OH&L Weddings - Sweet Beginnings

Bridal cakes by Party Flavors Custom Cakes (above) range from classical to avant-garde.

By Katie Farmand

It’s just dessert, right? Ask any bride that question, and watch how she responds. Wedding cakes have never been just dessert. Wedding cakes are towering tributes to a special day and a special union.  

Traditionally, they’re works of art and architecture, featuring layers draped in fondant and decorated to mimic the intricate lace on a bride’s veil or the flowers that she holds in her bouquet.
And now more than ever, elaborate designs, colorful accents and even sparkling gems are supplanting plain white cakes topped with those smiling bride-and-groom figurines.

“When I got married years ago, everything was white – white cake, white icing, white flowers,” says Priscilla Lucas, owner of Party Flavors Custom Cakes. “With today’s bride, anything goes. Color is everywhere.”

For black-tie, formal weddings, cakes often reflect the elegance of the event with simple yet stunning designs and themes, such as lacy patterns that complement the bridal gown, interlocking calligraphy monograms that match the invitations, or sprays of colorful flowers that complement those in centerpieces around the room.

For less formal affairs, cakes tend to be more whimsical and can reflect a couple’s interests, or the overall theme of the big day.

“This generation of brides wants, above everything else, something personal,” says Jennyfer Mancino, owner of The Sugar Suite, a custom bakery in Maitland. “The cake is the one item at the reception that is 100 percent customizable and can tie all the other design elements together to make one cohesive look.”

Cake themes run the gamut, says Lucas, from colorful, rustic and nature-inspired to polished and extravagant, dripping with crystals and pearls. Most brides make certain that their cakes ideally suit the theme or ambience of their receptions.

Many hours of design and assembly go into creating these impressive displays. Mancino, for example, says it takes her about a week to create a single custom cake.

The process begins with a day of sketching and baking. A second day is devoted to sculpting the layers of the cake. Executing the intricate details, such as sugar flowers, requires a third day.

Everything is assembled on day four, using dowel rods for support. Cakes are then decorated and finalized on day five. All of this meticulous work results in a show-stopping centerpiece that can sometimes cost more than the bride’s gown.

Some couples choose to take a more traditional route with a classic white cake, turning instead to a groom’s cake for a sugary dose of fun. “There are no rules with grooms’ cakes,” says Lucas. “We’ve done everything from handguns to easy chairs.”

Grooms’ cakes by The Sugar Suite (above) are often whimsical and representational.

Mancino has created grooms’ cakes modeled after a marathon-running groom’s lucky shoes, a DeLorean automobile and a full-size Fender guitar. “The guests were all wondering why the groom had his cherished Fender on display,” Mancino says. “They thought the cake was a real guitar.”

Whether a couple chooses an awe-inspiring, multitiered confection covered in handmade decorations or a surprising and creative groom’s cake – or both – wedding cakes are moving out of the corner and into the spotlight as a focal point of the reception.

And there’s one more prosaic but important factor that must be taken into account. Since wedding cakes often serve as the only dessert, what if someone who is either in the wedding party or a guest has a food allergy? What about other dietary restrictions?

While a handful of bakeries do offer some allergen- and gluten-free options, some couples opt for completely vegan cakes – meaning a cake made without milk, eggs, honey or other animal products.

A handful of bakeries in Orlando specialize in vegan and gluten-free cakes. And, although the ingredient list might look quite different, devotees of vegan baked goods laud the taste and texture of these offbeat confections.

“The difference between a vegan cake and one from a traditional bakery really is very slim, appearance- and taste-wise,” says Katie Mosher, owner of the all-vegan Raphsodic Bakery. “Our cakes are covered in a vegan butter cream that we make in house or a vegan fondant for a more traditional appearance.”

Let Them Eat Cookies and Pie

Brides who shy away from convention regarding other aspects of their weddings are often choosing to jettison cakes al-together. Here are some ideas for alternate sweet endings.

Pies. Serving a selection of pies, from fresh peach pie in the summer months to richer nut or chocolate tarts in the winter, can be a homey and welcoming dessert option for a low-key wedding.

It’s also a great way to involve family members or friends who love to bake. “We wanted our wedding and reception to feel hand-done and familiar, so we picked pies and homemade ice cream instead of a big wedding cake,” says Morgan Claytor, an Orlando newlywed. “It gave the reception a much more casual and friendly quality and gave our guests a lot of options to choose from.”

Candy buffet. Create a generous spread of your favorite candies, from old-fashioned rock candy swizzles in apothecary jars to trays of chocolate truffles and bowls of sticky caramels, hard candies and even flavored marshmallows. Provide cellophane bags and scoops so guests can create their own goodie bags while they nibble the sugary offerings.

Cookies and milk. Offer at least five or six varieties of cookies, creatively displayed in big cookie jars, pretty tiered stands or in neat rows on square platters. This is another way to incorporate friends and family by enlisting them to make their favorite cookie. Offer glasses of cold chocolate and regular milk with fun, colorful straws to add to the whimsy.

Cupcakes. The cupcake craze has spread to weddings. Served on a tiered stand, cupcakes can be both informal treats and stunning centerpieces. “I liked the size and focal point I could achieve with the cupcake stand,” says recently wed Lindsey Freeman. “The stands are relatively inexpensive compared to purchasing a large wedding cake. Also, I was able to choose a variety of flavors to make everyone happy.” Another bonus: Leftovers are easy to pack in small bakery boxes and hand to guests when the evening comes to a close.

For more wedding vendors see our Wedding Resource Guide.