One of the best parts of the wedding planning process for me is choosing the wedding cake. Your wedding cake is the centerpiece of your reception.

Just like weddings have become less traditional and more personalized, so has the wedding cake. It is truly a process to find the perfect wedding cake. Wedding cakes come in different sizes and shapes. The shapes usually chosen are round and square. The cake itself can be sponge, pound cake, or even cheesecake. They come in an array of different flavors. Traditional flavors such as vanilla, yellow cake, almond, and chocolate. Less traditional flavors such as coconut, and Kahlua fudge. Or even Caribbean flavors such as Tres Leche, Dominican, and Pineapple Rum.

I know I'm making you hungry!

With the cake comes a variety of frostings... The traditional frosting for wedding cakes is buttercream frosting. But you could have whipped cream, rolled sugar frosting called Fondant. Fondant is a sugar paste that is rolled flat and applied to the cake. It is also used for decorations on the cake like bows and flowers.

What style of wedding cake suites your wedding vision?
Do you want elaborate flowers throughout the cake? Sylvia Weinstock, known as "The Leonardo Da Vinci" of the wedding cake world, can make your dreams come true.
www.sylviaweinstockcakes.com  .

Do you want a cake with an afrocentric theme?.. try this cake maker extraordinaire, Charmaine "cakediva" Jones www.cakediva.com  

How about something different?.. perhaps four delectable tiers of cheesecakes. Check out my #1 cake baker, Gail Ciriello of Cheesecake etc. www.cheesecakeetc.biz  . Gail's traditional wedding cakes are amazing as well!

Let's explore some cake terms:

Almond Paste - A paste made from ground almonds and sugar. This paste is used to make cake decorations. Almond Paste is also called Marzipan.

Candy Dough - This is a mixture of cream of tartar, tragacanth gum, sugar and water. This dough is used to make decorations. It is also known as gum paste.

Ganache - This is a mixture of chocolate and cream. It can either be used as a filling in the cake or for icing the wedding cake.

Royal Icing - An icing made from sugar and egg white. The icing is soft when fresh and is piped using a piping bag onto the cake. It then hardens. This frosting is used to make flowers for decoration as well.
Happy Tasting!

What questions should you ask the baker?

When you find a baker or bakers that you are interested in, you should ask some of the following questions:

-Ask for an appointment for a cake tasting. This should be a tasting of cake flavors, frostings and fillings.

-Ask if they can design a cake for you from a picture.

-Ask if they have a portfolio of their work.

-Ask when your cake and frosting will be made. I wouldn?t be satisfied with an answer more than 48 hours before the date of the wedding.

-Ask if they use all fresh ingredients, like real butter.

-Ask if they freeze their cakes. You do not want to purchase a cake that has been frozen.

-Ask for references if you don?t know of their reputation.

-Ask how much the delivery and set-up cost will be. -Find out how much of a deposit is required.

-Ask when the balance will be due.

-Ask if there is any additional cost for decorations, fillings, columns, etc.

Preserving the Top Layer-
It is traditional to save the top layer of your wedding cake. But please do not do what I did. Not knowing any better, 15 years ago, I simply left the top of the cake in the freezer in the cake box. It tasted so badly at our 1 year anniversary, I wished I would have eaten it on my wedding night!

Here are some suggestions on how to wrap and store the top layer of your wedding cake.
1. Freeze the cake in the freezer for an hour. This will make the icing hard so that it will not stick to the paper when wrapped.
2. After an hour, remove the cake. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and make sure it is wrapped from top to bottom and on the sides. The wrapping should be airtight.
3. After wrapping completely with plastic wrap, double wrap the cake with aluminum foil as well. Wrapping it this way will make sure it does not have the freezer burn taste.
4.Put the entire cake in a container, with a cover that can hold it. Store it this way until your 1st year anniversary.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rene'John Designs offers its clients an individualized design experience with attention to detail.  By listening to her customers and applying information that she obtains from their personalities and lifestyles , Rene' designs an event reflecting her clients' vision -not Rene's.
Her services includes floral design, rentals, custom linens, lighting and wedding consultation.
Rene's one goal is to deliver a level of excellence like none other. 
www.renejohndesigns.com