cakes & catering

Your Wedding Cake In the Spotlight

Wedding cakes have a come a long way since the days of traditional tiers in white. Now, creativity reigns and cake design has become an art form.

According to Neil Levinson, who co-owns Classic Cakes and Confections in Phoenix with his wife Ella, today’s brides are much more savvy about what they want, thanks to TV shows that focus on cake design. “We’re doing fabulous cakes with a lot of sugar work, fondant and rolled chocolate,” Neil says. “We’re making silicone molds from fabrics of the brides’ gowns and doing white chocolate overlays and lace work and things like that. We do cakes with Swarovski crystals and edible gold. Really, the sky’s the limit.”

“I’m starting to see a lot more base colors in cakes,” notes Brian Tieman, owner of My Goodness Cakes in Phoenix. “It’s not just white or ivory anymore. It’s bolder shades like a hot pink or a bright yellow.” And, he adds, “Square cakes are still really hot.”

After all the thought, planning and effort it takes to create a beautiful wedding cake, it’s only natural to want your guests to admire it. However, all too often the cake is relegated to a dark corner of the reception.

“When the people walk into that room, they should see the cake,” Neil says. “It should be in a prominent position and it should be lit from above with some kind of spotlight.” Brian says that another option is to place the cake in the venue’s foyer, so guests will be sure to see it as they enter the reception.

Table size is another consideration. “Sometimes, the cakes are delivered on 18-inch″cake boards or maybe a 22-inch″ and they’re putting them on rectangular banquet tables,” Neil states. “It doesn’t do anything to accentuate the cake.” Brian suggests using a 48-inch″ round or square table, instead.

Also, don’t forget to consider the cake table when choosing your banquet linens. It’s an easy step to overlook, but you’ll want to make sure your cake table matches your overall color scheme.

You’ll be glad you took these simple steps to keep your creative confection in the spotlight. After all, as Neil says, “The cake is one of the main things people remember from the wedding.”