Win a £25,000 Wedding
When you join UKbride we will enter you into a prize draw where you could win a dream wedding costing £25,000
When it comes to picking the perfect wedding cake there is a mind-boggling amount of choice. The variety is endless. Do you go for the traditional wedding fruit cake? Or maybe individual cup cakes? How about a cheese wedding cake? Or a chocolate fountain for your wedding reception? The list goes on.
But don’t fear, UK Bride have some helpful hints and unique wedding cake ideas...
Firstly you have to decide on the flavour you want for your wedding cake. If you are unsure about what your guests will like, you can go for a different taste per tier. Each tier is supported so there is no risk of one sinking into another. There are many different options to pick from, pork pie to chocolate, or fruit cake to cheese. But the advice I can give is to pick one that you will enjoy, it’s your day after all.
Speaking to Andrew from Wilsons Butcher’s of Crossgates, who did 30 wedding pork pies this summer alone, said “many choose to hold them back til the evening, they go better with the beer than champagne”. They are usually decorated with tomatoes and parsley, using cut up rolling pins as the tier stands for a more rustic look.
If cheese is more your thing you can try out a cheesy wedding cake, like the one on the right, created by the House of Cheese. This option is becoming increasingly popular as a unique wedding cake idea, and it works well with a winter wedding.
If you want the more impressive looking cake, ‘All Cakes and Sizes’ did this more unusual eight tier wedding cake with a stairway and water fountain.
Be aware of the practicalities involved. Chocolate, for example, melts at 37 degrees Celsius, and if you stand your chocolate wedding cake on display inside a marquis on a hot summers day for several hours, it will not look as picturesque as it did in the store. For the same reason, be careful of putting cream in your cake.
When it comes to designing the wedding cake, again, talk to your cake maker. You may have a series of magazine cuttings, or have no idea whatsoever, but the specialist will have the experience and will know how to put your ideas into a beautiful and functional wedding cake. Tell the maker everything you can, organize a consultation so you can talk about your wedding and what you are wanting.
“More and more people are opting for individual cakes as something different,” says Robin Scott. “As well as looking stunning, they are a whole pudding for all of your guests, which makes them a more attractive wedding cake.”
Some couples are opting for more ethical cakes, choosing organic ingredients or ones that are fair trade sourced.
If you are looking for a cheaper option, or one that is more ‘hands on’ you may be thinking about baking your own cake. Robin from Celebration Cakes would advise you, “genuinely don’t do it. You will get so stressed, especially if you are wanting a sponge, because it needs to be sorted a couple of days before your wedding day. By all means” he says “if you have an aunt or a gran or friend who has the time and skill to make you a stunning wedding cake then go for it.” But if not, Robin advises that you spend that little bit more on a quality wedding cake that will be remembered in photos for the rest of your lives.
Discuss your unique wedding cake ideas on our Forum!
A quality wedding cake will be remembered in your photos for years to come