Cake Lady Custom Cakes: The Flavor of Love
Heston Blumenthal, also known as the Sophisticated Gourmet, once said, “To me, food is as much about the moment, the occasion, and the company as it is about the taste,” and I couldn’t agree more. Brides today are bombarded with so many choices to make when planning their wedding; the venue, the date, the dress, the color scheme, the flowers, and the list goes on. I can go on and on about the sometimes overwhelming, but very necessary number of choices that there are to make to turn their dream wedding into a reality. With or without a “wedding planner,” decisions still must be made. One more important decision to throw on the pile (or add to your planner book) would be choosing a cake design and of course a cake flavor. Gone are the days of a simple white cake with buttercream filling. Couples these days have a plethora of flavor options at most artisan bakeries. I, for one, would want a cake that makes people say, I can’t wait for dessert.
As an experienced and professional cake artist, I find that there are several helpful insights you can use when choosing a flavor. One, for example, would be to consider the time of year the wedding will be held. For a spring wedding, you may want to think about a floral design and a cake with fruit filling, like strawberry, lavender, white chocolate, or blueberry. For a summer wedding, you may want to consider a refreshing citrus flavor like lemon, key lime, mango, passionfruit, or raspberry. Fall weddings have flavors associated with that time of year, such as pumpkin, spice cake, or cinnamon apple. Lastly, winter is usually associated with fig, cranberry, dark chocolate, and butterscotch.
Another helpful insight would be the type of venue you have chosen. The atmosphere can lead to the design and flavor options. For example, a farmhouse or rustic wedding venue may inspire you to choose a naked, birchwood, or a cake with neutral colors and decor such as dried flowers and pampas grass, which are highly trending right now. Common flavors for a venue like this would be a light and creamy French vanilla or butter pecan cake, especially in the fall. A beach venue may lead you to choose an elegant seashell or nautical themed cake. Appropriate flavors for such a venue would be mango, pineapple, or coconut. Chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, almond, and white cake are relatively traditional flavors that are usually crowd pleasers. They are “safe” choices for the bride that wants to keep things on the simpler side.
Regardless of the venue or time of year, there are no rules about choosing a flavor for your wedding cake. People are there to celebrate you and whether you choose a simple, white wedding cake with buttercream filling, or a scrumptious pink champagne cake with a dreamy white chocolate mousse filling, people will remember the most important thing at the wedding, the love you and your new spouse share.
Staci Dunn has been featured on the Food Network multiple times, and is the owner and creator of the Cake Lady Custom Cakes located at 205 Orange Avenue in Fort Pierce. Connect with her on Instagram at @thecakelady772fp, or visit TheCakeLadyBakes.com.
Written and photography provided by Staci Dunn