|
Once a design and type of cake has been decided upon, the
next step in the wedding cake process is visiting bakeries.
It is very important to taste cakes. Bakeries usually have
samples readily available for tasting. Do not just rely
on the baker verbalizing the ingredients he or she uses.
Only you will know how it tastes and how the ingredients
come together by tasting it for yourself. The guests eating
the cake are not going to know, or in all likely hood care,
where the water that was mixed in was imported from. They
will know how good it tastes and the taste and look of the
cake will be their only concern. Taste and decor of the
cake, not a list of ingredients and sources, should be the
driving forces in deciding on a cake.
The baker you choose may be a skilled baker, but his craft
may not be up to par. Look at20his or her past work to see
if he or she possesses the skill necessary to assemble your
dream cake. Bringing a picture of what you want the final
product to look like so that the baker knows which of his
or her past works to look at and show you in comparison.
It is a good idea to look through everything he or she has
done to further assess his or her skill.
When in the planning phase of the cake you should take
the time to get to know the person who will be baking and
assembling your cake. After this stage, the amount of contact
you will have with the baker will be extremely limited.
You want to make sure he or she will be developing the cake
you want and not just producing something he or she thinks
is a great cake as their vision might be very different
from yours.
To make sure that the cake you want, you get find out how
much time is needed to assemble the cake. The amount of
time needed is usually around an hour or two before guests
arrive for the reception. However, this time does of course
vary from cake to cake and the baker's schedule that day.
The place where the cake will be displayed will have to
be thought out before hand. It should be a safe yet prominent
place in the reception hall.
You should inquire as to if real fresh flowers can be placed
on the cake, should the design call for flowers. Some bakers
are not comfortable with allowing a florist to touch the
cake at all, on the chance that there would be any damage
done to the structure of the cake. Should flowers be called
for on the cake, they will need to arrive at the same time
as the cake does so that the cake can be perfectly assembled
by the time the guests arrive.
It is important to know the bakery's policy on cake flavors.
Some bakeries have an additional charge for a variety of
flavors, but that does not hold true for all bakeries. Delivery
charges are not a constant in the wedding cake business,
and do vary from bakery to bakery. Distance is a factor
in delivery charge. If the bakery is close to where the
reception is then there may not be a charge, but the greater
the distance is the more likely, and higher, the cost of
delivery will be. In addition to paying the first deposit
for the cake itself, an additional deposit may be required
for plates, platters, and anything else needed for service.
Of course, the deposit will be returned so long as everything
is returned intact and on time.
Should you want the color of the cake to match the color
scheme of the bridal party or the groom's men give the baker
and decorator a sample of the fabric so they know exactly
what colors they are working with. Just because you come
to agreement on a color does not mean the color is the exact
shade you are looking for, which is why the sample should
be provided. However, asking for specific colors will take
more time and cost more money because the icing has to be
colored by hand.
An elegant cake can be constructed with a simple design.
The simple design can still wow all your guests, and come
at a lower cost. A cake with fewer layers is also more cost
effective. Sheet style cakes can be used to still have the
portions for all your guests, even though the size is not
as big.
|
