Ordering your wedding cake should be one of the most enjoyable parts of the wedding planning process. It's cake! It shouldn't be stressful. It should be fun and tasty. But once you start getting into the details, it can be a little intimidating to someone who's never ordered a wedding cake before. Information is the best cure for anxiety, so I've put together a list of commonly used cake terms, what they mean and how they can be applied to your cake. 

Tier - One of the most common sources of confusion is mixing up the words "tier" and "layer". Your wedding cake is made up of tiers of cake. Each tier is made up of layers of cake, fillings or butter cream. 

Layer - Each individual tier is made up of layers of cake, butter cream & filling. Our cakes are 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of filling. Each cake designer does this differently and should let you know how your cake will be assembled at your tasting.  

Butter cream - There are many varieties of butter cream and every baker has their favorite. American, Italian, German, French and more. The most common are American, French & Italian. American style butter cream is also called "simple" butter cream. It is made by beating sugar with butter or shortening until light & fluffy. The French & Italian are meringue style butter creams. This involves cooking sugar & eggs, then whipping until light & foamy. Butter or shortening is then added to the meringue to make the butter cream. French will often include yolks, white Italian is made with just the egg whites. Some bakers use shortening, some use butter and others use a combination of both. The meringue style butter creams often result in a finer frosting, lighter on the tongue with no greasy residue or gritty texture. Butter cream is often used as a filling as well as a finish. Butter cream finished cakes have a very traditional, classic look. 

Fondant - Fondant is a rolled frosting made of sugar, water & corn syrup. Some fondants contain gums or gelatin for added elasticity. Fondant is soft, pliable and can be tinted any color. It is worked with in ways similar to working with clay. If you decide to use fondant, your cake will first be finished in butter cream before the fondant is rolled and applied to the outside of the cake. Fondant gives cakes a very smooth, modern finish and can allow for greater flexibility in terms of design. 

Not all fondant is created equal. Just like cake & butter cream, fondant varies from baker to baker. Some buy it and some make it from scratch. Fondant should be applied in a very thin layer and shouldn't be thick or very chewy. If you like the look but are unsure of the taste, ask your cake designer to provide a sample during the tasting. Deciding on what finish is best for your cake is really a matter of personal taste. The time of year and whether or not your cake will be out doors can be important factors. For outdoor weddings during warmer months fondant can sometimes be a better option. 

Royal Icing - Royal icing is made of powdered sugar & some sort of liquid. Some people use water, milk or egg whites. When first made it is very liquid, but firm, and can be used to pipe thin lines, words or dots onto the cake. Once dry, the icing becomes very firm and crunchy. It is not typically used to cover an entire cake, just for small details. Many times it the icing used to decorate sugar cookies. 

Gum Paste or Sugar Paste - Gum paste is made with similar ingredients as fondant, but in different ratios. It's a pliable sugar dough that when left out will dry to a hard crack, almost like porcelain. It is most commonly used to make flowers, but can also be used to make other realistic details such as shells, birds, butterflies, jewelry, etc. Gum paste is edible, but not usually eaten because it is so crunchy. 

Couples who have gum paste flowers on their cake will sometimes keep a blossom or two in a glass dome or shadow box as a memento of their special day. Items made out of gum paste will last indefinitely if kept cool, dry and out of direct sunlight. 

Ganache - Ganache is made by pouring warm cream over chocolate, then whisking until smooth and glossy. When warm it can be poured over a cake to give it a smooth glassy brown finish. When allowed to cool it can be used as a cake filling, very creamy and fudgy in texture.  

So now you're ready to open a bake shop! Ok, well maybe not quite yet :) At the very least this gives you a good head start in determining what kind of cake will serve you best. Being an informed consumer will help you greatly in working with your cake designer in coming up with the perfect cake for your wedding.