Posted by Terri Leckas on Mon, Jan 25, 2010 @ 08:02 AM
White cake, white icing, piping and scrollwork done in white, white, white….the “traditional” has become “old fashioned”. Incorporate a splash of color on your wedding cake to tie in your color scheme and make your cake unforgettable!
Color in decorating needs to be chosen carefully; the shades as well as placement.
It’s not a good idea to ice entire tiers of cake in bright or dark colors; the food coloring can stain your mouth and teeth. (Imagine the photos!) Pastel colors are safe, and appear more palatable. Keep in mind that most buttercream icings are a very pale shade of yellow or ivory, and colors like periwinkle or lavender are hard to achieve from a yellow-toned base.
Colored border work can appear cartoonish. Your design will flow more if you put your colors throughout and overall on each tier. If your colors are deep, such as wine or eggplant, consider a lighter version, or less saturated hue for the cake decorating.
A popular look is an overall coverage of henna-like swirls done in white, with accents of colored “tri-dots” through the pattern for a hint of color.
A good way to add deep colors to your wedding cake is using satin ribbon. Create an “over-lay” look using a wider ribbon in one shade, topped with a narrow ribbon in another shade.
A good cake decorator can match color swatches pretty closely using food coloring. It’s most helpful if you provide some type of color sample, rather than a description of the color. “Tiffany Blue” means a lot of things to a lot of people.
Your cake colors will really “pop” if you use a colored fabric on the cake table, even the trim from the bridesmaids dresses can be gathered around the base cake for accent color.
It’s fun to carry your color to the inside of the cake as well! A white cake marbled with a light pink batter is a fun surprise. Or choose a tripleberry mousse filling tinted a light shade of lavender. Red velvet cake is delicious and will showcase your signature shade on every dessert plate.
Whatever color you choose, your cake maker will help you find the best way to create a modern look in tones that work well with food and your color scheme.
Posted by Terri Leckas on Mon, Jan 18, 2010 @ 08:00 AM
Wedding cake styles can vary from fun to formal, tone-on-tone to dramatic colorful designs. What’s important is that your cake reflects your personal style. A good cake designer will help you pull together elements from all parts of the wedding and beyond.
Colors are a natural way to tie a cake in to the décor and theme of your special day. A satin ribbon at the base of each tier is the best way to use a dark color such as red or black. Colors found on the invitations or bridesmaids gowns can appear in a small dotted Swiss pattern on a cake. A location or a venue offers inspiration as well: A garden-themed wedding would be reflected in a spatula-style icing, accented with tons of flowers. The beach locale of a destination wedding can be reproduced in white chocolate seashells and cracker-crumb sand. The bridal gown itself may be the most inspirational of all. Edible pearls, brush embroidery and edible glitter can all be used to create a cake designed after a couture gown.
The best advice on cake design is this: let all the other important elements fall into place before you choose a cake style. Let your cake-maker see, feel, and understand what your personal style is by sharing details about your wedding and reception plans, and most importantly, about yourself! When you can make a real connection with your baker, the cake will be truly yours.