By April Kabbash
Still searching for that one detail
that will mark your wedding day as your own and make a big impact on
guests? Well, look no further than dessert. Thanks to television shows
like the Food Network’s Ace of Cakes, everyone knows that
the shapes and decorations available for wedding cakes are almost limitless.
But what if you want something unusual inside or your groom doesn’t
like, or can’t eat, traditional cake? As with everything else related
to weddings, you’ve got options.
Love the richness and decadence of cheesecake? Then
why not start your married life off with one. “A lot of people
don’t know that cheesecakes make great wedding cakes,” says
Aly Boyd, owner of Cheesecake Aly in Glen Rock (201-444-8590; cheesecakealy.com).
The company, which ships nationwide, began doing wedding cakes a few
years ago.
The cheesecakes can be stacked with up to three
tiers and, as with a traditional cake, the only decorating limitations
are the wishes of the bride. Cakes can be covered in fondant or buttercream,
topped with real or gum-paste flowers, or anything else you can dream
up.
“Our cakes look just like a regular wedding
cake,” says Boyd, “until you cut into them. Then they are
really something special.” Some of Boyd’s most popular wedding
flavors include Kahlua fudge, key lime, and pumpkin, but 28 flavors are
available, along with sugar- and gluten-free versions for people with
allergies or those with dietary restrictions.
If food allergies are a concern, look no further
than Rutherford’s Sweet Avenue Bake Shop (201-935-2253; sweetavenuebakeshop.com),
which specializes in cupcakes, both traditional and dairy- and egg-free
vegan versions. With flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet,
as well as seasonal specialties like pumpkin, and a wide variety of icings,
they can customize the look and flavor of your wedding dessert. Try mixing
several varieties on a tiered cake stand to give the feel of a traditional
wedding cake, while giving guests a choice of flavors.
Or try something completely different like a towering
croquembouche. This confection, made of rows upon rows of stacked cream
puffs, has been served at French weddings for years. Traditionally topped
with clouds of spun sugar, it makes a beautiful showpiece as well as
a delicious dessert your guests will not soon forget.
If you are planning a casual summer wedding, try
a collection of pies instead of one cake. With flavors ranging from apple
or raspberry to lemon meringue or chocolate, there is something for everyone.
Gather several of your favorite flavors, and count on roughly one pie
for six guests (accounting for those who want to try a few slices). Set
them out on a long table accompanied by big bowls of freshly whipped
cream, and you’ve got a great way to end your reception.
Whether you choose a traditional cake, an unusual
cake, or something all-together different, remember: This is the one
dessert you will remember for the rest of your life. Make sure it’s
delicious, and make sure it reflects your own style. (And be sure to
save a piece to freeze.) That way you, and your guests, will have a dessert
worth remembering.
His & Hers
By Linda DiProperzio
HIS CAKE: the Groom’s Cake
While chocolate has been the most popular choice for groom’s cakes, other “manly” flavors—red velvet, carrot, and spice cake—are also becoming favorites. But let’s face it—everyone loves chocolate, so if you want to stick with the old standby, try giving it a little twist. “Many couples choose a coffee-flavored filling like espresso ganache, or hazelnut, both are delicious,” says Rita Dadaian of Cakes Couture (973-763-9143; www.cakescouture.com).
Charmaine Jones of Cake Diva in Hoboken (201-216-0123; www.cakediva.com) recommends celebrating your heritage, and has seen a recent trend in grooms wanting to pay homage to their ethnicity. “I’ve made cakes in the shape of everything from an African drum to a Celtic cross,” she says.
Other great ideas are to spotlight a groom’s hobby or one of his favorite things. Jones created the shape of a Hennessy bottle and power tools; while Joanne Gusweiler of Cocoluxe in Peapack (908-781-5554; www.cocoluxepastry.com) has created a car’s motor engine and a trout to accommodate a groom’s wishes.
HER CAKE: The Wedding Cake
Pick a flavor—any flavor. Gone are the days of white cake and vanilla buttercream frosting. In fact, the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing a flavor for your wedding cake. Some of Jones’s favorites for fall/winter include pink champagne cake with coconut filling, chocolate cake with brandy cream, and pumpkin cake with cream cheese filling. And don’t think you have to give up on fruit in the cooler months: lemon cake with lemon filling is a tasty treat anytime of year.
Be bold with color. You don’t need to rely solely on flowers to add a boost of color to your cake—now the entire confection can be designed in your favorite hues. Have your baker tint the frosting to match the centerpieces or bridesmaids dresses, or ask to have a special design painted onto the cake. One bride that Dadaian worked with actually designed her own fabric swatches, which were then printed onto the cake.
Give it dual purpose. One of Jones’s celebrity clients had several small cakes designed as gift boxes for her winter wedding, and placed one on each table in lieu of floral centerpieces. “The cake doesn’t just stand off to the side anymore—it is a piece of art that ties into the entire concept of the wedding,” says Jones.
Chocolate Wedding Cakes
By Linda DiProperzio
Once upon a time, chocolate was reserved for the groom’s cake—something different in comparison to the traditional white wedding cake couples have been serving for years. But a growing number of modern brides and grooms are throwing tradition out the window and opting for cocoa-inspired confections for their big day. “Couples today want to set their weddings apart, and serving a chocolate wedding cake is one way to do that,” says Anne Khoobiar Heap, owner of Pink Cake Box in Morristown (973-919-4840; www.pinkcakebox.com). “It’s perfect for people that don’t want the typical ‘white wedding.’”
While you might think it’s easier to get creative with flavors using a white or yellow cake as the base, the delicious possibilities are also endless with chocolate. Some of Heap’s favorite pairings include chocolate fudge cake with Oreo and cream filling, chocolate with peanut butter filling (“like a Reese’s peanut butter cup”), mocha filling, and of course, the always popular fruit fillings. “I absolutely love chocolate custard filling with strawberries and chocolate ganache with raspberries,” says Heap. Other options include an espresso ganache filling and a white chocolate velvet cake with exotic passion fruit filling (both popular at Cakes Couture, 973-763-9143; www.cakescouture.com), and chocolate cake with brandy cream filling (a fave at Cake Diva in Hoboken, 201-216-0123; www.cakediva.com).
When it comes to chocolate, though, less often is more, says Rosemary Littman, owner of Rosemary’s Cakes in Teaneck (201-833-2417). “When the chocolate is very rich, you’re better off choosing a simple filling to complement it,” she explains. Her choice: chocolate cake with almond buttercream filling. “My brides go crazy for it!”
Another unique option is red velvet cake, which is a very light chocolate cake. “Like the groom’s cake, red velvet became popular in the South, but it’s making its way up here,” says Heap. “It’s basically a buttermilk cake with a slight hint of cocoa, so guests that aren’t crazy about chocolate will still enjoy it.”
Despite the trend, choosing a dark color for the outside of the cake is still a risky move, says Heap. “I very rarely get asked to do an all-chocolate cake,” she says. “It’s a bit more popular in the fall when couples want a harvesty feel—I’ll dust the cake with gold, and it looks beautiful.”
Still, couples feel like they have more decorative options with a white cake—after all, it does match with everything. And when you think about it, it really is the best of both worlds: a creative twist with a conventional feel.
Flower Flavors for Your Cake
By Gina LaMorte
While flowers are a traditional decoration to the exterior of a cake, lately they seem to be inspiring the inside as well. Vanilla, a favorite of Rosemary Little of Rosemary’s Cakes in Teaneck, is derived from the orchid, and has become a popular cake choice in combination with an almond mousse. If you’re the trendy type, a “honey-lavender cake filled with dark-chocolate ganache is a flavorful combination,” says Anna Khoobiar of the Pink Cake Box in Morristown. Lemon verbena is also a popular favorite for summer cakes, because its lightweight essence of flavor is quite fresh. “Orange Blossom is a popular fragrant cake with historic meaning,” says Charmaine Jones of Cakediva in Hoboken. “It was one of the original cake flavors of bakers and pairs very well with a traditional chocolate cake.” For a vintage floral flavor, try rose. “Persian love cake is flavored with cardamom seeds and iced with a rose-infused frosting that is just divine,” notes Khoobiar. Smells good to me.
Cheesecake Wedding Cakes
By April Kabbash
Rich, sweet, and a little bit unusual. Sound like the perfect groom? Actually, it could be the perfect wedding dessert—cheesecake. “A lot of people don't know that cheesecakes make great wedding cakes,” says Aly Boyd, owner of Cheesecake Aly in Glen Rock (201-444-8590; cheesecakealy.com). The company, which produces cakes in 27 flavors and ships nationwide, began doing wedding cakes a few years ago.
The cheesecakes can be stacked with up to three tiers and, as with a traditional cake, the only decorating limitations are the wishes of the bride. Cakes can be covered in fondant or buttercream, toped with real or gum-paste flowers, or anything else you can dream up. “Our cakes look just like a regular wedding cake,” says Boyd, “until you cut into them. Then they are really something special.” And that something special comes in flavors like brownie-bottom, Kahlua fudge, key lime, and pumpkin. And for brides or guests with dietary restrictions, Boyd has created sugar- and gluten-free versions.
Another option, if you don't want a traditional wedding cake look, is to choose several cheesecake flavors and display them on cake stands of varying heights on the dessert table. Top with some fresh fruit or edible flowers, and you'll have a stunning display that allows everyone to choose their own favorite flavor.
Unusual Wedding Cakes
By Patricia Simone
Many brides opt for the traditional multi-tiered wedding cakes, with figurines of the bridal couple on top. But if you’re hankering to have some fun and let your personal style shine through, go for it, because you can find creative, imaginative bakers who can design, bake, and build the funkiest and wildest wedding cake ever, to suit your particular interests, theme, or hobbies. For a sweet and sassy ending to your reception, consider these ideas:
Charmaine Jones of Cake Diva in Hoboken (201-216-0123; www.cakediva.com) has baked up unusual cakes for Beyoncé, Michael Jordan, and Jay Leno, and caters to any bride seeking to have some fun. She has even designed a sea-themed pink champagne wedding cake with a creamy coconut filling for the opening of the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, which featured live goldfish swimming in between four see-through tiers. Jones says she can adapt pretty much anything into a wedding cake design, including a stunning nine-foot tall creation—where each slice was over six inches high—decorated with gorgeous handmade sugar orchids and roses.
Judy Frasco-Edmonds, of Waldwick’s Desserts of Distinction (201-689-7790; www.dessertsofdistinctioninc.com), has done all kinds of fanciful cakes, including the popular stacks of gift boxes. “One bride met her fiancé in a forest program in Oregon, so they shipped pinecones from Oregon,” says Frasco-Edmonds. “We cleaned them up and made trees and evergreen leaves.” Like other specialty bakers, Frasco-Edmunds can duplicate lace patterns from a bride’s dress, mimic cascading ribbons from a headpiece, or create a whimsical look using different colored polka dots with sugar bows. For brides looking to kick it up a notch, she suggests cupcake towers with stars, initials, or bright funky colors. Creative embellishments can include butterflies, muted pawprints (for dog lovers) or playing cards. Consider a three-dimensional Jeep as a groom’s cake.
Buddy Valastro, owner of Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken (201-833-2417; www.carlosbakery.com), creates cakes that make a statement using traditional rounds and more funky looking square, hexagon, and octagon shapes. He’s produced everything from the popular topsy-turvy look for the more daring bride, to a sophisticated fall-themed cake: a four-tiered copper colored creation using two squares and two rounds, covered with fall sugar flowers and little pumpkins. Valastro says he sees a new trend: using different textured icing, mirroring the beading or embroidery found on the bridal gown. Two of his best groom’s cake creations: a ball field with a hand sculptured bat, Yankee jersey, and hat, and a box of cigars.
Rosemary Littman of Rosemary’s Cakes in Teaneck (201-833-2417), who considers herself a sculptor, using cake as her medium, has several favorite “wacky” wedding cake creations: bottles of champagne in an ice bucket and a treasure chest, complete with edible jewels cascading out of the open chest. This artist, who loves doing three-dimensional pop-art cakes that look like other things, says she’s done Scrabble board cakes and even a Woodstock cake, complete with handmade pottery guitars holding up the tie-dyed and psychedelic tiers, along with handmade peace signs and projected sixties love posters on a section of fondant.
Costs for any of these creations run from $5 per slice to project-based pricing, depending on the resource. And the general rule of thumb is to book your cake order as soon as possible because these bakers/artists are in demand, especially during the height of the wedding season (May, June, September, and October). Depending on the time of year, some may be able to accommodate last-minute orders booked within several weeks of your reception. So use your imagination and get the ultimate un-wedding cake to put a funky, spirited finale to your special day.