Choosing your wedding cake guide

No wedding or reception would be complete without a wedding cake and today they come in all shapes, sizes, colours and tastesso you are no longer stuck with the traditional three or four tier square or round cake. If you can’t find a cake shape that suits you then the confectioner will for a hefty price design one to your exact specifications.

The standard for wedding cakes used to be white iced fruit cake but now confectioners make them suitable for everyone with chocolate sponge, vanilla sponge, and carrot cake and even mixed tiers so there is something for everyone. Having chosen which type of cake you want then next decision you will have to make is how you want the cake iced.

Cakes are traditionally iced with royal icing, which is harder than the sugar icing but along with the many different and unusual shapes and colours you know have a wider choice when it comes to icing.

The colour of the icing isn’t the only choice you have to make but also the decorations for the cake, there are sugar paste flowers, ribbons, lattice work, monograms and motifs to choose from.

Along with all these decisions you will have to take into account of course the theme of your wedding and colours you have chosen for it. Always give the confectioner plenty of time to bake and decorate your cake especially if it is a fruit cake as the cake will need time to mature and of course be iced.

The confectioner will normally deliver the cake to your chosen reception hall on the morning of the wedding and assemble it if it is in tiers, on the top table or table of your choice.

Cutting the wedding cake

The cutting of the cake is part of the wedding day and is a time held tradition, the bride will hold the knife in her right hand and the groom puts his hand over the top of his brides. If you follow tradition then the knife should be held upside down while cutting the first slice of cake together.

Traditionally the cutting of the cake is announced by the best man and is usually toasted with champagne; it always follows the speeches that are given by the bride’s father, groom and best man. Again if you want to stick with tradition then the top tier is usually saved for the first anniversary.

Wedding cake tips

* Before ordering the cake make sure you know the number of people who will be receiving slices and don’t forget those that aren’t attending the wedding and if you want to save the top tier for your first anniversary and order the size accordingly.

* Choose the confectioner as early as possible and see samples of what they can produce and if possible tasters.

* Choose the style, shape and colour of your cake to match the theme of your wedding * When you go to order the cake take along any samples of colours, motifs or decoration ideas that you have.