Have your cake | How to choose your dream wedding cake
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If you’re newly-engaged, chances are you’ll feel like there’s a tonne to do.
Choosing your wedding cake supplier can be a big task as there are so many things to consider – style, flavours, size – you name it!
First up, some sage advice for couples – don’t panic!
Our cake designers say that any baker worth their salt (or, in this case, sugar) will guide you through the process step by step.
All you need to do is gather some ideas about what you’re after.
“Google is your friend!” says Pippa Hutcheon of Philippa Rose Cake Design.
“Look for cake makers in your area, look at their websites, follow them on social media and see if their work is something that you like the look of.
Cake makers have different styles so it’s good to look at different ideas and see what would match your wedding aesthetic.”
All our designers say wedding shows are a great way to meet designers face to face and also to sample their wares!
Ryan White Photography | Zara’s Cakery
Kerrie Gourlay of Crumbdidilyumptious says, “Have a realistic budget and idea of styles of cake you like, or any elements you definitely want to include on your cake, like the pattern from your invitations or flowers from bouquets or even a model of your dog.
“Show us your Pinterest boards, pictures of bits you have saved.
“This gives a cake designer an idea of what you like.
“Once you have found your cake designer they should guide you through the process.”
Alison McCabe from The Kilted Cake Company says while it’s not necessary to know a definite cake design that you would like, “it is helpful to know or have an idea of the different cake finishes e.g. fondant, buttercream, semi-naked, naked cakes.
“Not everyone offers all the different mediums, we all have our preferred medium to work with.
“So that’s the only thing that would be important to know when finalising who to work with.”
However, Katherine Hunt from Katie’s Cakes urges couples not to feel under pressure.
“Couples need time to explore and consider all elements of their wedding, such as the bridesmaids’ dresses, the groom’s tartan, venue décor and wedding flowers, and these are usually reflected in the cake design,” she says.
“The cake designer will walk the couple through their wedding cake journey and will be on hand to answer any questions.”
Never too soon
Philippa Rose Cake Design
As a rule, these designers are busy bees and all say their diaries can get booked up at least two years in advance when it comes to popular summer dates.
So if you’re thinking of a high season wedding, that’s definitely something to keep in mind.
Alison advises, “As soon as you have your date and venue you should be looking to confirm a booking with the suppliers you would like to work with.
Key summer dates can book one to two years in advance so you can never be too early.”
Kerrie also makes the point that knowing your venue and date is essential, as delivery distance will impact the cost.
Businesses will ask for a deposit to save your chosen date and, after your consultations, the cake design will be finalised a few months before the wedding.
Our experts say knowing guest numbers will help to calculate how big to make your cake.
“Each tier feeds a certain number of people, so knowing how many guests are coming means we can provide the right number of tiers and design the cake to
fit.
“You don’t want loads of cake left over but you also don’t want to under cater,” Pippa explains.
“We don’t cater for everyone that you’ve invited as not everybody will have a bit of cake, I work on a guide of 80% of your total guest number.
“There’s no point in paying for something that’s going to get wasted!” Alison adds.
And while having tiers is fairly traditional, there are lots of ways to vary the style – or you can ditch them entirely!
Pippa explains, “You can have as many tiers as you want because dummy tiers and cake separators can be used to add height and interest.”
Kerrie says, “A traditional tiered cake isn’t your only option.
“I’ve done croquembouche, cupcakes, donuts, cinnamon rolls and brownie towers as alternatives with a cutting cake.
“You could have a macaron tower, a truffle tower or a tiered cookie ‘cake’.
“I love different – so ask – I might just manage what you think is a crazy request.”
Some couples opt for a complete dummy cake (cake-shaped faux layers decorated with icing) then have a less elaborate cutting cake to serve to guests.
Our cake designers advise that a similar amount of work goes into decorating these dummy tiers, so it’s often better value to take the cake itself.
When it comes to flavours, the sky really is the limit.
You can sample them at wedding fairs and most designers create tasting boxes, too.
While Pippa finds vanilla is still a firm favourite, Alison is noticing her couples becoming a bit more adventurous.
“With my own flavour menu, white chocolate and raspberry is the new ‘vanilla’ and my couples really love cherry bakewell, sticky toffee, tablet and chocolate salted caramel to name a few,” she explains.
A traditional fruit cake is definitely not something she is asked for very much.
Katherine’s popular flavours include lemon and elderflower, raspberry and white chocolate, and sticky toffee and caramel.
Meanwhile Zara Emadi of Zara’s Cakery says that along with white chocolate and raspberry, caramel, lemon and poppy seed, or lemon and blueberry are top picks.
Alison adds, “A different flavour for each tier is an absolute must, there is so much choice now when it comes to cake flavours that you want to have options for your guests and also for yourselves!”
Trend watch
Texture time
Zara says textures are going to be a big hit as we go through 2024 and beyond.
“This could be from stencilling, using wafer paper, pearls, or any kind of edible mediums on the cake and not having a plain smooth finish,” she says.
“I am also seeing more silk ribbons.
“As some couples feel safer to keep their cake colour white, you can add that splash of colour to your cake with delicate silk ribbons!”
Original ideas
Lifetime Photography | Crumbdidilyumptious
Both Kerrie and Katherine note that elaborately piped Lambeth-style cakes are on the rise.
Katherine explains, “Couples are looking for more originality in their wedding cake and there are now lots of non-edible elements on the market that can be incorporated into the cake design and staging, such as cake spacers and separators or cake stands which are available in a variety of materials and finishes.
“Naked and semi-naked cakes continue to be popular, too.”
Pippa adds, “Some of the cakes I have made include fillable acrylic tiers and I have put fresh or silk flowers, or fairy lights inside them.
“Others have side bars, which makes the cake on the top look like it’s floating.”
Edible art
bbPicture Photography | Katie’s Cakes
Leslee Mitchell Photography | Philippa Rose Cake Design
Sarah Fulton Photography | Zara’s Cakery
Pippa’s big piece of advice to couples is, “Show off your cake! It’s an edible piece of art and should be displayed on something more than just a cake stand – and definitely not one of those silver plastic cake stands that so many venues have.
“Make a whole feature out of it and make sure it’s got great lighting.”
Katherine adds, “Each cake, no matter the size, should provide a beautiful centrepiece for the couple’s big day!”
Have you found your cake designer yet?
Head to our suppliers’ pages for inspiration
