Wedding cakes: top tips

Your easy guide to choosing perfect wedding cakes

Cutting the cake is one of the highlights of your reception, so how do you go about choosing or preparing the perfect wedding cake for you?

Wedding cake ideas

Your first decision is what type of wedding cake to have: a traditional tiered and iced fruit cake; a tall and oh so modern display of individual cup cakes: one for each guest; a chocolate fudge extravaganza or a fabulous French fancy: the ‘croquembouche’ which you’ll need a tiny hammer to smash into!

The traditional British wedding cake, a rich fruit cake, is either square or round and comes in two or three tiers; these tiers can be separated by pillars or 'stacked' on top of each other, which is more the American style. The traditional cake is generally decorated with icing, and perhaps sugar or fresh flowers or a cute cake topper depicting the bride and groom. These days personalised or bespoke cake toppers are available so you could even have a tiny you and your fiancé with your child or pet atop your cake!

If you like the style of a traditional cake, but are not keen on fruit cake, then consider going for a sponge cake in chocolate, lemon, carrot or vanilla, or even a combination of these flavours to give your guests a choice.

Commission a creative cake designer to make you a wonderful novelty cake - a great idea if you're having a themed wedding. You might choose to have a cake with your own photo in icing or images of the sea, or in the shape of a stack of suitcases; a talented cake-maker will be able to show you a selection of designs and work with your ideas.

Cake-buying options

When buying your cake, you have a number of options:

buy an iced cake and decorate it yourself
have the cake made by a specialist
have the cake entirely made and iced by a relative or friend
order your cake from the local bakery

If you decide to have your cake made professionally, make sure you shop around. Some cake designers, for example, will specialise in sugarcraft and make wonderful tiered cakes with incredible designs in sugar, while others might specialise in chocolate and patisserie, such as the croquembouche. It's important to make the most of someone's talents.

When you visit a cake designer, ask to see examples of other cakes they have created. You might also ask to taste a tiny sample. Take along any ideas you have and see what they suggest. A good cake designer will work with your ideas while also offering a few suggestions of their own.