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Saving the Top Tier of Your Wedding Cake

YumSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:00:15 -0700

It's de rigueur for newlyweds to save the top tier of their wedding cake to enjoy on the first anniversary. The idea behind this tradition, which dates back as far as the late 19th century, is for couples to savor the cake once again - as well as the memories of the big day and the first year of marriage.

Enjoying a well-preserved piece of wedding cake should be a pleasant reminder of your big day, so make sure it isn't ruined by a dry, smelly cake wrought with freezer burn. Learn how to properly store the top layer of cake when you read more.

To store the cake:

Designate a person to save the top tier once the cake cutting begins.
Set aside any fragile and large ornaments or decorations, such as the cake topper.
To avoid a stale cardboard taste, ensure the cake sits on wrapped cake board. A cardboard cake board should be wrapped with foil.
Place the cake in a freezer until the icing becomes firm, 20 minutes to three hours, depending on the icing.
Cover all of the cake's surface area with a generous amount of plastic wrap, avoiding air pockets.
Follow plastic wrap with two layers of aluminum foil.
Place wrapped cake in an airtight storage container and freeze for a year.

To enjoy the cake:

One day before your first anniversary, begin defrosting the cake: transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator.
After two hours, remove the cake from its wrapping. Continue to defrost in the refrigerator.
Bring the cake to room temperature before consuming.
Serve and enjoy.

If you know you'll be moving within your first year, lack the freezer space, or simply don't want to bother with the process of freezing your wedding cake, order a small, six-inch anniversary cake from the same bakery. Ask for similar cake flavors and fillings and have it adorned like your wedding cake (you can even save your cake topper to be placed on it). Use the cake knife and serving set from your wedding, and enjoy the memories of the special day with fresh cake.

Did you celebrate your first anniversary with the top tier of your wedding cake? What are your cake-preserving tips?

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Yummy Links: From MoMA Sporks to Pizza Cakes

partysugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:00:33 -0700

Ramen sporks and more from MoMA. - Hostess With the Mostess
Wedding season's not over yet: A wedding cake reality show debuts on WE. - Epi-Log
These magic bars are made for tiny kitchens. - Simply Stated
Try to get your head around this 20-layer sandwich. - Slashfood
Who says you can't make easy cinnamon buns at home? - Baking Bites
Taste testing beer chips and fancy M&Ms. - Chow
Stumped by spaghetti squash? Here are five delicious ideas. - FitSugar
Adjust your recipes with this super-cool calculator tool. - The Kitchn
So cute! A cake that looks like a pizza pie. - Serious Eats

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Jenna Bush's Wedding Cake: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:00:05 -0700

The President's daughter, Jenna Bush, was recently married in a lavish but down-to-earth wedding at her family's ranch in Texas. Few details have been released about the ceremony, reception, and menu but rumor has it the cake was created by the Ultimate Cheesecake Bakery. The tres leches/dulce de leche cake had whipped cream frosting and fresh floral arrangements. By the time this photo was taken, the top tier of the confection had started to fall. While it's sad the top was tilting, it's probably something the happy couple will laugh about for years to come. I'm a huge fan of dulce de leche and can only imagine how delicious the cake must have tasted. Thoughts?

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Find the Perfect Wedding Cake - Part 2

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 06:58:31 -0700

Once you have your cake design planned and your flavors picked out, it's now time to figure out different costs. Cakes are usually priced by the slice. Will the cake be large enough to feed your guests, or will you need to purchase another sheet cake to serve? Would it be cheaper for you to have a smaller cake and a larger sheet cake? Some even offer a fake cake (with real top tier) and a sheet cake in order to cut the costs. Also, what about the flavor/filling combos - you might love the fresh mixed berries, but if you're on a budget, replacing them with something else might be a good idea.

If you're going for floral decorations, make sure the baker is supplying them all, and if so, do you have a better connection that can get them at a better price? (Now's when I should also add, make sure the flowers you use are edible).

Don't overlook things like cake stands, cutters, toppers, either. Find out if they come with the cake (a cake always looks so much prettier on a cake stand), or if they require a deposit.

To read the last few tips, read more

Be sure to find out how busy the bakery is and how much time/attention they give to each cake. If they have a small staff and have several cakes needed for your wedding day, ask how they plan on pulling it off. Also, find out how far in advance the cake is prepared. The cake portion can be made up to a week in advance, but the icing shouldn't be more than a day or two.

One really important, and sometimes overlooked, fee is the delivery charge. Is there one? Does the place even deliver or will you have to pick it up (which to me, sounds like a recipe for disaster). Does a decorator accompany the cake delivery, or do they use a service. The ideal situation is one where a cake decorator accompanies the cake, this way if something slips during transportation, they'll be able to make any necessary repairs. Is it delivered whole or placed together on spot? Will the company travel to your location, or is it out of their delivery range? If they will, is it going to cost extra? Be sure to figure this stuff out, so that there are no "hidden" costs later.

Finally, have fun, be unique and be yourself - but don't skimp out, make sure it lives up to your expectations. As cake designer Edith Meyer (who created the two very different cakes shown here, and the one from yesterday) states, "Remember, it's the last thing your guests are going to remember from the reception, and it should be as special as the rest of your day."

Be sure to check out part one of how to find the perfect wedding cake!

Do you have any great tips on what to ask when choosing a cake designer? Or how about any great cake-tasting tales? Let us know below!

Wedding Cakes to Inspire All

YumSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:00:24 -0700

Every time I check out the Yum Market, I always end up looking at serenityspeaks' bookmarks. She has lovingly hunted down tons of wedding cakes, and even grouped them by color.

I'm rather fond of this incredibly unique tiered cake with citrus accompaniments, but if it doesn't suit you scroll through her impressive list below. There's plenty to be inspired by.

And if this selection isn't enough, serenityspeaks actually found three more pages of wedding cake ideas for you.

Head to IDoSugar for more wedding coverage.

The Chocolate Laptop Wedding Cake

GeekSugar — Tue, 15 May 2007 08:00:08 -0700

A big thanks to geeksugar reader mf cohen, who sent us this yummy edible geek laptop creation! This is what she had to say about it: "A grooms cake is a southern wedding tradition. In addition to the wedding cake, you have a grooms cake to celebrate the grooms hobbies or interests, so you can be assured there's at least one thing at the wedding that's about them. Since my husband is a software engineer, I couldn't think of anything more appropriate than a laptop! I was really pleased that the pastry chef at Santa Rosa Golf and Beach Club took the challenge. Our guests including my husband's boss were dually impressed. If all laptops were made of chocolate, I might be interested in becoming a software engineer too! P.S. This was in 2005!" What a great, delicious idea! Now I can't help but try and figure out what brand of laptop the chef was replicating... Dell, Compaq, or maybe a Toshiba? What do you think?

Top 10 Wedding Cake Trends of 2008

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:18:39 -0700

The wedding cake is the unspoken centerpiece of the wedding reception. Whether it's a chocolate sensation or a demure statement, everyone's bound to remark on what the cake looks like. This year there are more metallics, colors, and, of course, small cakes. To see all the wedding cake trends for 2008, click the "Start" button.

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Wedding Cakes for Your Furry Family

PetSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:00:40 -0700

Since we're full steam ahead bringing you all things wedding here on the Sugar Network, it's time to talk planning. If wedding bells will be ringing for your pets sometime soon, then you'll want to start thinking about the best part of the whole event: the cake!

Now, as much as we all enjoy stuffing our faces with some cake during big events, some common ingredients can be harmful to animals. Make sure that the cake you get (or make yourself) is pet-friendly. For example, chocolate is toxic to dogs, but it's an easy fix by substituting carob instead. If you don't have time to slave away in the kitchen, don't be embarrassed to let the pros handle it. Animal bakeries are popping up all over the country and are becoming quite a hit here in SF, too. North and I love heading past Bella and Daisy's for their special doggie treats when we're in the area, and bet they could whip up a sweet pet wedding cake. But what about this three-tiered wonder? Find out when you read more.

Even if you don't live near a bakery that caters to the four-legged species, this Dog Wedding Cake ($140) from Paw Palace can be made to your specifications, uses all human grade ingredients, and doesn't use sugar or preservatives. But the best part is that it can be shipped right to your door on the wedding day! Besides, the mother (or father) of the bride has more important things to worry about on the big day than baking a cake, right?

To check out more of our wedding coverage, head over to I Do Sugar.

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Geeky Wedding Cake Bonanza!

GeekSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Maybe you've seen 'em, maybe you haven't, but there is no denying the wow factor you get from these geeky wedding cakes. Although most of you said that you would go the traditional route, banning all Mario cakes for your nuptials, it's still just so refreshing to see peoples' true (geeky) colors shine through on the big day. I've featured a few of these cakes already, and some were hidden gems in the vast space of the internet. Take a gander and see if you find your inspiration for your very own geeky wedding cake in this roundup slideshow. For all of our network wedding coverage, be sure to check out I Do Sugar! Source

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Bridezilla Drops the Wedding Cake

GiggleSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:00:00 -0700

You can't have a proper wedding without a cake. The bridezilla below is fully aware of this, which is why she has settled herself into the backseat of the car where she can micromanage her two precious wedding cakes on the way home. By "micromanage," I mean scream and curse absurdities at all the nonexistent peeps trying to sabotage her wedding by tampering with her cakes. And then, of course, the totally foreseeable happens . . . (Thank you, WE TV!)

To see all of our wedding season coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.