Cakes & Desserts: The Sweetest Thing
Wedding cakes had a humbling beginning — humbling for the bride, that is.
Legend says that in the Roman Empire the groom actually broke a cake (a special barley bread) over the bride’s head, symbolizing his dominance in the marriage.
The concept of wedding cakes has evolved a long way since then. From the elaborate and opulent to the relatively plain and simple cake, as well as other types of baked goods, there is currently a trend toward serving mouth-watering desserts with a distinct personal touch.
Bridal couples have come to realize cakes and desserts can be fashioned to reflect their own tastes and interests well beyond the traditional white wedding cake that took hold in the 1950s.
Many are not opting for single wedding cakes at all, but rather a variety of smaller cakes and tortes, cup cakes and cookies with an assortment of delectable flavors and styles — and frequently a good deal of imagination in presenting them.
Recently the Dutch Oven Bakery in Alanson created a tiered cake of sorts, composed of fry cakes for a couple who were both state troopers.
“This creation played on the fun idea that the police do love their doughnuts. The top tier held a topper of a bride and groom holding guns. It was a huge success with their guests”, said co-owner Theresa Sirvaitis.
Sweet Maria’s Confections in Petoskey offers cakes of many varieties, from highly sophisticated customized fondant glazed to smaller layer cakes — all with a focus on delicious taste.
Chef Maria Sargent recalled, “I had one bride ask for a cake that tasted like apple pie, because her soon-to-be husband loved apple pie, but they wanted a cake for dessert. I made a moist apple spice cake and I created an apple filling — just like you would for a pie with cinnamon and nutmeg, and it had spiced cream cheese icing on the outside. I put love into every cake I make ... people always remember the cake.”
Julienne Tomatoes in Petoskey creates layer cakes, multiple-layer tortes and individual confections, but not traditional wedding cakes. “We like to put together something we call a sweets table with several different varieties of deserts available for wedding guests. They look and taste great and are most often derived from the couple’s own favorite flavors,” said co-owner Tom Sheffler.
Tom’s Mom’s Cookies in Harbor Springs has been making cookies for two generations of devoted fans of their baked marvels. “Many of our customers have wanted to serve our cookies at their weddings because they grew up eating and enjoying them — they’ve become a family tradition”, said owner Sheryl McCleery. “We arrange cookies on platters, tiered into ‘cakes’ as place settings, or they can be presented in small decorative bags as gifts for the wedding guests. It is the couple’s way of saying, ‘we love these cookies — please join us in enjoying them!’ It’s a personal way of saying thank you for sharing your wedding day,” added McCleery.
One of the most elaborate cake-makers around is Kim Sperl, owner of Bella e Dolce in Cheboygan. Sperl has been making wedding cakes since 1997 and specializes in unique flavors such as banana cream with chocolate buttercream and yellow cake with passion fruit cream and raspberry buttercream.
Up North Bride Home » Spring & Summer 2010 Edition » Cakes & Desserts: The Sweetest Thing