What to Ask Your Wedding Cake Designer

Everyone likes cake, but choosing the perfect one for your wedding can be less than a sweet experience. You’ve seen the elaborate works of art on Pinterest and on the food network, but it takes a bit of know how to know how to do this.

According to Colin Cowie, one of my favorite wedding gurus, there are certain things you need to know before you meet with a wedding cake designer. For example, what are your colors and how many people will be attending the wedding? You won’t go far in the process without this basic information in hand.

Just as your florist wants a look at your vision - palettes, bridesmaid dresses, invitations - your cake designer appreciates this too. Most should provide a detailed sketch for you to approve.

Did you know that a cake can take a lot longer to prepare than most Thanksgiving dinners and that freezing the layers is not an uncommon practice? If frozen correctly it can save a lot of time, but others advise against it. Make sure you ask your professional baker.

Don’t forget to ask:

• How much detail is included? Provide photos and a vision and don’t assume that your dream cake is out of your budget. It might not be.

• What type of frosting do you recommend? Buttercream is difficult in the hot summer months while fondant holds together better. New fondant flavors make the taste more appealing, but it is more expensive. Some frostings require refrigeration and your venue may not have the space.

• Do you offer cake tastings? We’ve all been to weddings where the cake looked like a masterpiece but the taste was not that great. Too sweet? Too much frosting? The fork goes down and it gets whisked away.

• Will you transport the cake to the reception site? Any professional cake designer will provide this service. What is the projected drop off time? Will you coordinate with the event space?

• What facility do you cook in? Do you take food allergies into account?

• What cost savings could you suggest? Would a small cake be available for the table and a sheet cake from the kitchen to serve guests? Could you show us a sample slice? Could it be smaller?

• What cake flavors would you recommend? The choices can be dizzying – anything from pistachio to chili powder – and that doesn’t even include the filling flavors. This is a time to trust the professional that you hired. He or she has done this many more times than you have. What combos do you recommend?

• Do you offer a small “anniversary cake” rather than the traditional (and kind of gross) cake freezing? Or you can send a photo of your cake and it will be made into a darling replica Christmas ornament.

One thing is for sure: tasting and dreaming about cakes has got to be one of the most enjoyable “chores” on the wedding planning “to do list.”