The traditional wedding cake is a two or three tiered round or square fruit cake with marzipan decorated with royal icing. The softer fondant icing is becoming increasingly popular. Some couples choose other cakes such as suitably decorated sponge or chocolate cakes.
The cake can be decorated with coloured icing sugar piping, flowers made from sugar, a small vase or spray of real flowers or figures of the bride and groom or lucky horseshoe.
The cake is usually supplied by a specialist confectioner. The confectioner will have a brochure of their various sizes and styles of cakes and the type of decorations available. This will give the couple basic ideas which they can modify and personalise to design their perfect cake. A good cake supplier will have samples for you to taste. The confectioner should also be able to advise of the appropriate size of the cake for the number of guests.
When deciding on the size of cake remember that you may want to send some to people who are unable to attend the reception. It is traditional to keep the smallest, top tier of the cake for the first wedding anniversary or the christening of the first child.
Some hotels and caterers can supply the wedding cake as part of their reception service.
The wedding cake should be ordered at least three months in advance. Because the cake can be baked months before the wedding it is possible to bake one at home in advance when not preoccupied with the last minute wedding arrangements. Cake tins of appropriate sizes are available for hire.
Some cake confectioners provide a cake decorating facility. This may be the solution if you have an old family cake recipe you want to use but are less confident about the your decorating skills.
The cake is usually delivered to the reception venue on the morning of the reception. Ensure in advance that the cake supplier or the caterer will assemble the cake and add any final decorations.