Wedding Cake Icing

-- Wedding Cake Icing --

Wedding cake shopping is one of the most delightful – and delicious – parts of planning your wedding!

Find a cake-maker who you think will be able to share your vision. Be sure to look through her portfolio to make sure her style matches yours, and arrange a taste-test early on. There are many different types of cakes available to you. Your wedding cake may be part of your theme or a stand-alone work of art!

Let’s take a close look at wedding cake icing, so you know what all those terms mean when you meet with your baker!

Butter Cream Frosting

Butter cream just sounds sinfully delicious! Bakers love it for its versatility: it’s easy to color, so it can work with virtually any color scheme. It can be used as either a filling or a frosting. It can be made in a variety of consistencies to suit your purposes. Having an outdoor celebration? Careful – this doesn’t hold up well in the heat!

Fondant

A favorite of cake decorators, this smooth icing has a glossy sheen. It’s perfect for the wild cake that is made into a unique shape, like a gift. Fondant isn't quite as tasty as some of the others, but it’s gorgeous – and able to withstand the elements.

Marzipan

This tasty icing is made of crushed almonds, and, though expensive, is an excellent option for your wedding cake! It tastes just as good as it looks. This sugary topping can be used as either an all-over icing or to make creative decorations.

-- Wedding Cake Icing --

Royal Icing

Inexpensively made from confectioners’ sugar and milk or egg whites, this shiny, white icing is perfect for decorative elements (think gingerbread men). It’s often used for fine decorative elements like dots. Do-it-yourself brides who plan to make their own cake often opt for this type of icing as it is fairly easy to make.

Ganache

This decadent chocolate treat is made of heavy cream and chocolate. Rich and delectable, this chocolate delight can be used to ice an entire cake, or as a scrumptious filling.

Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is light and delicious – but be careful, as it can quickly become a dripping mess when exposed to heat and humidity. This cake should be kept in the fridge until just before it is served. Your baker may be able to increased the whipped cream 's resilience by adding stabilizers to the recipe – don’t be afraid to ask.

Piping

Artistic cake decorators use pastry bags with different tips to create different looks. Piping is used to decorate a cake with any sort of accents you want: polka dots, latticework, or basket weave.

Gum Paste

This confection is used to create realistic looking fruit and flower accents. It is made of gelatin, cornstarch and sugar. Be sure to save a flower or two: legend has it that it will keep for hundreds of years without decomposing!

Decorative Elements

Many wedding cakes are decorated using some non-edible touches. Consider having a beautiful ribbon base around each cake layer for an elegant, classic look. Edible pearls add sophistication, while edible flowers add a natural charm.

Fillings

While some cakes are filled with variations of the top frosting, others have decadent fillings. Mousse, custard, pastry cream, ganache, and fresh fruit are all delicious fillings.

Finding the cake of your dream begins with a dream. Look through magazines, rip our pictures you love, and visit your baker armed with knowledge and vision. Tip: This is a male friendly wedding activity! Take hubby-to-be along with you. He will love tasting all the different types of cake!

-- Wedding Cake Icing --