Yesterday, I was honored to make the desserts for a very sweet couple at the beautiful Twisted Ranch wedding venue.  If you have ever been to Twisted Ranch is it a genius combination of country/rustic and elegance.  Chandeliers, candles, and lace brighten the dark woods of the barn!  Rather than having a big formal dinner, this couple chose an afternoon wedding with a biscuits and gravy breakfast buffet.  My mouth was watering as I read the menu...mmm.  It would seem a little out of place to have a grand cake at a more casual, yet still classy wedding.  So, they chose a cupcake bar!  The bride and groom selected our French Vanilla with cake caramel filling for their cake.  The design was simple and smooth with a ribbon border.  The cupcakes were a blend of French Vanilla with blueberry filling, Strawberry with strawberry filling, and Chocolate with chocolate fudge filling.  Mmmm....there was a little bite for every taste bud in attendance.

Recently, I had the pleasure of working with a very sweet...and very organized couple!  They brought me hand drawings and layouts and even pictures of all their cake adornments, for both cakes!  They even had a graph!!  The groom had come up with a fantastic idea for a grooms cake.  It's not a tiered cake, but there are several angles and layers to this cake, making it a very contemporary piece with a wow factory...and yet still look classy.  The flavor was one of my personal favorites, Chocolate with Bailey's chocolate mousse and chocolate buttercream.  The cake was then garnished with a chocolate drizzle...mmmm.  The couple had purchased some fun wooden figurines to represent NY, a favorite past time.  We strategically placed all the figurines to represent the city and the special memories!  

I personally love this cake because it's timeless.  Yes, I love making the fun cakes too, but I know years from now they will still love this cake!  It's classic.  It's personal.  And, it just looks cool!

When it comes to your cake, let's brainstorm and create something that you will love!  Something personal that you will remember for years to come! 

One fun design trend in the wedding industry is the chalkboard cake!  While it's not for every bride, for the bride with just the right theme, it's a fun and unique touch to her wedding!  Some couples choose to have one tier in the chalkboard look, while others go big with the whole cake!  This was my first opportunity to make the chalkboard cake and I loved making it!  Josefin is from Sweden and asked me to include some phrases in Swedish, which she provided for me.  That combined with other English phrases in various fonts and sizes, just like their invitations, created a one of a kind cake!  Couples can choose to write whatever they want on their cake to incorporate words of love or sentimental statements on their cake, creating a sweet memory that will last a lifetime.   

Being in the wedding industry for nearly 8 years now, I have watched trends come and trends go.  I am now starting to see trends that were once popular and die down become popular again.  Honestly, I love watching them.  I love to see what styles and ideas brides love.  Some trends I'm sad to see go and others not so much. 

Over the past few months I have noticed one particular trend that I haven't seen before.  This isn't so much a design trend though.  Brides today are smart and while they aren't pinching pennies most do work on a realistic wedding budget.  However, what is changing is how they are spending those wedding cake dollars. 

Brides today are less focused on the wow factor cake design, but on the wow factor flavor!  I am hearing more brides say they want a simple buttercream design with no fondant.  They want it beautiful and elegant with a floral or other simple adornments.  They are no longer seeking all the bells and whistles and *cough cough* expensive add-ons.  Instead, they are opting to spend their money on the flavor of the cake!

More brides are choosing a wow factor flavor rather than a wow factor look!  They are realizing they can still have a gorgeous cake without sacrificing the taste.  After all, why spend money on knock your socks off cake if it's dry and ends up in the trash.  Lately, brides are raving about our newest flavor the Rosewater cake.  Rosewater requests have skyrocketed, as has Pink Champagne, Banana Foster, and Peach Chiffon!  Brides are wanting their guests to be impressed with the melt in your mouth flavor and are willing to pay a little more for a cake that tastes above and beyond ordinary!