Read more about the latest wedding trends in the 2016 edition of Sudbury Living Weddings.
When Hilary Duff got married in 2010 her unfrosted cake became a sensation. The naked cake, decorated with flowers or fruit, has caught on with some brides and grooms if for no other reason than it is so untraditional.
While you may not be ready to “bare it all,” modern wedding cakes are simpler and have more individual touches than they did in your mother’s or grandmother’s day. Fruit cake covered with thick white royal icing, a custom that comes from the British Isles, has been replaced by chocolate, spice or carrot cake frosted to complement the wedding theme.
Wedding cakes are available in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. Some couples use a “dummy” cake for photographs and serve individual cupcakes or another dessert to guests.
The cutting of the wedding cake, a traditional wedding celebration that symbolizes the first task a bride and groom perform jointly as husband and wife. The first piece of cake is cut by the bride with the “help” of the groom. Some brides feed the first piece to her groom, but there is a fertility superstition that suggests the bride should cut and eat the first piece. Many couples freeze a tier of cake to share on their first wedding anniversary or at the christening of their first child.
One of the many wedding superstitions is that the bride must not make her own cake or she will be doomed to work hard for the rest of her life. Another superstition: an unmarried woman will dream of her future husband if she sleeps on a piece of wedding cake under her pillow.
When selecting your cake, contact a bakery you are familiar with or one that has been recommended by another bride. Research magazines and the internet to get ideas and book your appointment with the bakery to discuss your cake well in advance of the wedding.
Here is a glossary of cake terms you will find helpful when speaking to your baker.
Buttercream is a blend of butter, sugar and eggs, which can be used as a filling or as a rich type of icing.
Fondant is a type of sugar dough which is fairly elastic and can be used to cover cakes to ensure a beautifully smooth finish. It can also be embossed to create texture or to add draping and moulded elements across tiers.
Ganache is a rich chocolate filling which is not quite as dense as fudge but is slightly thicker than a mousse.
Piping is a very delicate art needing a fine touch and plenty of patience. Needless to say, the bakers and decorators who are skilled at this art can create breathtaking designs. Their work involves using a pastry bag filled with royal icing to ‘draw’ various designs, including flowers, lace, borders and more.
Royal icing is made from egg whites and sugar and forms a thick and sturdy frosting.
Sugarpaste, also commonly known as gumpaste, is a type of sugar dough used to create decorations such as ribbons and flowers.
Bakery directory
Cake Creations Azilda 705.507.6891 Create-A-Cake 71 David St., Chelmsford 705.855.4355 Double Frosted 1349 Lasalle Blvd., 705.566.2839 Frosted Bakery and Catering 3030 Hwy 69 N., Unit 4 705.897.2400 Pretty Witty Cakes 3145 Herve Ave.
Val Caron Regency Bakery & Deli 41355 Regent St, 705.522.8861 Ti Amo Cafe 124 Cedar St. 705.586.3455 Sweet Nothings 619 Kathleen St., 705.677.0710