WEDDING CAKE DESIGN

Shape

Your typical Wedding Cake will be made up of one or more individual cakes normally in a circular or square shape. However, a quick glance through any Wedding Magazine quickly reveals that whilst circles and squares dominate the market, they are by no means the only shape available. Triangles, ovals, hearts, pentagons, hexagons, diamonds – you name it, a cake can be made in that shape (you may want to avoid asking for a shape like dodecahedron of course, as that’s just weird!).

Cake tins are available in many shapes and sizes these days, and there really shouldn’t be anything to stop a skilled cake maker producing tiers in whatever shape you ask for. Be wary of anyone you speak to who tells you that something isn’t possible – they may well be telling the truth, but in most cases they are simply telling you that because they don't have the skill to produce it. If you have your heart set on something then shop around and don’t let an amateur stop you!

Tiers

The norm for tiers on a Wedding Cake is three, and in most cases you will find the individual tiers resting on a decorative base, stacked neatly on top of each other decreasing in size as they near the top. But, as with cake shapes, anything goes and you should not feel tied to this set-up.

Tiered cakes can be laid up in a number of different ways; the stacking technique already described, tiers on individual stands, tiers on a single stand, tiers separated by columns or pillars, tiers on ornamental stands and tiers on my pillow (sorry, couldn’t resist!) just to name a few. Each cake maker you speak to will have one or more options readily available, but many are happy to either purchase something special for the occasion (at a cost of course), use a suitable stand you provide, or alternatively hire a stand out for the day.

When it gets to the number of tiers, it is entirely down to you and the number of servings required should dictate how many you require. Many couples at smaller functions opt for just the one, whilst the more popular (or richer!) Bride and Groom may well go for five or more. That said, you should be aware that cake stands for five or more tiers are tricky to get hold of. The individual tiers need not always vary in size, but how they are to be laid up will have a big impact upon this. If you are keen on a quirky set up be sure to double check with your cake maker whether this is possible or not. Finally, whilst most cakes are tiered, yours needn’t be – have a look at bit below on style to see what we are talking about.