Wedding Cake Couture

Spring & Summer 2009

The days of wedding cakes that were all show and little substance are gone says Tracy Kadonoff, head pastry chef at Kitsilano’s popular Sweet Obsessions Cakes and Pastries. Fresh and natural is the latest trend appealing to the modern palate.  

Kadonoff says today’s wedding cakes lean toward “classic and elegant with all-natural ingredients.” 

Lighter fillings and icing tops for summer

At Sweet Obsession, Kadonoff focuses on flavour first so everything from the filling to the icing is “tasty down to the last bite.” Any of Sweet Obsession’s award-winning favourites from the white chocolate raspberry mousse cake to chocolate ganache to the roasted coconut chiffon cake can be selected by brides to be made into their wedding cakes.

For spring and summer weddings, many bridal couples choose pale icings like ivory-coloured white chocolate buttercream or the creamy shades of white chocolate ganache icing. Choices for summer fillings tend to be lighter too with lemon mousse cake being Sweet Obsession’s top choice for summer brides, since it is light, not too sweet and guests appreciate both after a big meal.

Kadonoff says fresh flowers that complement the bridal theme and fresh berries and fruit – raspberries, blackberries and red currents in season – are some of the favourite decorations that create the all-natural, classic and stunningly elegant cakes popular with many brides today.

Tips for ordering a wedding cake

Kadonoff recommends budgeting $4 to $6 per person for a dessert-size portion of cake. A three-tier cake with 12, 9 and 6-inch layers will yield approximately 100 dessert portions. Cakes can be made smaller or larger according to the number of guests.

Since summer weddings book up quickly, Sweet Obsession recommends that cake orders be in by the end of May, although later orders are accommodated whenever possible.