Things You'll Need:
- Creativity
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Step 1
Simple, but important: Choose a flavor of cake that most people enjoy. While it is your big day, and you should satisfy yourself as much as possible, it's always a good idea to be considerate of your guests, too. A carrot cake with mango filling may be delicious to you, but if your guests won't eat it, that cake will be a huge waste of money.
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Step 2
Although fondant and marzipan are ideal for creating edible sculptures, they can increase the cost of your cake significantly. Opt for buttercream frosting instead- it's an affordable wedding classic.
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Step 3
Put a little extra consideration into the shape and design of your cake. Since a wedding cake is an edible masterpiece that is made of many different components, altering the basic design just a little could save you a lot. For example, a baker's mistake on a tiered cake with no swags or frills would be immediately noticeable; therefore, the baker's effort in creating this flawless pastry will be reflected in the cost. However, if you add a few swags or piped flowers, the cost will go down. Replace the tiered-look with a satellite design and you've saved a little more.
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Step 4
Look farther than the bakery for your cake. Shops that specialize in baking tend to be rather costly because your actually paying for the cake as well as the expertise of the person who made it. Check out the bakeries inside of your local grocery stores. The employees there will also be skilled at their craft, but the cakes won't cost nearly as much.
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Step 5
Based on the principle that sheet cakes cost much less than "wedding" cakes, the faux cake is especially helpful if your budget is extremely tight. These artificial cakes look real, but only the bottom layer is edible. The upper layers, or "artistic tiers", are usually styrofoam covered with icing. You and your new spouse can still perform the official cake cutting on the bottom tier, but in the kitchen of the reception hall would be several sheet cakes. The same technique that is used to cut a round cake can easily be applied to a sheet cake, and the slices will look exactly the same. Your guests will never know the difference, but your budget sure will!
Comments
RiteNow said
on 10/30/2008 Thanks for the tips! I have a daughter who will need this soon... 5*