Buttercream frostings are a traditional topping for wedding cakes that are typically used in many frostings of birthday and holiday cakes purchased in local bakeries and stores, but you may want to veer from the traditional to make your wedding cake unique. In more recent times, the wedding cake has evolved from the traditional, white cake with white frosting to more interesting flavors. Depending on what area of the world you are from will play a large role in your choice of flavors as with any food at your wedding reception. The marzipan flavor of European taste may not be the choice of an American couple who might be more inclined to a cheesecake flavor that is more popular in the states, as an example.

No matter what wedding cake flavors you select, it’s important to know what the cake will taste like, especially if more than one or two flavors are being blended in the cake.  It is wise to ask for a sample before placing your order. Wedding cake bakers who are vendors at bridal fairs will often offer samples, so check in your area to see whether there are bridal fairs you can attend where there will be wedding cake sampling. Also, you may be attracted by the looks of a display cake. Be sure to ask what kind of frosting that entails because some of the more elegant looking cakes have a hard frosting lending them a sheen that makes them look very elegant, but they aren’t necessarily the most delicious frostings. They tend to be the fondant frostings that were the more traditional frostings of decades past.

Many people take the season into consideration when designing their cakes and their flavors. If you’re choosing a fruit filled cake, with fresh fruit filling, you do want to be sure that the fruit is in season. The ingredients are what will make your cake the best tasting it can be so if you are shopping for cakes and find that there is a great disparity in price of the same type of cake, know that there may be some skimping on finer ingredients in the less expensive cake, and know that will be reflected in the quality, flavor and overall taste of the cake.

You have a lot to consider when deciding, including the icing, the filling, and the cake itself. The wedding cake flavors, including chocolate wedding cakes, upon which you decide are as much a reflection of the bride and groom as their attire and that of their attendants, so choose your flavors wisely.

One obvious way to find a wedding cake decorator is to look through the advertisements found in bridal magazines.  The bakeries listed in these publications usually specialize in wedding cakes, so brides can be confident that they will get the benefit of having a professional take care of their cake.  However, brides should also know that advertising rates in these types of magazines can be pretty steep.  Odds are that only the most affluent cake decorators will be found in the pages of these glossy magazines.

Another way to quickly meet several wedding cake decorators is to attend a bridal fair.  Bridal fairs allow brides to preview the services of all types of wedding vendors including cake decorators.  Prospective customers are invited to taste cake samples, browse through photo albums of the decorators’ cakes, and to gather information about pricing.  Often times, brides even get to meet the cake decorator in person.  In a few hours’ time, brides can narrow their decision about choosing a cake decorator to two or three final options.

The internet can also be a powerful research tool when looking for a wedding cake decorator.  Popular websites like theknot.com and WeddingChannel.com offer advice about choosing a wedding cake professional and list professionals within a regional search.  Visitors to these sites can find their way to many wedding cake decorators with a few clicks of a mouse.

Sometimes, however, despite all of the research in the world, referrals from others provide the best leads to a wedding cake decorator.  Former brides are often happy to share the name of their cake decorator.  In addition, other wedding vendors are willing to share the names of professional cake decorators they’ve worked with in the past.  Florists who have designed cake toppers will know which cake decorators were best able to show off their arrangements.  Caterers have also usually seen more than their fair share of cake decorators’ works.  Brides should never hesitate to ask others about their experience with cake decorators.

Brides on a tighter budget may find that they can find the wedding cake of their dreams in the most unlikely of places:  the grocery store.  Many full-service grocery stores include a bakery department that offers cake decorating services.  In addition, many stores’ deli departments feature catering services.  A bride could find an affordable way to cater her wedding reception and order her wedding cake all at once.

Finding a wedding cake decorator can be a little intimidating for any bride.  Many don’t know where to start their searches.  However, by doing a little research, asking lots of questions, and being prepared to consider all of her options, a bride can quickly find the perfect cake for her big day.

That disappointment can be avoided by going through the proper steps in freezing wedding cake.  The steps aren’t hard; however, no step can be skipped.  Each is important in the process of preparing the cake for freezing.

Any decorations on the wedding cake must be removed before the cake can be frozen.  Carefully pull flower adornments and ribbons off of the cake disturbing as little of the icing as possible.  Icing decoration, however, can be left in place as long as they won’t prohibit the cake from being well-wrapped later.

Next, the entire cake layer should be placed in the refrigerator for a few hours.  The cold temperature in the refrigerator allows the outer surface of the wedding cake’s icing to harden slightly.  This hardening will protect the shape of the cake as it is prepared for freezing.

After the icing on the wedding cake has started to stiffen, it is time to wrap it up.  Using plastic wrap or aluminum foil, wrap the entire layer of cake.  Take special care that the ends overlap enough to keep air from seeping into the wrapping.

A second layer of protection should also be provided by placing the wedding cake into a freezer bag.  Large gallon-sized freezer bags are well-suited for this type of project.  Any large pockets of air should be forced out of the bag before it is sealed.  Air can be removed by simply pressing the air out of the bag; however, a vacuum can also be used to ensure that as much air is eliminated as possible.  If air is left in the bag, the air could cause the cake to become dried out.

Finally, the entire package should be placed into a box.   Some bakeries will provide a box especially for this purpose.  If a box isn’t provided, however, a tin box will work, as well.  Just take care to select a box that is large enough to house the whole cake.  This box will protect the wedding cake from any bumps that may occur over the next year.  After all of this has been done, the cake is ready for freezing.

Waiting an entire year to enjoy the remains of a wedding cake can seem like an eternity.  The last thing any anniversary celebrant wants to do once his special day finally arrives is to undertake a long, drawn out process before he gets to dig into his cake.  Fortunately, when the time comes to eat the wedding cake, the thawing process is much simpler than the freezing process was.

Simply remove it from the freezer and place it into the refrigerator.  After a few hours, the cake can be pulled from the refrigerator and allowed to continue to thaw at room temperature.  Now all that’s left to do is to unwrap the cake and enjoy!

First and foremost, you have to set a budget for your cake.  Will you spend less $100 on your cake?  Perhaps you’re planning a wedding with a large budget and plan to spend several hundred dollars.  Whatever your budget might be, you can be certain that it will guide many of your choices.  Be honest with your wedding cake decorator about your budget so that he can help you design a cake that fits your needs.

Another important factor in selecting a wedding cake is the number of people you will be feeding.  Small, intimate weddings may only require a small cake with one or two layers.  On the other hand, if you’re hosting more than one hundred people at your wedding reception, you’ll probably need a cake with three or more layers.  Knowing how many servings you will need to buy will help you estimate the final price of your wedding cake, too.

Deciding what type of icing will be used on your wedding cake will greatly affect both the price and the appearance of your wedding cake.  Most cakes are covered with either butter cream icing or fondant icing.  While either of these styles of icing will result in a beautiful cake, each has its own impacts on the design of the cake.  Fondant usually results in a sleeker style; butter cream, however can be applied in several different textures.  Take care to select the type of icing that works with the cake you want.

The size of a wedding cake can also vary greatly.  Of course, some part of the cake’s size is determined by the number of servings you will require.  A cake that feeds two hundred people will never be a small cake.  However, a cake that feeds fifty people doesn’t have to be a small cake.  If you want a massive wedding cake, but don’t want to purchase more cake than you need, you may opt to include a few “false” layers in your cake.  They can be iced to match the rest of your cake so that no one will ever know the difference.

Finally, you will need to make a decision about the overall style of your wedding cake.  Do you want something sleek and modern looking?  Or have you always dreamed of a traditional cake with icing flowers on top?  Flipping through magazines or browsing the internet can help you get an idea of what your ideal wedding cake looks like.

Once you’ve worked your way through these five decisions, you will be well on your way to selecting the wedding cake you’ve always wanted.  Your cake will be the perfect complement to your wedding and reception.  Now, you’re ready to move onto the rest of your wedding planning.

Wedding cakes are available in as many sizes and shapes as there are colors in the rainbow.  Cake sizes can be large enough to feed gatherings of hundreds of people or small enough to feed the bride and groom alone.  Some cakes adhere to the traditional round shape while others break the norm and feature a more modern square shape.  There are no hard and fast rules about what a wedding cake should look like so brides and grooms are free to choose something that appeals to them.

The most traditional style of wedding cake is undoubtedly the round wedding cake.  In some form or another, wedding cakes have been using the round shape for decades.  However, the way those round cakes are put together have changed over the years.  Some weddings feature round wedding cakes that are built upon a system of pillars to achieve great height.  Another way to use a round-shaped wedding cake is to stack increasingly smaller cakes directly on top of each other until the cake has reached the desired size.   Even small weddings that only require a small, single layer cake often choose a small round cake.

For a sleeker, more modern take on the traditional wedding cake, some couples are turning to square-shaped confections.  Square wedding cakes can be stacked and layer in many of the same ways that round cakes are created.  However, square cakes are easier to cut and serve making them a caterer’s dream.  In addition, square or rectangular sheet cakes are a wonderful alternative for a bride and groom on a budget.  A large sheet cake is inexpensive and can feed many guests.

Particularly romantic weddings often present the bride and groom with the perfect opportunity to select a specially-shaped wedding cake.  For instance, a single layer of heart-shaped wedding cake is an especially sweet touch for an intimate wedding.  That doesn’t mean, though, that heart-shaped cakes can’t be used for larger receptions.  They can also be stacked or mounted with pillars in the same fashion that their more traditional cousins are displayed.

Of course, not every wedding cake is built around a symmetrical shape.  Some wedding cake bakers specialize in a type of cake that seems to defy gravity:  the topsy-turvy cake.  These cakes appear to lean one way, then another, as the layers are added.  Hidden rods inside the cake, however, ensure that this delightful creation is as stable as any other wedding cake.  Usually accompanied with bright colors and fanciful designs, topsy-turvy cakes are a sight to behold for wedding guests as well as the happy couple.

In any shape and size, wedding cakes are a welcome addition to any wedding reception.  By serving as part of the wedding’s décor, as well as part of the wedding’s refreshments, the right wedding cake will become a memorable part of the celebration in the minds of everyone in attendance.

Many traditional weddings include a wedding cake topper in the shape of traditional bride and groom.  Some couples look for a miniature bride and groom that resembles them.  Others are given the honor of using the figure used on a family member’s cake, perhaps a parent or grandparent.  A couple can’t go wrong by choosing to display these little works of art on their cakes.

For a more fun-loving spin on the traditional bride and groom cake topper, some wedding cakes are adorned with a bride and groom figurine that doesn’t quite fit the traditional mold.  These figures may include humorous poses of a bride dragging her husband to the wedding.  There are also bride and groom figurines created in the image of popular cartoon characters like Mickey and Minnie Mouse, as well Cinderella and her Prince Charming.

Couples who are in search of a more stylized look for their wedding cake may opt for an acrylic cake topper.  These clear toppers are usually embellished with some type of etched design.  Designs vary from a pair of wedding rings to a romantic heart.  The bride and groom can choose anything that strikes their fancy.  Some acrylic toppers are even cut into a custom shape.  Palm trees, castles, and even horses are just a few of the options available.

Another stylish and elegant choice for a cake topper is a simple monogram.  Letters are available in a variety of materials that include brushed metals and rhinestone.  Couples can proudly display the initial for their newly-shared name atop their wedding cake.  A different option is to showcase the initial for each of their first names.

Couples who prefer to forego any time of figure at all can always choose to embellish their wedding cake with a cake topper made of flowers.  Fresh flowers can be ordered with the rest of the wedding’s flowers to ensure that the cake coordinates with the rest of the décor.  The wedding cake decorator can add the flowers to the cake when he sets it up at the reception site.

If the bride and groom prefers, they can also chose to use artificial flowers for the wedding cake topper.  In either case, however, a floral cake topper can be a beautiful display.  The cake may feature a few blooms of an eye-catching flower such as a lily, or it may be covered with a mass of smaller flowers such as carnations.  Some cake designers even plan a waterfall effect by creating a trail of flowers falling down one side of the cake.

Selecting a wedding cake topper is much like choosing the right accessory for an outfit.  A cake topper alone is not enough to stand out at the wedding reception.  However, a well-chosen cake topper will help the wedding cake make an impression on everyone.