Dessert: Cakes, What’s your flavor?
Jim Nelson Photography
The flavor options for wedding cakes are seemingly endless, from traditional to trendy.
Those seeking an established route may find taste bud shelter in chocolate or vanilla, but the range is vast for those with a wish for distinct morsels.
Traditional route
Theresa Sirvaitis of Dutch Oven Shops in Alanson said many of the couples she works with seek traditional flavor combinations.
“A lot of people still rely on the white cake, chocolate cake,” she noted. As for frosting, “A lot of people stay with buttercream because their perspective on fondant is that it doesn’t taste good.”
Paul Retherford Wedding Photography
Fruit (and vegetable) forward
Nickole Cox of Up North Cakes in Charlevoix noted she recently made a banana cake with chocolate buttercream, as well as a white cake jazzed up with raspberry and lemon filling.
She noted that when it comes to flavor, couples fall into two categories — those who know exactly what they want, and those who have no idea what they want.
“Couples should stay away from things they haven’t tried, like orange cake with key lime filling,” Cox noted.
Sampling helps give a better idea of flavor preferences, or if you’re talking with the baker who made a cake you liked, to reference that cake.
“The funny thing for me this year is carrot cake,” noted Sharon Mascow of Kitchen Angel in Boyne City, who said she’s had several orders placed recently.
She said the favorite frosting flavors are buttercream or cream cheese buttercream, but she also uses a vanilla bean frosting.
Paul Retherford Wedding Photography
Levels of flavor
Mascow said it’s not extremely common, but for those who want a variety for their guests and themselves, she has made cakes with each tier a different flavor.
For example, one cake she has worked on had one level of chocolate velvet, one of lemon and one of apple. While the flavors wouldn’t work well as one level, and therefore mixing into each other, the tiered approach keeps them separated. This type of cake often works best served from a table.
Serving suggestions
When it comes to figuring out cake service, it’s really the couple’s choice.
There’s the traditional tiered cake that, once cut, can be served or offered as self-service.
For others, cupcakes are often the answer — but with a small cake for the bride and groom.
“The bride and groom want a smaller cake to cut. They don’t want to get away from the cutting of the cake,” Mascow noted.
She added that cupcakes are especially liked for outdoor weddings, and she’s noticed a trend toward mini, one-bite cupcakes.
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