The popularity of cupcakes has prompted many couples I know to serve the non-traditional treat at their reception. While it's hard not to love the tinier bites of cake goodness, it's not all fad: cupcakes, wedding cookies, and even dessert bars are often less pricey than extravagantly iced tier cakes. And, most guests are too distracted — or stuffed and tipsy — to notice or care.
Last year, 57 percent of you called a wedding cake disposable — do you feel the same today?
Lauren and her husband recently celebrated their one-year anniversary — congrats! She posted this picture in the Wedding Talk group in the YumSugar Community. She says:
My husband and I just celebrated our first anniversary and a couple days before, my mom gave me a ziploc with pieces of our wedding desserts that she had saved. We had quite a few different things: a traditional Norwegian Ring Wedding cake, a truffle pyramid, and a Mexican wedding cookie pyramid; she saved little bits of each. I can only imagine how a traditional wedding cake would taste one year later — thankfully ours survived 365 days in the freezer, so they weren't half bad!
How about you? Did you save a piece of your wedding cake to enjoy on your anniversary? Is this a tradition you want to follow when getting married?
When it comes to treats, champagne and cake take top billing for me. I don't need truffles, I don't need souffles, I don't need fancy cocktails, but I love me some bubbly and cake. This week the Savvy bride shared that cake and champagne made her priority list too, and I got to thinking about how I'd cut back on one or the other if I had to. Unfortunately, many couples trying to plan a wedding on a conservative budget have to cork it somewhere — and that means cutting the dream of a decadent five-tier cake or champagne river. Which decadent delight are you more apt to splurge on — cake or champagne?
A couple of weeks ago I helped assemble a cupcake tower for a friend's wedding. The cupcakes were created by Grace Park, an experienced home cook and avid baker. Although this was Park's second time baking a wedding dessert, making and transporting over 100 cupcakes is no easy task.
After testing several recipes with the bride, Park selected two flavors of cupcakes — chocolate raspberry and lemon pound cake — and topped both with a Swiss meringue frosting. The recipes were from The Australian Women's Weekly Cupcakes and Fairy Cakes cookbook, and the final look of the cupcake tower was inspired by this cake.
For those interested in making wedding cupcakes, Park recommends practicing in advance, thinking out storage, and arranging for helpers to transport the finished cakes. Have you ever made a wedding cake? Or wedding cupcakes? Share your experience below!
To look at a gallery of the cupcake process and check out the completed tower, read more
The President's daughter, Jenna Bush, was recently married in a lavish but down-to-earth wedding at her family's ranch in Texas. Few details have been released about the ceremony, reception, and menu but rumor has it the cake was created by the Ultimate Cheesecake Bakery. The tres leches/dulce de leche cake had whipped cream frosting and fresh floral arrangements. By the time this photo was taken, the top tier of the confection had started to fall. While it's sad the top was tilting, it's probably something the happy couple will laugh about for years to come. I'm a huge fan of dulce de leche and can only imagine how delicious the cake must have tasted. Thoughts?
Every time I check out the Yum Market, I always end up looking at serenityspeaks' bookmarks. She has lovingly hunted down tons of wedding cakes, and even grouped them by color.
I'm rather fond of this incredibly unique tiered cake with citrus accompaniments, but if it doesn't suit you scroll through her impressive list below. There's plenty to be inspired by.
And if this selection isn't enough, serenityspeaks actually found three more pages of wedding cake ideas for you.
Head to IDoSugar for more wedding coverage.
First of all, let me start by saying I'm really sorry if you used any of these cake toppers at your wedding. Maybe I just don't get your humor. Secondly, let me add to that by saying these are some truly tacky cake toppers. From mermice — yes mermaid + mice = mermice! — to fighting couples, I think I can guarantee that you won't find these cake toppers on any 2008 trends list.
Once you've decided which cake trend suits your wedding style, it's time to think about the flavor of the cake. Although many couples have differing tastes, you can compromise on a flavor that suits both of you. Each layer can be different, or you can offer a variety of smaller cakes.
Since Sean likes vanilla and Elena loves chocolate, they've decided to serve a marble cake at their reception. A marble cake is made with both chocolate and vanilla batters. The final cake is topped with with a swiss meringue buttercream.
For more wedding ideas, check out IDoSugar. To take a look at the recipe — it's a little complicated! — read more
The wedding cake is the unspoken centerpiece of the wedding reception. Whether it's a chocolate sensation or a demure statement, everyone's bound to remark on what the cake looks like. This year there are more metallics, colors, and, of course, small cakes. To see all the wedding cake trends for 2008, click the "Start" button.
I was checking out the posts on TeamSugar when I came across this one in the Cake Decorators Unite! group. Group founder ashleyk4214 really stepped up her game and created this gorgeous cake for a wedding this past weekend. It's a French vanilla cake with blueberry filling and vanilla buttercream icing. That sounds delicious enough, but my favorite part is actually the cascading white roses, hydrangeas and creeping ivy. See more photos, just read more
