enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

wedding wednesday : cake.

September 23, 2009

This whole "plan a wedding" plan has shook out pretty well. There are certain decisions to be made but minimal drama in making them. I limit my options, and go with my instinct. Like the dress: it is pretty, it fits well, Paul liked it online and it feels like me. DONE. Like the venue: it's beautiful, it's near the church, the staff is nice and the food is good. DONE. Like the flowers: they're lovely, simple & orange. DONE. And on and on and on.

So, somewhat naively, I thought ordering a cake would be well…a piece of cake.

One thing that Paul and I agree on is that it's more important that the cake tastes perfect than looks perfect. (READ: NO FONDANT.) We both love carrot cake and decided we would go with a few minimally decorated tiers with cream cheese frosting. I wanted something that looked like this or this.

And then, in July, we went to the bakeries and our dreams melted.

Did you know that cream cheese frosting is too soft to stack into tiers? It is.

"No worries," we said, "we'll just get a few round cakes and place them at different heights next to each other." It will look cool, we figured. We even drew a sketch of our plan.

Did you know that the cream cheese frosting will melt if not refrigerated? It will.

"Hmmmmm." we said.

It took awhile to get all the information, but every bakery vetoed our cream cheese frosting plan. They were all willing to make carrot cake with butter cream frosting but that sort of defeats the purpose. Cream cheese frosting sort of makes the carrot cake.

Since then, I have just sort of ignored the cake issue. If possible, I would continue to ignore it until April 25th, but something tells me that is a lame idea.

What we know is that taste matters above all. So part of me thinks we just get a few fabulous tasting carrot sheet cakes and keep them refrigerated until it's time to serve. For the all important cake cutting ceremony (which really no one but the photographer seems to notice) Paul and I could use a small round carrot cake that gets brought out just in time to be cut and ate by us.

Thoughts on cake, internet? Did you have carrot cake at your wedding? DID IT MELT? Do you hate cake and think we should serve pie? Are you a local Sacramento baker who makes fabulous carrot cake? I'd love to hear.

Posted in wedding

57 responses to “wedding wednesday : cake.”

Allison

September 23, 2009

we had a 4 tier mixed layer cake with cream cheese frosting. our baker just came to the wedding, kept everything refrigerated, stacked it a few minutes before we cut it (so our photographers could get pictures) and then served it. it was perfect. it was exactly what we wanted- tasted fabulous, looked perfectly imperfect.
to be honest, i really don’t think anyone cares about the cake. i mean, they want it to taste good, but no one really even watched us cut it, because they were mixing and mingling and eating. we didn’t make a big production about making people drop what they were doing to watch a cake- cause you know what- it’s just going to be eaten.
all in all, the day is about you + paul, celebrating with your friends and family. don’t let a detail that you will spend 5 minutes on during the reception stress you out.

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Malea

September 23, 2009

What about a cream cheese buttercream frosting?? I’ve never tasted it… but it appears to just be a regular buttercream with cream cheese mixed in.

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grungedandy

September 23, 2009

just a crazy thought but could a ice statue cake stand work? it would look cool, keep cake cool & no washing up!
anyway just thinking out of the box good luck seeya hugya G

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robyn

September 23, 2009

we did exactly what you are thinking of doing – had a cream cheese frosting and just had the cake brought out. no one missed having the cake presented on a table all pretty, we didn’t have to leave the head table to cut the cake, and we had a cake that tasted AMAZING!
and the guests got their cake delivered directly to the tables, cut up and ready to eat, and they didn’t have to wait for it to be cut while they watched. all in all, a great idea if you ask me!
and if you want pictures of the cake uncut, just be sure to have your photographer grab a few as it’s being brought out, or while it’s set on the table in front of you but before you cut into it.

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Brianna

September 23, 2009

What about cupcakes? You could still do carrot cake, but it would be less frosting to melt?
I don’t know. The cake part of planning a wedding seems like it would be the most stressful.

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Elizabeth

September 23, 2009

My ex and I had a carrot cake at our reception, but it was inside. Any experienced cake caterer person should be able to accommodate your cake needs – even if that means having a different cake or fake cakes for display, and your carrot cake plated somewhere where it can stay cool until it’s served. My sister and her husband had a cake with a jam filling that definitely would not hold up on stands, even with air conditioning, so they cut a chocolate cake and had their caterer plate the jammy one. Everything was perfect, and then the guests had a choice of cakes to eat. 🙂

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Maggie

September 23, 2009

mmmmmmmm…..I love carrot cake, now I am hungry. My husband and I both love carrot cake as well and we thought about it for our wedding. We were told the same thing though about the cream cheese frosting and realized it would just be too much of a pain to deal with. There ended up being many other delcious tasting cakes to choose from. Our actaul decorated cake was an almond poppy seed cake with whipped frosting and it was delicous – we got lots of compliments on the taste of it and it also tasted very good a year later after we’d defrosted the top and ate it on our anniversary. We also had different falvors of sheet cakes to choose from – and honestly I don’t remember what the flavors of those were but if you went with that idea you could do carrot cakes on the side.

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Jessica

September 23, 2009

I only wish our photographer were the only one who cared about our cake cutting! We were NOT going to make any deal of it, but LORDYLOO you’d thought we’d done something horrible the way our family freaked out when they realized we were starting to cut the cake without letting everyone and their sister cram in to watch/take pictures/get in the way. Uugh.
FWIW, we had the one small cake on top for us and everyone else got cupcakes. But yeah, I’m going with everyone else saying “why can’t you have it, keep it refridgerated and stack just a little before the cutting and have at?”

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scissor variations

September 23, 2009

elise–we had a carrot cake + a pound cake. both made by my mother–the (undecorated) pound cake flew across the country with her to attend the wedding. she decorated the pound cake here and made the carrot cake here and then frosted the carrot cake the morning of the wedding + refrigerated the cake.
we cut the single tier pound cake (for photos) and served the carrot cake alongside (we had other large sheet cakes “in the waiting”), we “decorated” both round cakes with pesticide free flowers that were similar to the ones we decorated with. a carrot cake with cream cheese icing can easily be brought out for the cake cutting by the catering staff,
if using a pound cake or fake cake–you could easily do the single cake on a lovely cake stand and adorned with some of the wonderful orangle flowers you have chosen already. you would have your “cake photo” and your carrot cake too!
i think everyone who likes carrot cake has a “favorite” recipe. i had a small catering endeavor when i was in univeristy and i used to bake carrot cake for a small cafe several times a week. i would be happy to share the recipe with you, i am a big believer that the icing makes the carrot cake. my mom says that freezing her version actually makes it a moister cake.
i think if you want carrot cake you will find a way to create and serve it that pleases both you and Paul.

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Rachael

September 23, 2009

Exactly one day and one year ago, my friend served carrot cake with cream cheese frosting at her wedding. Here is my photo of the cake:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cupcakesunshine/3002864441/in/set-72157613401084168/
granted it was fall in Maine so it was cooler. Still the cake was delicious and it did not melt. I went to a wedding in August where the couple had a small cake for them for photos but they had a dessert buffet for everyone else. Couldn’t you keep the cake for your guests in the back and have them serve it the way you like while you have a small cake for photos etc on display???
ALSO my boyfriend’s sister is getting married next month. In place of a lot of flowers at the table, she’s having individual cakes on vintage cake stands. Couldn’t you do something like that??? They could take the cake away after dessert so it doesn’t sit there. If you’re inside, is it really going to melt in April???
It is your wedding! People should work with you on what you want.

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Colleen

September 23, 2009

Get the carrot cake! It’s what you want and it’s your day!
If you want 3 cakes at different levels, have them stay refrigerated for the majority of the reception, and when it’s time for cake, bring htem out on the stands and go from there. No melting worries at all. I’d rather have the cake that I want than worry about it needing to sit on a table and look pretty, you know? No one is going to notice if there isn’t a cake table, and then it’ll be special when it gets brought out for cutting and eating.

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lucy

September 23, 2009

We had an ice cream cake at our wedding. i.e. something way more melty than cream cheese frosting. we were blessed blessed blessed with the most wonderful vendors who let us use their freezer/refrigerator and who brought the cake out just a bit before we needed to cut it. don’t give up on what you want.

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Jennifer

September 23, 2009

What about carrot cake cupcakes on a tiered stand? Might those hold up better?
If you’re already game for 3 cakes at different levels, then why not take a previous suggestion and keep them refrigerated until the time comes.
Now I want carrot cake – thanks! =)

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Nikki

September 23, 2009

I agree with the above person who mentioned cream cheese buttercream, you should try it, it’s good! I did a tiered birthday cake for my 1 year old in May, in Arkansas (not exactly cool…) and it was fine and tasted fantastic! I had never heard of the cream cheese buttercream until I started researching it, I’m sure you could fine a baker who uses it, I read about it on cakecentral.com. Good luck!

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rossie

September 23, 2009

I would totally just go with the sheet cake! Cake is for eating, not taking pictures of and carrot cake is the best!
Plus, carrots are orange!

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Jill

September 23, 2009

Carrot cake is the only cake I love and I think it gets overlooked. . . good for you and Paul for going for what you love on your day. I’ve not planned a wedding, nor attended a wedding where carrot cake was served, but if it’s what you want on your day then just go for it. It will look and taste wonderful to you no matter what 🙂

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Corey

September 23, 2009

Hey Elise
I read your blog all the time but i’ve never commented before. Leave it to cake to bring me out of hiding! ha!
Anyway, I had butter cream frosting on my wedding cake and it melted. It was 95 degrees in Sacramento that day though! But I guess it doesn’t really matter what you choose as your frosting, nothing is perfect. I recently went to a wedding and they did a nice simple 3 layered cake for the cake table and all important cake slicing. Then they brought out 3 different sheet cakes of different flavors (they did lemon, chocolate and white) for serving. I thought it worked out well. Pick something simple (and still tastes good) for your ‘pretty cake’ and then do the carrot cake for serving!
Also, have you looked into any independent bakers who might be willing to do a wedding cake, or who do it on the side instead of going to a bakery? you might find the independent person might be more willing to do exactly what you want.

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Lane C

September 23, 2009

In MN we have a company that does cheesecakes, the 5 weddings that have had them have been different and yummy alternative to cake. In all of my wedding expereinces, the cake has been the last thing on everyone mind and I think the sheet cake idea would accomplish the goal of having carrot cake, with a small cake for pictures. I will also save you $$ because cakes are seriously expensive. Good Luck!

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Becca

September 23, 2009

I make cakes and I have done a couple with cream cheese icing. One had the look of the first pic you linked to. It was hot, so it was a little more melty- but if you wait to bring it out you’re ok. Being on the end of being a cake decorator I see where the bakers are coming from. They usually bring and set up the cake and don’t trust that someone else will do it (everyone has a million things to do) Or it is set up there because it’s too heavy to move. If it’s hot they can’t risk leaving out set up and get all melty by the time you see it. I made another 3 tiered cake that had cream cheese. You can see it here. It was hard to frost, but it was cooler and I brought it out before and it really wasn’t too bad. The other option of course is to go for the fake cake (the second pic you linked to would work well) and then bring out the sheet cakes for people to eat. I’m sure this is the option that most cake decorators would be most comfortable doing. And it is true that unless you’re a cake person like me, most people hardly notice the cake and it gets taken back to be cut soon after it makes its appearance. I also think they would be able to do a 2 tiered small cake like the first link of yours. If you could confirm that there is room in the fridge at the reception and designate a person to pull it out right before the reception you should be good. As a cake decorator, I always want to figure out a way to make it work and look the way the bride and groom want. Sorry I don’t live in Sacramento 😦 Good luck.

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Becca

September 23, 2009

Sorry don’t think the hyperlink worked here is the ex. of a cream cheese cake.
http://beccalux.blogspot.com/2008/07/cake-baked-decorated-devoured.html

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Panamomma

September 23, 2009

I had an italian cream cake in July in Houston. It was indoors, but the cake was out the entire time. Any of the ideas for your cake could work. Honestly, a display cake for the photos and then a separate one to cut would be far easier and then you get exactly what you want. Good luck!

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Kris

September 23, 2009

carrot cake is awesome.
carrot cake isn’t carrot cake without cream cheese frosting.
Love the refrigerate till serving/cutting idea because i don’t see the point of a cake in the corner of the room all night.
THAT SAID – i chose not to pay attention to the cake – it was just cake till a few days (three) before and told the restaurant to knock themselves out sans fondant.
Ahem.
gross.
You could see the ‘what the monkeys?’ look on my face in the pics.
THAT SAID – today – it was just cake and its a fun memory:) So however you do it – just enjoy it and i know you will 🙂

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julie

September 23, 2009

i would be the guest whose post-wedding photo album included mostly pictures of the wedding cake. but, you know, that’s just me.
i think you should go the carrot cake-refridge route, with the three cake plates or whatever as holy cow cakes get heavy and moving a tiered cake from the fridge to the table last minute seems like asking for tears.
i also giggle at the thought of a fake cake. you know like in japan where they have the elaborate cake with the slot for your slice of cake/knife? only you could totally make the fake cake in advance for decoration purposes. maybe out of paper and integrated into another portion of the reception. i would love to see an elise-paper-cake. ANYWAY.

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karen Lee

September 23, 2009

couldn’t you put the cream cheese frosting on the inside… buttercream on the out?
or… carrot cake cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting, stacked on some lovely tiers?
I love getting to “see” your wedding unfold, ah for a do over!!!

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LizzyM

September 23, 2009

We wanted carrot cake for our wedding, but came across the same issues you just listed. So we (foolishly) gave up on the idea to have carrot cake so we would just have a cake (it seemed the parents really cared about the cake cutting even if we didn’t) and had a 3-tier yellow cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting. Really not our favorite, but it was ok. A year or so later, we attended a friend’s wedding, and I am convinced they came up with the perfect solution. They had this delicious caramel crunch cake that they ordered in sheet cake form, and kept in the kitchen. They also ordered a small (beautiful!) wedding cake to have out on display (apparently some ppl really like to look at the cake…?) and use for the cake cutting. After they cut the cake, the waiters served the sheet cake in the back. Everyone was happy (esp. the guests, who much preferred that delicious cake to the fondant masterpiece on display!). Maybe you could do somethign similar?

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Debby

September 23, 2009

we did have a carrot cake tier in our stacked cake. we used the cream cheese as a filling and then buttercream for the frosting for all. we didn’t go with the fondant either – just simple frosted. our wedding was at night and inside so the creamcheese was fine and not melted but only for the filing.

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dontcallmebecky

September 23, 2009

carrot cake cupcakes arranged on a tier that can be rolled out when you’re ready to serve dessert.

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violetkey

September 23, 2009

I say, go with what you want and just bring the cake out after the meal so it can stay refrigerated if melting is really an issue. I really like the idea of getting a tiered stand for the cakes and each cake can be decorated in the them you wanted.
We had New York style cheese cake at our outdoor, 100 degrees, wedding. The caterer kept them in an ice chest until it was time to serve. After the main meal they pulled out all the cakes, cut, placed on the serving table along with a verity of berries, chocolate & caramel sauce for self serve preference. We did make people stop what they were doing for the cake part only because that’s when we did toasts & speeches instead of at the beginning of the meal.

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Care

September 23, 2009

What about a cream cheese filling? Like some people have lemon or raspberry, could you have the cream cheese part in the filling and a very light buttercream frosting? Good luck (i had to laugh when you said carrot cake, any way to sneak in some orange.)
also, you could make a big production out of bringing in the cake. then it could stag refrigerated and get noticed.
good luck!

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Valerie

September 23, 2009

Think cupcakes

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Krys72599

September 23, 2009

My husband and I HATE.BUTTERCREAM. We wanted WHIPPED CREAM.
And it was MY wedding, dang it, and I was going to have whipped cream even if everyone told me I can’t have whipped cream… They said whipped cream can’t be left out for the oohs and ahs during the dinner and dance portion of the reception.
Okay, I said, AND my baker said, keep it in the ‘fridge and roll that baby on out for the cake cutting ceremony (which admittedly I wanted to do, too!)! They were afraid they didn’t have room to leave it for all those whopping three hours…
We compromised.
Our baker suggested a buttercream cake for display, and that would be the one cut up for the guests, and our own WHIPPED CREAM cake, decorated to match our wedding cake, to be cut and brought out to just us, the stars, the king and queen, the bride and groom! (We were so special!!!)
So that’s what we did.
And everyone was happy – lots’o’photo opportunities for the cake, and we didn’t have to pretend to like buttercream!

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Maeghan M.

September 23, 2009

I was thinking of having cream cheese as the filling, with buttercream outside.
Also, if you don’t particularly care about whether or not you display the cake, you could just have it refrigerated until the second it’s cut up. Or just have a single layer to cut through and then serve sheet cakes, since having it out is mostly for display only?
Can I just say that I love that you say no to fondant? I went to a party where a fondant covered cake was served and most people just ate around it (aka wasted it), and I was sad that all that work went to waste.

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karen

September 23, 2009

what you r thinking is the way to go. it will be less expensive also. I had cake, but I also set up a candy bar and milk and cookies and these were both a big hit. The cake was very underwhelming. and I am vehemently against those cake eating pictures.

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erica

September 23, 2009

Go with the carrot cake would be my vote. Either do the sheet cakes, or the fake cake with the real in reserve. I have always thought the whole cake-cutting part at a reception was over-rated, and cake that tastes good will mean much, much more!

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akbuilt

September 23, 2009

Why don’t you do carrot cake cupcakes on tiered cake platters? Very chic looking and very fun. And I agree with everyone else…the cake cutting thing is so not a big deal. With cupcakes, just feed each other one and then hit the dance floor.

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Erica

September 23, 2009

wedding cakes are overrated.
i didn’t even see or really remember our cake but for like the thirty seconds we cut it. taste IS most important..i agree. the idea you had about the smaller cake that you cut sounded good to me!
good luck! 🙂

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Kelly

September 23, 2009

At the end of the day, you should serve whatever will make you happy. It’s a shame you’re not getting marred in San Diego, because my sister’s bakery is there and she would do this. We both made each other’s wedding cakes and both of them used cream cheese filling. The cake my sister made for me was 3 tiers, but the middle tier consisted of mini-cupcakes. (http://beccasbluebakery.blogspot.com/2009/09/ive-always-loved-baking-and-found.html) Maybe that would be an option if the bakery says it’s too heavy for 3? These cakes should all have dowels in them anyway for support. Good luck! It sounds yummy.

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cara harjes

September 23, 2009

how about cream cheese frosting on carrot cake cupcakes? they could be chilled until serving.
we had chocolate dipped berries and tiramisu spoons – just single bites of tiramisu served in a porcelain spoon. simple.

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Jennifer I.

September 23, 2009

I think I agree with everyone else..it’s your and Paul’s day. Do what you want. Serve from a sheet cake, serve cupcakes, serve rhubarb crisp if you want!
As the guest at a ton of weddings, I just want a delcious dessert — I don’t care about the tiers, little people on top, sheet cake or not — doesn’t matter as long as it’s good!

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Bluebelle

September 23, 2009

I was amazed at how many people took photos of us and The Cake – I always thought that was a pretty uninteresting part of the wedding but I think if some of your guests are interested in tradition they might be disappointed not to have a cutting of the cake moment to take pictures of. I’d go with the cake you want though, much more important than a show.

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Melanie

September 23, 2009

A friend of mine had a fake cake that was pretty and on display but the cake they served was from a sheet cake kept in the refrigerator.

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melanie

September 23, 2009

i’d get one nice tall carrot cake w/cream cheese frosting for you two to cut into and lots of cupcakes served on different fun cake stands.
i had cake issues too, and finally had a good friend (who had a gift for baking) make my cake – it had chocolate ganache icing and was square. do you have any peeps with baking skills?

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Briana N.

September 23, 2009

Do you want to do the cake cutting ceremony? If so, could you get a different cake that you could cut while your carrot cakes are in the fridge waiting to be cut for you and the guests?

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lanne

September 23, 2009

We got married in the peak of summer and went through 5 (seriously) booked cakes. Each time we booked (mud cake) .. the bakery would call a week later and say.. OH not that is summer we cant do that. it will melt, drip, run, ruin. I finally found a cake we liked, tasted good and they promised to do it. And the venue wanted an additional $650 to serve it LOL Umm no. We cancelled that one. I cancelled the cake in general. I was over it and no one really cared. We were having a morning tea! My bridesmaid super kindly thought we had to have a cake and ordered one. It melted, dripped and looked bad. But I loved her thoughtfulness .. and it tasted pretty good LOL
Go with what YOU want.

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AesaLina

September 23, 2009

My cake LOOKED delicious. I never tasted it. I was too busy being all excited and nervous.
My vote is cupcakes. Seriously. With orange frosting. That way you can grab one on the go 🙂

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Christina Clancy

September 23, 2009

How about cupcakes w/orange flowers on top 🙂 Then you wouldn’t have to worry about the frosting melting all over and you could have a little round cake for the two of you to cut.

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tracy dyar

September 23, 2009

Well, I am not a fan of cream cheese frosting. I like cupcakes or sugar cookies for weddings anymore. No cutting involved is a bonus.

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Sheila Sands

September 23, 2009

I’m not a baker, but Freeport bakery makes the BEST carrot cake ever!!! maybe they have a solution to the frosting…

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Elise Blaha

September 23, 2009

🙂 we went there. they were the “sorry, can’t” bakery. but their carrot cake was great. it might work if we just keep stuff in the fridge.

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jodie

September 24, 2009

We agreed too… taste above looks and both of us hate HATE traditional cake! So we collected 10 different antique cake plates and had a famous (in our city) cheese cake bakery make 10 different cheese cakes for us. We also had lots of different sauces and toppings. I liked the idea of it being interactive, letting the guests come and go as they pleased and we made sure we had enough if people wanted more than one piece! Also, we skipped the cake cutting. Just not us. Too posed. So the cake table went up and we barely noticed! But MAN was it SO good and people loved that they got to chose what they wanted!
Not that you want cheese cake but wanted to share so you could see other people do different things too!

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