The cake has become a highlight of the wedding reception. Modern couples are taking cakes to the next level with unique designs and gourmet flavors. Pick your favorite and enjoy a sweet moment with your new husband.

Cake 101

Each baker will have his or her repertoire of flavors — chocolate to tiramisu — and fillings — fresh fruit to white chocolate ganache. Before you get to that point, you need to know a little about cake and icing options.

CAKE STYLES

• Pillar. Each tier of the cake is separated by pillars (clear, white, colored, etc.). The space between the pillars may remain empty or may be accented with flowers

• Stacked. This cake is stacked one tier on top of the other, with no space showing between the layers.

• Cascade or satellite. Each layer is decorated separately and placed upon its own pedestal, which stands independently of the others. The pedestals are of varying heights so that it appears the individual cakes are cascading.

THE ICING:

• Fondant. A smooth sheetlike icing that is rolled out, fondant gives a smooth clean look and is very popular with the very modern and intricate styles of cakes today.

• Butter cream. A creamy sweet icing that is a traditional favorite, butter cream can be flavored and spread on smoothly, but it does not give the “sharp” or defined smooth look that fondant gives.

To finish off the look of the wedding cake, depending on your budget and the skill level of the professional you hire, you will be able to select from a variety of shapes. Hexagons, squares, and even dragons are the norm. The cake can be finished off with fresh flowers, sugar flowers, and other adornments crafted from edible and nonedible materials.

Just for Him

Some weddings also feature a groom's cake, traditionally a dark fruitcake packed into white boxes and given to the guests as a gift. Couples who opt for a groom's cake often have the cake decorated to resemble the groom's hobby or special interest. If your groom is a baseball fan, you might decide to have the cake shaped like a bat or a ball. Usually, the same baker makes both the wedding cake and the groom's cake.

Cake Shopping

Wedding cakes today are no simple affair; they may require a small army of bakers (and large chunks of time and money) to put together. Couples take great pleasure in designing edible master-pieces to display at their wedding. To get moving on your cake selections, here's what you're going to have to do:

• Begin searching for a bakery at least six months before the wedding, possibly longer if you are looking for an intricate or specialty design

• Bring in examples from magazines, photos, or books to show the cake designer, or view the bakery's sample books to find the right cake for you

• Ask for taste tests of any style cake you're seriously considering

• Tell the baker how many guests you expect

• Find out how much of a deposit is required

• Find out if the deposit is refundable

• Ask about any additional delivery or rental charges

• Ask whether there will be a fee for having the baker set up the cake at the reception site

• Arrange when final payment for the cake is due

• Order the cake

• Get a written contract stipulating the type of cake, cost, date of delivery, and any other important specifications

• Arrange for the baker to arrive at the reception site before the guests to set up the cake

• Decide where the cake will be displayed

Questions to Ask

With so many options, coming to a final decision can be pretty hard. Here's a list of questions to ask your baker.

What size cake should you have for the number of guests you're having?

Can you have different flavors for different layers of the cake?

When do you make your cakes? Are they made and then frozen or are the cakes fresh?

What are the ingredients you typically use? (This may be important if you are looking for a specific kind of cake such as organic, vegan, etc.)

What choices are available in cake flavors and frostings?

Does the baker specialize in any flavor, style, or size?

Do you offer a cake tasting? Is there a charge?

Is there a rental fee for tiers or separators?

CAKE WORKSHEET

Preserving the Top Layer

Traditionally, the bride and groom preserve the top tier of their wedding cake to eat on their first anniversary. Check with your bakery, because some bakeries will now provide a small cake on your first anniversary in lieu of your freezing your top tier. However, if you want to save the original cake, refrigeration alone isn't going to cut it. Taking the following measures should ensure that you'll have an edible cake on your first anniversary:

• Wrap it tightly in plastic

• Place it in a sturdy box

• Wrap it in plastic again

• Store it in the freezer

• When the time to eat your cake is here, thaw it in the wrappings for approximately twelve hours, then simply unwrap and enjoy!