decoration may still require a week or two to complete.


And of course, it must always be borne in mind that the maker may have other orders to complete or calls on his or her time.


Picture courtesy of www.alchemy-stitchcraft.co.uk


Wedding cakes


No wedding is complete without its cake.


Wedding cakes indeed are usually the centrepiece of the reception, both visually and ceremonially.


Cakes have figured largely at weddings for thousands of years, right back before Christianity took a hold of the ritual of marriage.


Indeed, there are few cultures in the world where a cake of some sort is not considered an essential part of the ceremony.


It is odd therefore, that when a wedding is being planned, the cake is, all too often, almost overlooked until the last moment.


Some people even make the mistake of thinking provision of the cake is part of the caterer’s service and it can come as something of a shock to learn that this is rarely so.


There are four main options for providing a wedding cake.


1. It may be ordered from a reputable baker


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confectioner. This will usually be one selected from a number of standard patterns offered by the baker.


2. It may be ordered from a specialist who will be able to interpret the bride’s wishes or suggest something from his or her own repertoire.


3. It can be made by a family member, a friend or the bride herself, and then iced by a specialist.


4. It may be made and decorated completely by a relative, friend or bride.


Whichever option is selected it must be remembered that time is essential if the finished product is to be right.


A traditional rich fruit cake of many tiers can take up to four months to make. The cake has to be matured after baking and the marzipanning and icing can take weeks in addition, if particularly intricate decoration is required.


A sponge requires less time to make but again, the


The Wedding - autumn 2012


Choosing the type of cake will depend on the tastes of the bride and groom and whether it is planned to send pieces to family and friends unable to be present on the day - fruit cake does travel rather better.


If cake is to be distributed in this way, special boxes will have to be ordered along with the rest of the wedding stationery. Incidentally, if some pieces are to be sent abroad it is worth finding out in advance if the government in question will allow such an item to enter the country.


Some nations expressly forbid the importing of some foodstuffs and may dispose of the cake at the point of entry.


Traditionally, the wedding cake is usually decorated in white icing with white or pastel colours used for floral decorations.


There is no absolute rule about this though and the cake may be decorated in as colourful and outlandish a way as the bridal pair require.


The same goes for its shape. Traditionally the cake(s) will be round or square. However, these days the cake may take the form of a building such as a church, castle or ice palace with separate tiers forming the towers or turrets.


The finished cake is usually stored by the maker until the time comes for it to be delivered to the reception venue.


This is usually done on the afternoon


preceding the reception, or on the wedding morning, each tier packed separately in its own box.


The assembling of a multi-tier cake is usually done by the caterers who will add the cost of the service to their bill.


Some specialists will insist on assembling their creation themselves, especially if the decoration is particularly delicate or intricate.


The cake will normally be mounted on a special stand. Again this must be ordered separately. It is usual to hire it from the maker. All too often the stand is overlooked in amongst the rest of the frenetic activity that is arranging a wedding.


The special knife for cutting the cake may be provided by the caterer - it’s worth asking.


If not, then the family must provide their own. It should be a reasonably large, ornate knife with a firm


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