velvet Champagne Carrot Vanilla bean Vanila sponge Lemon cake Lemon cake Mojito (mint and lime) Rose cake Green tea chiffon Vanilla cake brushed with lime syrup
FILLING
FINISH
White chocolate ganache Dark chocolate ganache Milk chocolate and Frangelico ganache Raspberry confiture and white chocolate ganache Raspberry confiture
Naked Dark chocolate ganache White chocolate ganache White chocolate and cream cheese icing
Salted caramel ganache
Dark chocolate ganache with raspberry confiture, covered in dark chocolate ganache Dark chocolate ganache under fondant
Vanilla Italian meringue buttercream Paraline buttercream Toblerone ganache Cream cheese frosting Strawberry buttercream Cream cheese frosting Violet buttercream Chantilly cream and raspberry jam Blackberry buttercream Lime curd Lime buttercream Lemon curd Vanila Italian meringue buttercream Passionfruit curd
Vanilla Italian meringue buttercream Swiss meringue buttercream American frosting Cream cheese frosting Champagne buttercream Cream cheese frosting and walnuts Fondant Marzipan Vanilla Italian meringue buttercream Orange bitters buttercream Lime buttercream Blackberry buttercream frosting Naked Passionfruit buttercream
Sassafair Events Sophie Baker Photography Helens Designer Cakes
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A GUIDE TO WEDDING CAKES
Got Cake? It’s time to take your cake home! First up, decide who’s taking it home. Are you dividing it between the guests, or are you saving it for yourself? If you decide the latter, ensure a responsible person has been given the all-important role of cake courier. To preserve your cake (and keep it from going off while you’re on your honeymoon), make sure the cake is wrapped tightly in cling wrap, follow with foil, another layer of cling wrap, and a final tight layer of foil. You can then slip the layer back into the cake box and tuck into the freezer for later snacks.
For the couples who decide not to follow the one-year tradition of wedding cakes (you can read more about that below), we love the idea of getting your bridal party and parents around for a nice post-honeymoon dinner, where your wedding cake is dessert. It’s a nice way to finish all the wedding festivities off and say a huge thank you to those who helped make it possible.
Photo by Sarah Fountain Jess Marks Photography Vanilla Lily Cake Design
otography
reative Ph
Chaordic C
Brooke Ad
ams Photo
graphy
Edwina Bartholomew Photography. Ideas In Icing.
Twist on tradition: We all know the tradition – save the top tier of your wedding cake for a scrumptious feast on your first anniversary, or at the christening of your first child. However, with the huge range of available flavours nowadays, this isn’t completely feasible. A well-made fruit cake is about the only style that will last in the freezer! Otherwise, your once-yummy cake will probably take on some freezer burn and may even soak
up the flavours of other things in the freezer. Fish-flavoured red velvet, anyone? Instead, go back to your cake maker and request a mini version of your top layer for youranniversary celebrations. We also love the idea of purchasing a selection of cupcakes in your wedding cake’s flavour and design. That way, you’ll honour tradition – just with a modern, tasty touch.
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A GUIDE TO WEDDING CAKES
Sweet Glossary If your head is spinning over all these terms, our delectable definitions are bound to help.
Ganache
Swiss Meringue buttercream
Macaron
A sweet, rich chocolate made with cream, somewhere between mousse and fudge.
A meringue-based icing with butter whipped through, prepped over a bain-marie.
Fondant
Italian Meringue buttercream
A French meringue-like dessert, made from egg whites, sugar, almond and food colouring, sandwiching ganache, buttercream and jam.
A sweet, elastic icing made of sugar, corn syrup and gelatine, giving it a smooth finish.
A meringue-based icing with butter whipped through, prepped using a sugar syrup and already-whipped eggs.
Confiture
Naked cake
Preserved or candied fruit, like jam.
A pared-down design that has no buttercream or fondant to hide those inner layers.
Praline A smooth, sweet filling made by boiling nuts in sugar and grinding the mix.
Cheesecake
Pastry cream
a rich, tart-like cake with a biscuit base and cream cheese filling.
A delicate milk and egg-based filling.
Marble A mottled cake made from different flavours and colours, swirled for decoration. Mud cake A rich chocolate cake with a delicate coffee aroma, with a dense, moist base. Red velvet A dense chocolate cake tinted red.
Croquembouche
Sponge
A paste made of almonds, sugar and egg white, mainly used to make edible flowers.
a pyramid-shaped dessert made with choux pastry buns filled with pastry cream, and decorated with spun sugar and caramel.
A lightweight cake with a firm, airy structure.
Champagne cake
Cupcakes
A light, frothy cake filled with Bavarian cream and flavoured with bubbly.
A small cake designed to serve one person, iced prettily.
American buttercream
Fruit cake
A combination of butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk – your standard icing.
A dense, moist cake containing dried fruit, nuts and alcohol.
Marzipan
Genoise An Italian sponge cake with air whipped through (rather than chemical aeration). Cheese tower A cake made of stacked cheese wheels.
John Downs Photography
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A GUIDE TO WEDDING CAKES
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