Red Velvet!!

Wow ! Back by popular demand is the fantastic Red Velvet Cake. A Wonderful addition to the wedding cake flavor line up, kinda tangy and sweet all at the same time while adding a little bit of romance with it's rich reddish brown color. Originated by Flora McCrea Eaton 1880-1970 or better know as Lady Eaton wife of department store president John Craig Eaton. She became a member to the board of directors for Eaton's department stores of Toronto Canada actively overseeing the restaurants within the store and introduced this special recipe to it's menu. Know for it's reddish color caused by the chemical reaction of adding buttermilk and vinegar activating an alkaline effect to the cocoa powder producing an enhanced reddish tone, yet today we all add a bit of red food color as well to highlight this feature for even more effect. It is usually served with a cream cheese filling and or frosting but is very accomidating with other fillings as well such as the white chocolate mousse or hazelnut Buttercream. Increasingly popular due to it's dramatic eye appeal and rich flavor. Brought back to life by the 1989 Movie Steele Magnolias when the Armadillo Groom's cake was served up with the red velvet as the flavor..Well now you have it!! so Enjoy and Buon Appetite!!

How Much is enough?

The big question this week seems to be how much should I order for my guest count. Say for instance you have 100 guests first Q? is there going to be any other desserts? cookies, pies, a chocolate fountain with strawberries? all these sweet items should count and they do. If you have the cake and only cake then my suggestion is to order for the amount of guests you expecting within 5%. The larger the wedding the more you can cut back, say for instance you have 150 guests then %10 less of the total so 135 servings should be plenty. Not everyone will eat cake and some will not be able to stay through till the cake cutting. As for children I would count them as a whole serving if they are over the age of 7 if under they could share and a bite with the frosting..Another thing to consider is weather or not you are wanting to save your top tier for your first anniversary which is still a tradition carried on a bit but not for all. I say

let them eat cake

and have enough for all especially if your are having people from out of town who might enjoy a little cake at breakfast with the coffee. I hope this narrows it down a bit... and again Buon Appetite!!.

Getting clear on frostings..

One of the most frequent questions that comes to me from my Bride's to be is what are the different types of frostings. How are they different from each other and why do some cost more than others. Well there are many choices these days besides the traditional ole buttercream, but even the buttercream needs some definition. Many bakers today are using a synthetic buttercream made with polysorbate 80 as well as caragenan and other stabilizers to create a smooth and non grainy feel to the tougne as well as a nice looking finish. I think these stabilizers are unessary.. You can achieve a much smoother more sublte taste if you stick with the basic ingredients and eliminate any sour or unpleasant greasy residue or flavors. This goes for all the icings, again keep it simple and taste great. A brief description ..buttercream just that should be made with real butter a little vegetable shortening flavor of whichever you prefer along with pure vanilla and powdered sugar, this is the most common among frostings and the preferred for the most part. The Ganashe is a good quality chocolate either white or dark chocolate with cream should be 100 % cream that's all that's it, taste is superb and no greasy residue left. Fondant can be poured as for a small confections known as the petifoure but more common the thicker version with glucose , cornstarch and powdered sugar to hold it together giving it that smooth flat matte finish. Most of my clients choose this one for the sleek and soft look as well as the design possibilities unattainable with the buttercream.The Marzipan is just ground almonds and a little glucose and shortening, this is not a white icing and a little pricy due to the solid consistency of the almond powder but scrumptious as well normally found on a princess cake . The choice is yours as always so sample ,sample ,sample, and try all that you think you would like, you might just find a new favorite and worth the extra cost , buttercream being the least expensive and the marzipan the top. Have Fun experimenting and Boun appetite!!.

Lucky 2012!!

From Gowns to Venues from Music to Officiants and of course the Groom's. The bride has so many choices, sometimes it's a wonder she can decide. A helpful hint is to go onto www.yelp.com a fantastic venu and vendor review web site to help narrow down the selection. If you are traveling for a destination wine country wedding or having the hometown backyard experience the catering, cake and venue really matter for a successful event. My suggestion is to go with who you feel most comfortable at first glance and follow your original ideas for a romantic and fun memory that will last for a lifetime.A wedding day should be a one of a kind day and just the way you imagine it, take notes write down colors and plan with your groom the most important aspects each of you want to take away from THE BIG DAY. And by all means have fun with family and friends too they are sometimes as excited about the marriage as the Bride and Groom themselves. Enjoy!!

It's a Flavor explosion!!

Well in wrapping up this wonderful 2011 season for all of my beautiful Brides and Handsome Groom's I must say the choices for the flavors were very well thought out. From such a wide variety of flavors to choose from how to pair the cakes with the fillings sometimes can be overwhelming but of course fun. As a suggestion to my happy couples I say when pairing flavors it is best to think about your family and what they are used to such as what they would order for a birthday cake. Also since the bottom tier is the grooms and brides first cut at the ceremony this should be their absolute favorite and also should match the flavor of the top tier if it is to be saved in tradtion of the 1 year anniversary. I always seem to have repeat favorites year after year from my menu such as the chocolate raspberry cabernet mousse filling with the chocolate cake and the chocolate Ganashe frosting or if you preffer the white a lemon poppy with the apriocot pineapple preserves and the white chocolate Ganashe or rolled fondant icing seems to also be a crowd pleaser.Last but not least when ordering your wedding cake remember try a wide variety of flavors so you can pair them independently and always remember this is your day and the cake should reflect what you would like to present to your guests and should be your decision as part of the wedding planning. And by all means make it FUN!! Bon Appetit!!.

It's all about THE DRESS Yes...

Wow, you brides are really taking it up a notch !, the dresses I have been witnessing this year are absolutely amazing, I have seen around 2000 weddings throughout my years in the business and seems to me this year it's all about the dress. When designing a wedding cake I take into consideration all of the aspects of the wedding,  Location , centerpieces, table linen color , background weather it be outdoor or formal indoor as well as pairing the dessert / cake flavors with the main courses and let's not forget those beautiful dresses. When I am sitting down for a consultation to design it all comes into play. The cute part is how and when to show a peek of the gown as for the groom is usually sitting right beside, so we just send him out of the room for a bit, I would love to see it before hand so we can really match the idea and theme of the wedding and make it super unique. Love the Dresses.. Talk to you soon.

Cupcake ,Cupcakes ,Cupcakes!

Well I must say the cupcake frenzy is upon us, 6 out of 10 calls I receive is inquiring about a cupcake medley for the reception. This has really taken off from a couple years ago when I thought it to be a fad, now I am in question of when such a fad is going to taper off, My guess is when the economy starts to see a little light. To me I must reiterate about the cupcake display as although they are a cute idea and pretty yummy I think they have dominated the field of wedding cakes a bit much. I value greatly tradition as with a marriage I believe everyone should be able to have what they want if even for just one day. Unless you really really love the idea of a dessert bar live a little and go for the grand display , the picture and the memory of cutting into a work of art and a yummy one at that will last a lifetime . Feedback welcome:0)

What a Wonderful new year it will be!

From gowns to Venues from rings to Officiants whats more important than when to order THE CAKE? Well a general opinion for wedding cake ordering should be done after the proposal but before the limo arrives to pick you up. Usually a good baker will book at least six months out if not more for a popular wedding day such as a Saturday in the middle of the summer, from Mid June thru October. Many people though do put the cake a bit soon, usually I like to have the venue and ceremony start time established before meeting with my Brides and Grooms to be, flowers already are a plus for color but not necessary to finalize a design. By January of 2011 you should start looking for any month within the year especially if you want to visit the recommended three bakers. Never really too soon if you know what you want and are willing to hold the day with a customary %25 deposit. Congratulations! Looking forward to hearing from you soon..

What to Do with the Top?...
well we know the traditional toppers are truly a thing of the past especially the really frilly or plastic bride and groom. What an amazing amount of variety the Bride of today has between the custom made to the very cute and funny, yes there can still be a Bride and Groom, the Lenoxx are very nice Enesco also has some beautiful modern styles to choose from. The monogram seems to be the hit this year though... or nothing at all . very little for the top a few vines , grapes or simple embellishment is all we need, not to take away from the whole elegance of the cake. One thing to remember is keepsakes are forever, and a toppers to the cake can add to a nice curio display maybe even passed down from one generation to another. Some people have dried their flowers saved from the top if this is what they used. The choice is yours and there are plenty... Have fun with it whatever you choose...

Dessert Bar as the Wedding Cake?

I am sorry but I have to disagree, the talk of the town seems to be all about setting up a dessert bar with favorite cookies, cupcakes and other goodies to replace the centerpiece of your wedding.. I also must think of any regrets due to the lack of a wedding cake cutting photo in your album for a cherished forever memory, call me a traditionalist. I make wedding cakes for a living and have been in a baking family dating back to the early 1900's in my day everyone loves wedding cakes. I can see how a nice variety of goodies is a wonderful accent especially for children's sake but why are people so crazy for this new concept, especially since these days the wedding cake can be really specialized and spectacular with a wide variety of flavor options. Any opinions about this?...