Gone are the days of all white wedding cakes with plastic toppers and cookie-cutter adornments. Today, more than ever, couples are choosing cakes that represent their journey in life. From the very eccentric to the time-honored traditional, modern- day wedding cakes are anything but blasé.
For most of us, autumn brings to mind beautiful visions of falling leaves, cool breezes, harvest festivals and a potpourri of spicy flavors and treats. This delightful backdrop creates the perfect palette for a most memorable wedding, and certainly an inspirational setting for a sensational wedding cake.
A well-skilled baker/decorator can reproduce just about any theme you can imagine. Autumn accents like leaves, mums, daisies, apples, acorns and pheasant feathers can often be recreated into edible additions using sugar paste, chocolates and "Desert Tables are all the rage" fondants. One should never assume just because a cake is beautiful to look at, that it can’t be flavorful as well. Certainly, you want your cake creation to “wow” your guests with its beauty and detail, but your goal should include pleasing their taste buds as well.
An experienced cake designer will rarely advocate flavors that won’t work well together or a recipe that will ultimately taste dry and uninspired. Be sure to discuss your dream creation in detail with your designer and be open to fall-themed suggestions.
A great cake always begins with a beautiful base color tone. Dark chocolate, tangerine, chestnut, carrot orange, cedar, ember glow and antique white are lovely choices. This year some of the more popular orders have included flavors such as: Spice Cake- wonderfully aromatic with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and maple, filled with cream cheese. Chocolate Hazelnut Torte- Chocolate cream cake flavored with intense spice rum, filled with chocolate and roasted hazelnut ganache fillingConsider staging your cake with themed décor. Although typical fall celebrations may be plentiful with pumpkins, terra cotta and darker tones, a wedding doesn’t necessarily have to follow suit. Pears, pomegranates, grapes and wheat bundles work well as background elements and give great pops of color. At the end of the day, this is your wedding and your taste should reign supreme.
Jewel tones and gold accents are still in fashion and are complementary to the season. If your favorite color is associated more with spring than fall, ask your cake designer to pair it with a chocolate or cappuccino tone for seasonal balance.
Another trend gaining momentum this season "Mini cupcakes add a delicious spin" is the dessert table. Impressive towers of iced cookies, zesty candies, cinnamon sticks, chocolate dipped fruits and mini-cupcakes add a delicious spin on a traditional wedding presentation. These tables aren’t usually intended to replace the cake. However, a well-executed color scheme can certainly turn these tasty delights into accessories for the main attraction.
When considering a dessert table, talk to your cake designer about creating themed treats. For example, if your fall wedding is based on a harvest theme, you may choose desserts with the shapes, colors and textures of the harvest season. Red apples, caramel-pecan candies, lemon tarts, orange zingers, pumpkin poppers and chestnut bites are delightful ways to set the stage and bring clarity to your overall vision. Trust me; your guests will adore your extra efforts and devour these delicious little additions!
If you’d like more information on designing your autumn-themed dream cake, please visit thecakezone.com.
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