The Sweet Treat
If you’re a sucker for sweets, the cake is probably the star of your to-do list.
To ensure you get a baker whose culinary and aesthetic abilities you adore, Sharon Alexander, owner of boutique bakery Sweet Sensations in Newnan, Ga., advises booking at least six months prior to the big day. But first, schedule tastings with a few top contenders, inquire if they bake from scratch or use mixes, and ask to see lots of pictures of cakes they did for actual weddings – if a baker clearly specializes in a classic look, they may not be the best fit for your colorful, topsy-turvy request.
In general, plan to order a cake that would serve about 80 percent of your guests, as some people don’t eat cake and others will leave before it’s served. Prices typically range from $400 to $1,600 or more, depending on the town, cake size and ingredients – fondant is more expensive than buttercream, and intricate details like sugar flowers and royal icing can really bump up the bill.
In this era of “Ace of Cakes,” couples who are looking to personalize the traditional tower of tiers certainly can have an architectural masterpiece that replicates their city skyline or a scene from “Star Wars.” But Katelin Gallagher, senior editor for ProjectWedding.com, suggests using textured buttercream and herbal accents for a more organic look, or considering fondant cutouts for a contemporary vibe. Or stick with a simple white exterior and focus on memorable flavor.
Alexander loves Neapolitan and coconut-and-lemon-curd cakes, but her top pick is a chocolate cake with dulce de leche filling. “It tastes like a candy bar!”