The Sweets' Life

Here comes the Bride's Perfect Wedding Cake

By Christine Huard
Special Contributor

Kate Manchester knows a thing or two about the sweets life. As a free-lance chef, her background includes catering, running her own specialty food store and writing about food magazines such as Martha Stewart Living. She is also co-author of renowned pastry chef Sylvia Weinstock's book, Sweet Celebrations (Simon and Schuster).

So when talk turns to choosing a wedding cake, turn your attention to Manchester's new book, The Perfect Wedding Cake. This comprehensive guide is a bride's formal introduction to the extravagant world of spun sugar, fondant and marzipan flowers that is wedding cake.

And if this book helps you find a way to put a new twist on an old tradition - such as serving small cakes at each table or tiers of flower-decorated cupcakes - well that's just the icing the cake.

"Gone are the days of a white wedding cake made up of three tiers and covered in royal icing," Manchester writes. "Modern wedding cake creations are veritable works of art that complement the bridal couple's wedding style. The sky is the limit when it comes to dreaming up your confectionery fantasy."

To that end, Manchester has created a tasty treat that familiarizes brides-to-be with the language of wedding cakes - from flavors, fillings and icings to decorations, adornments and finishing touches. It also offers valuable information on choosing a baker and finalizing the details as well as displaying, cutting, serving and saving the cake on your big day.

Beautifully photographed by Zeva Oelbaum, book also includes a chapter for brave-of-heart brides who dare to bake their own wedding cake. It offers recipes and advice from expert bakers, among them Rose Levy Beranbaum.

As for the sweet advice Manchester offers to those who are busy picking out colors and flowers and favors, there is plenty. Manchester starts with a slice of wedding cake history and lore, then discusses modern cakes from traditional to wildly imaginative.

"You don't have to stick with tradition when it comes to your cake," Manchester writes. "Design a cake that befits you, whether that's tiers cupcakes or individual miniature wedding cakes."

Before designing the cake of your dreams, she advises you to determine the date, location and number of guests attending your wedding; decide on your bridal bouquet; and choose your gown. These factors determine the theme of your wedding - and therefore the type of cake that will best express that theme.

Once these details are selected, Manchester says the next step is to set up appointments with at least three bakers to taste samples and review their cake portfolios. She suggests visiting bakers with different price ranges and styles to gain a better understanding of your options.

Manchester arms you with a checklist for interviewing bakers.

* Discuss all the details of your wedding with the baker so he or she will understand your sense of style.

* When looking at photographs of the baker's cakes, be sure to ask if they represent work done by the current staff.

* To get the freshest cake possible, ask how far in advance it will be baked. Insist on a fresh cake, but remember that very large and elaborately decorated cakes may require baking a week or more ahead of time.

* Ask how the cake will be delivered and assembled, who will do it and how far in advance. Will it need to be refrigerated?

* Get the details in writing, including the design right down to the last tier and gum-paste bow, time and day of delivery and total price.

When your big day finally arrives, it will be filled with memorable "firsts" as a married couple, such as your first kiss and first dance. Like other wedding traditions, the cake is full of symbolism - happiness, longevity and fertility. It represents the sweet life you will share together. As such, cutting the wedding cake expresses another first - the start of your life together as husband and wife.

Decide where and when you want the cutting ceremony to take place, says Manchester.

"We've all been to weddings where the bride and groom stuff cake into each other's faces and others where the ceremony is enacted with more dignity and grace," she writes. "Remember that the cake-cutting is symbolic of your first joint act as a married couple, and that it will forever be etched in your friends' and family's minds - as well as on film and video."

After the ceremonial bite, the wedding couple traditionally serves their parents slices of the cake, then a caterer or family member takes over to serve guests.

Article provided by Copley News Service.