Questions about cakes...

DivineWillowMama · January 2010

This is REALLY long and detailed, but it contains some valid points, important questions, and some pretty pictures.

I am trying to find the perfect cake design, but it's turning out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be! I have a few "designs" that I love. I don't want to pay a fortune for something that I know a lot of it will be wasted. I have a pretty (really!) small budget. I plan on adding fresh flowers to it myself that I'm ordering from a flower wholesaler. I really just want to enjoy the cake, not stress that I spent tons of money on it, and think that I have compromised flavor for design. I am looking forward to eating the leftovers, so they better be good!

I went to a wedding last year and the cake was so ugly! It tasted amazing, but it was UGLY! I am hoping for a cake that doesn't make people feel bad for us for ending up with a horrible looking cake. I also don't want to hear stories about our cake tasting like "crisco" which is a comment that I heard recently about someone's wedding cake! I know I'm probably just stressing, and most likely our cake won't make it into the "world's ugliest cake" category, but I am an artist damn-it! I need things to look presentable!

So anyway, now that I'm done venting and posting the little worries that are floating around in my head I can get down to business. I was curious of a few things. I was wondering if you could give me some opinions on the designs that I have in mind, and clue me into what you think about the whole wedding cake thing?

How much are you willing to spend on a cake?
Do you think you can really trust your cake baker?
Do you know what cake design you want? Or are you like me with more than one idea?
Are you worried about the flavor?

This has been bugging me for a couple weeks and I am just now doing something about it! I am around people that know nothing about weddings and don't really know how to help. I'm posting some of the designs that are really catching my eye. I really love pedestal cakes even though they are a bit old fashioned. I guess I am too so no surprise there. Some are definitely out of my budget, but they are great inspiration and I figured with a more basic cake I can decorate it with flowers myself (and with the help of a close friend and my FH). Unfortunately, I think we can only afford a three tier cake, and some of these are four tier designs. It's all about the compromise I suppose. I am also having a "gothic" sort of wedding, but I might have changed my mind about doing black swirls, black scallop designs, or black lace. I'm not sure yet, but I don't know if I trust someone doing swirls on my cake that could come out very uneven. I'm picky, I know. I have seen some beautiful cake designs get slaughtered!

To me this cake "takes the cake!", but there is no way I would trust someone to duplicate the black flower design correctly! This is quite a "flower stuffed" cake but I love cakes with real flowers between the tiers. This would have to have three tiers, and not so many flowers between each one. I especially love that they used greens as well as the flowers.

And again, the flowers go between each tier

This is a beautiful design. I have always loved this cake. I love dark things, but this fresh, green orchid covered cake looks delicious! Obviously I would add my roses along with some greens like on the first cake.

I also really love cakes with cascading flowers. My FH is very particular about the way he would want them cascading (too cute) but this design is "acceptable".

Of course this would be made with buttercream frosting, a much less ornate black design, and real roses. It does have three tiers though.

This one just looks really tasty and is adorned with beautiful flowers. This is also displayed on the stand we are renting. It looks very romantic and Victorian inspired. It's just gorgeous!

The beautiful 18" or 22' cake stand we plan on renting. We could have rented the more ornate one, but I want the cake to be ornate.

These are on my bridal shower wish list. I'm REALLY hoping to get them!

My favorite cake topper in the letter "T"
It's about 5" tall.

So yes, it's alot of info. It's out of my head though, and even if no one responds (but please do!) I will have my ideas out there somewhere and closer to becoming a reality.

WereAya · January 2010

How much are you willing to spend on a cake?
I'm still deciding on this. I might try and do the gryphon statue myself, which would take $395.00 off the price tag. Right now, with the statue it'll be $892...which I don't mind.
Do you think you can really trust your cake baker?
Yes! They have such great reviews, and their cake tastes amazing!

Do you know what cake design you want? Or are you like me with more than one idea?
I have the idea/design I want. I actually posted the picture in another thread

Are you worried about the flavor?
Nope! Our bakery has the yummiest cakes, that are so moist and yummy : )

hollieheidi · January 2010

How much are you willing to spend on a cake?

We are spending $150 on 9 cakes. We are using our cakes as centerpieces and we are having 8" round 6" high white cake with Irish Creme mouse iced with white buttercream with a black and royal blue ribbon around the bottom of the cake.
$15 per cake layer (ours is a 2 layer).

Do you think you can really trust your cake baker?

I think so. Even though he is getting started he has done simple cakes in the past. He is very concerned and has gone over every detail twice!!!!

Do you know what cake design you want? Or are you like me with more than one idea?

We knew what we wanted right from the start.

Are you worried about the flavor?

I'm not worried about the flavor. For the guest cakes they will be filled with Irish Creme and our cake is simple white buttercream.

Divine.....I think that you could get your cakes for less if you shop around a little. Since you like the cakes on stands you could probably find someone like I did that does side work that can make the layers for you for less. It's amazing how when you call it a wedding cake it costs $4.75 per slice but if you just bought it for a birthday it would be $20.

Walmart and Sams club have really nice simply white plain buttercream cakes that aren't terrible. I've heard alot of people say they actually like the Walmart cakes. It might work for you especially if you rent the stands and then put your fresh fowers on yourself.

Good luck! Everything you do seems very exquisite so I'm sure it will turn out fabulous!

Pumpkin_Princess · January 2010

How much are you willing to spend on a cake?
When all was said and done, we spent $300 on a 3-tiered cake that would feed 25 people. It was more than we wanted to spend, but I figured we're only getting married once, and I refused to give in to the idea of a cheap "Vegas" wedding (i.e. drive-through chapel with Elvis as the officiant and a simple, white cake for 2).

Do you think you can really trust your cake baker?
We did. We ordered our cake without ever meeting them or stepping foot in the bakery.

Do you know what cake design you want? Or are you like me with more than one idea?
The cake I really wanted started at $700 for 25 people, and that was just crazy, but the one we chose was a specific design with some of our own modifications.

Are you worried about the flavor?
Nope. I had heard from other knotties that Freed's cakes were good (although overpriced). We chose: marble pound cake with Bailey's Irish Cream mousse filling, Lemon with raspberry buttercream filling, and cheesecake. They were all delicious.

Pumpkin_Princess · January 2010

Oh, I wanted to add that I love the first 2 designs, but I agree that you probably wouldn't get a perfect replica of the 1st cake. The 2nd one would be much easier since they could use stencils to trace the design. The cake with orchids is beautiful as well.

brit_bell90 · February 2010

How much are you willing to spend on a cake?
I'm not spending anything on the cake, my aunt is making it.
Do you think you can really trust your cake baker?
Yes, I know I can. Even though she's my family, and it can be hard to trust the quality sometimes when it comes to the ones you love. She's amazing at baking and soo good at decorating cakes. I even offered to let her do each layer on a different cake plate at a different height if she would be worried about stacking the layers. So we'll see how it goes. I'm not too concerned though.
Do you know what cake design you want? Or are you like me with more than one idea?
I'm going for something really simple and elegant, I just need to show my ideas to my aunt to see if she can do what I want.
Are you worried about the flavor?
No way, this cake is going to be so delicious. She's using a few of my favorite family recipes for the cake, I'm so excited for it!

DivineWillowMama · February 2010

Thank you so much for the input! I really appreciate your words of encouragement, and your suggestions. You are all so sweet!

I have printed out a bunch of designs and added them to my carry around portfolio. I have done some more research and I have found out that the cake of our dreams would cost us about $285-350. My original budget was $250 so I'm going to stay as close to that as possible. I also need to add 40-60 roses to it to make it have the look that I want if I go with a "stuffed" cake on pedestals. For a cascading design I wouldn't need quite as many, but it's still a lot of roses!

I have also reconsidered using the original kind of rose that I first picked out. I might use black magic roses instead of black baccara. I have found some new pictures of both kinds of roses and I am thinking that the black magic rose has more of a red color which would be more vibrant and lively. Also, the black baccara have a smaller "head" than the black magic roses. Unfortunately, I can't really get any advice from any florists around here because they have never worked with either type. I have some time to think about it.....

Not a very pretty cake, but this is what the black magic roses look like.

The really dark roses are black baccara, and the roses that are more red are black magic.

cellarius · February 2010

How much are you willing to spend on a cake? i don't know 'cause i don't have to spend anything.. & i'm very glad lol

Do you think you can really trust your cake baker?

yes if you go to one you know is good. i trust mine it's a family friend who does wedding cakes. when i was younger i would decorate them too.

Do you know what cake design you want? Or are you like me with more than one idea? i'm like you. i have a million ideas & ones i like. i like some really simple ones & some fancier & i'm not sure which direction to go in.

Are you worried about the flavor? not really... i mean it would be sweet to have some of the really nice unique flavors but i care more how it looks. so we'll prolly go middle of the road..

Questions about cakes...

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