Singaporebrides | Essentials

May 2014

Seven Questions To A Perfect Wedding Cake

By Audrie Soh

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If you’re a bride who cannot live without her slice of cake, then you’ll find wedding cake hunting your favourite part of wedding planning. But choosing your wedding cake is not as simple as you might think.

While you dig into slice after slice of goodness during your cake tasting, there’s a host of things you should consider before you invest in a wedding cake. We spoke to Yun Chan from Pine Garden’s Cake, Nursyazanna Syaira from Fluff Bakery and Jie Hui from Goobycakes and invited them to share with us the seven questions you should ask your wedding baker for the wedding cake of your dreams.

1. How big should my wedding cake be?

The size of your wedding cake depends on two factors – the size of your wedding and wedding budget. “We usually recommend our couples to go for a 3-tier wedding cake made up of 6, 9 and 12 inch layers,” Nursyazanna Syaira , owner and head baker of FluffBakery, advises. “Although the mid-sized 3-tier wedding cake is a popular choice among couples, we do have couples opting for an elaborate 5-tier wedding cake as well,” Yun Chan, Sales and Marketing Manager at Pine Garden’s Cake, adds. “We are also able to create 10 or 13-tier wedding cakes for bigger celebrations.”

2. What other alternatives besides a whole wedding cake can I go for?

These days, you don’t have to get a wedding cake for your big day if you don’t want to. Add an element of fun to your day by replacing it with creative alternatives like cake pops, a chocolate truffle or waffle tower or even a pizza cake! Or you could just go with everyone’s favourite bite-size dessert, cupcakes, for your wedding day. Depending on your budget and needs, you can opt for the standard cupcakes or customise them to complement your wedding theme. “The popular requests for wedding cupcakes are usually florals, the shuang xi (double happiness) characters and a pair of wedding gown and tuxedo illustrations,” Jie Hui, owner and head baker of Goobycakes, reveals.

3. How much should I set aside for a wedding cake or a set of wedding cupcakes?

How much your cake actually costs depends on how big it is, how intricate and elaborate the design is and if it is covered in cream or fondant art. “Fondant art takes more time and effort to hand-craft, especially if its an intricate design, and therefore, they are slightly pricier,” Jie Hui explains. For bakeries dealing with fondant art like Pine Garden’s Cake, a mid sized 3-tier wedding cake will cost approximately $480 on average, while Fluff Bakery’s 6 inch cream based cake starts at $120 and goes up as the cake gets bigger. At Goobycakes, non-customised cupcakes begin at $36 a dozen and can go up to $50-$90 for a dozen of customised cupcakes.

Therefore, you should set aside at least $300-$500 for your wedding cake or cupcakes. But regardless of how much you actually spend on your cake, don’t forget to set aside a small sum to accommodate for any additional services such as fresh flowers, set up, styling and delivery services.

4. When should I start approaching bakers for my wedding?

As soon as you have an idea of what you want for your wedding cake and a baker in mind. “Three to six months before your wedding day is a good time to start discussing your wedding cake,” Yun Chan discloses. “Although we do take in last minute orders up to 3 days in advance, it is subject to our availability, as we limit our production to 8 wedding cakes a day because all our cakes are lovingly handmade and decorated by our wedding cake team. So the earlier you can come to us with your order, the better.”

For bakeries like Fluff Bakery, you’d be wise to place your orders at least 6-12 months ahead due to the overwhelming requests Nursyazanna Syaira gets for wedding cake orders. “Some have even placed an order for a wedding cake 2 years in advance!” she quips. While Goobycakes doesn’t require their couples to place an order that many months ahead, Jie Hui recommends them to order at least 3-4 weeks in advance, or 1-2 months ahead of time if their wedding falls on the peak wedding months like February, November or December.

5. How long can I keep my wedding cake or cupcakes for?

To maintain freshness, fresh cream cakes should be best consumed within 2-3 days once they’ve been cut and packed. “Should couples wish to freeze their cakes, they should freeze it for no more than 2 weeks,” Nursyazanna Syaira recommends. As for cakes or cupcakes with fondant art, Jie Hui advises couples to consume them on the same day for freshness. “Fondant tends not to refrigerate well as it turns hard in the fridge but melts if its too humid, so it’s best not to keep them overnight or for an extended period of time,” she stresses.

6. I have a small budget for my wedding cake. What are my options?

You don’t need a big budget to enjoy a beautiful wedding cake on your big day. You just need to get creative. “Dummy cakes are a great way to cut cost,” Nursyazanna Syaira suggests. “You can still have a 3-tier wedding cake with only one tier made of real cake. No one will guess that two tiers are inedible and you’ll get to stay within budget while having your dream wedding cake!” Another way of cutting costs is to opt for cream based cakes rather than fondant ones. “They look just as elegant, tastes better as the cream lends an additional flavor profile to your cake and is usually cheaper,” she adds.

Downsizing your cake to a smaller 2-tier is another option couples with a tight wedding budget can go for. “Couples don’t have to worry about compromising the cake’s design with a smaller cake, as we are able to modify the design according to the size of the cake,” Yun Chan reassures. Or opt for a mix of fondant and regular frosted cupcakes, or mini cupcakes if you have a smaller budget.

7. Any Final Tips For Brides?

“Go online and research on the different types of wedding cakes before you decide on the traditional fondant covered wedding cake decorated with a ribbon,” Nursyazanna Syaira urges. “And be adventurous with the flavor profile of your wedding cake! It should not only look good, but taste fabulous as well.”

“Approach a baker only when you’ve decided on these four critical areas: your wedding cake budget, wedding theme, a general idea of your ideal wedding cake and its size,” Yun Chan advises. “With these information in hand, your baker can then better advise you on a wedding cake that meets all your requirements.”

“Most wedding cupcakes tend to sport pastel shades like pink and mint, but we did an oriental themed wedding cupcakes embossed with the shuang xi characters in bright colours for Kelly Latimer’s wedding earlier this year, and it was extremely memorable,” Jie Hui shares. “So couples shouldn’t be afraid to ask for something different in brighter colours like red or yellow!”

Fluff Bakery is famous for their deliciously moist Halal cupcakes with luscious fillings such as creamy Nutella and Milo custard, decadent tarts and pies, and scrumptious whole cakes. Styling and dessert table set-up services are available at additional costs. Their first stand-alone store is located at 12 Jalan Pisang.

Goobycakes specialises in fondant art and cream based cakes and cupcakes in a myriad of flavours such as berry yogurt, spiced pumpkin and kitkat. They are located at 170 Bukit Timah Road, #04-19, Bukit Timah Centre.

Pine Garden’s Cake is an unassuming local bakery specialising in customised wedding tiered cakes, Guo Da Li gift sets and wedding favours. They also have sliced cakes and fresh baked goods for walk-ins. Styling and dessert table set-up services are available at additional costs. They are located at 529 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, #01-2329/69.

Credits: Feature Image from Styled Shoot: Runaway Flowers X Winifred Kristé Cake Wedding Packages by The Analog Co.

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