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Cake Talk |
|
Cake Talk |
Check out the dessert personality list at bottom of this page. |
| Basket Weave....A type of decorative piping on the wedding cake which features interlinked horizontal and vertical lines of icing. |
| Buttercream....A soft and creamy icing that can be colored, flavored and used for decoration or filling for a wedding cake. |
| Butter cream frosting is smooth and creamy with a delicate buttery flavor that isn't too sweet. The soft texture is easy to cut, but needs to be kept refrigerated until just a few hours before serving, otherwise it can bead, run, drip, or melt its way into a mess. The texture also lends itself well to decorations such as basket weaves, swags, swirls, fleur de lis, and flowers. |
| Cornelli....A complicated decorative form of icing which resembles a lacework on the wedding cake. |
| Columns....See Pillars. |
| Dotted Swiss....A method of decorating the wedding cake which involves small random dots of icing. |
| Dragees Round....These are the edible and brightly colored balls of sugar seen on wedding cakes. |
| Fondant....A sweet, elastic icing made of sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin that's literally rolled out with a rolling pin and draped over a cake. It's a smooth, firm base for gum paste flowers, decorative details, and architectural designs, and has a porcelain finish. A fondant cake should not be refrigerated. |
| Fondant is usually rolled out like a piecrust, smooth and flat. Made primarily of sugar and corn syrup, it should not be refrigerated, so make sure that you select a filling that is equally sturdy. The rolled sheets of fondant are wrapped around the cake, creating a smooth, flat surface on which to pipe icing decorations or place flowers. Looks gorgeous, but is not particularly tasty and can be hard to cut. |
| Ganache....A sweet, rich chocolate, denser than mousse but less dense than fudge, which can be used as icing or filling. It is made of chocolate and heavy cream, and will soften in very humid weather. |
| Genoise....Light and airy sponge cake, often moistened with flavored syrups or liqueurs. |
| Grooms Cake....A smaller, second cake that may or may not be included in the wedding ceremony. If it is, then it is often served at the rehearsal dinner. |
| Gum paste....This paste of sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin is used to mold realistic-looking fruits and flowers to garnish a cake. Gum paste decorations are edible and will last for years as keepsakes, but they don't taste as yummy as marzipan. |
| Latticework ....An icing adornment on a wedding cake that zigzags. |
| Marzipan....A paste made of ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites, used to mold edible flowers or fruit to decorate the cake. Marzipan can also be rolled in sheets, like fondant, and used as icing. |
| Pastillage....Similar to gum-paste; it dries to a hard finish and is perfect for making columns and figures. |
| Pillars....These are the supports used to prop up the varying tiers of a multi-tiered wedding cake. They may be made from cardboard, plastic or wood. They are also known as columns. |
| Piping....This is a way of making shapes like bows, leaves, stars, flowers, or design patterns using icing. A pastry bag is filled with soft icing, then squeezed through a selection of different shaped tips onto the wedding cake, where it hardens. Royal icing is often used for this, as it can easily be colored and is not strongly flavored. |
| Pulled sugar....A technique in which boiled sugar is manipulated and pulled to produce flowers and bows. |
| Royal icing....Made of egg whites and confectionery sugar, this icing starts life as a soft paste piped from a pastry bag to create latticework, beading, bows, and flowers. When dry, its texture is hard and brittle. Do not refrigerate. |
| Royal icing dries to a very hard finish after being piped onto the cake in a variety of shapes and patterns, and it is used for creating many of the decorative touches you see on cakes. Finishing touches may also be added with marzipan (almond paste), spun sugar, and pastillage. |
| Tiers....These are the numerous layers of a wedding cake, usually differing in size, they are supported in place by pillars. |
| Torte....A dense cake that does not use
leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda. |
| Whipped cream....Heavy cream beaten to achieve a thick consistency. Whipped cream does not work well as an icing, and must be kept refrigerated -- it is unstable and not recommended for outdoor weddings. |
| Whipped cream is a very delicate and, unfortunately, temperamental frosting that doesn't like heat or humidity one bit. It MUST be kept refrigerated until it is served. Its lighter, fluffier texture tends to limit its decorating options. |
| Coordinate the decorations on your cake with an element on your wedding gown, such as the lace, buttons, swags, bows, and bustles. Other ideas, Your Flowers, Your Accessories, Your Invitations and Your Reception Decorations. Photographs can also be incorporated into the cake. |
| Decorate the cake with colors (fresh or icing) that match your bouquet. |
| If you're using a wedding theme, pull that element into your cake, either in coloring or overall style. | ||
| A bride's cake ranks right up there in importance with her dress and her flowers. |
| You will want to take into account your overall wedding style, colors, and degree of formality when considering cake designs. Another important element will be the reception site and how it lends itself to the cake's presentation. |
| Most wedding cakes are tiered, with the three to four inch high tiers being either stacked or separated. Stacked cakes have the layers placed on top of each other, usually with foam rounds in between to protect and reinforce the layers. Separated cakes have some sort or arch, column, or other architectural element, which keeps the layers separated. |
| Incorporate a personal hobby or interest into your cake, such as a nautical theme, a fairytale theme, or a historical theme. Could be good idea for the grooms cake. |
| Celebrate your first anniversary with a piece of your wedding cake. To do so, you need to Encase the top layer securely in plastic wrap. Follow by securely enclosing it in aluminum foil. Do not use just aluminum foil because it can leave the cake tasting metallic. To keep the original flavor of the cake, store the cake in the back of the freezer where the temperature remains constant. |
| A square cake will feed more people than a round one. Example; a two- tier 14-inch round cake serves 75 to 80 people, while a two-tier 14-inch square cake serves 80 to 100. |
| Cake Styles.... ____ Contemporary ____ Dramatic ____ Ornate ____ Regal ____ Round ____ Simple ____ Square ____ Traditional ____ Unique |
Shape & Structure.... ____ Cupcakes ____ Heart ____ Other ____ Rectangular ____ Round ____ Sheet cake ____ Tiered, separated (with columns) ____ Tiered, stacked |
| Decorations and
Embellishments.... ____ Chocolate shavings ____ Fresh flowers ____ Gold or silver leaf ____ Pearls ____ Sugar flowers ____ CakeTop |
Colors.... ____ White ____ Ivory ____ Yellow ____ Peach ____ Tan ____ Red ____ Pink ____ Lavender ____ Others |
| Flavors & Fillings..... ____ Angel food ____ Berries and whipped cream ____ Carrot (spice) ____ Chocolate ____ Golden ____ Lemon ____ Liqueurs ____ Orange ____ Raspberry ____ Truffle ____ White chocolate |
____Amaretto mousse ____Chocolate mousse ____Cream cheese ____Hazelnut ____Lemon cream or mousse ____Mocha cream ____Orange cream ____Pineapple ____Strawberry cream |
| Pick your favorite dessert and see what your dessert personality is. |
| Angelfood Cake....Sweet, loving,
cuddly. You love all warm and fuzzy items. A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at times. |
| Brownies....You are adventurous, love
new ideas, and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragon. When tempers flare up, you whip out your sabre. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humor and direction You tend to be very loyal. |
| Lemon Meringue....Smooth, sexy, &
articulate with your hands, you are an excellent after-dinner speaker and a good
teacher. But don't try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, but you have many friends. |
| Vanilla with Chocolate Icing....Fun-loving,
sassy, humorous. Not very grounded in life; very indecisive and lack
motivation. Everyone enjoys being around you, but you are a practical joker. Others should be cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life |
| Strawberry Short Cake....Romantic, warm, loving. You care about other people and can be counted on in a pinch. You tend to melt. You can be overly-emotional and annoying at times. |
| Chocolate on Chocolate....Sexy, always
ready to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, mbitious and passionate. You have a
cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh. |
| Ice Cream....You like sports, whether
it be baseball, football, basketball or soccer. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. You don't like to give up the remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high maintenance. |
| Carrot Cake....You are a very
fun-loving person, who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warmhearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends. |
| Cherry Pie....You have a sparkling
personality, with a wicked sense of humor You have an honorable idea of right and wrong and seek justice for all. Your love of art and technol ogy give you many hours of pleasure. You don't make friends easily, but your true friends are many. |