First Anniversary – And Your Wedding Cake!

Posted on July 10, 2015July 10, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

Let’s take a little break from KK and Tyler’s wedding… and talk about ‘Your First Anniversary – And Your Wedding Cake!’ Did you freeze the top layer of your wedding cake to enjoy on your first wedding anniversary? In case you’re interested, click on the following link: Preserving the Top Layer of Your Wedding Cake to read an older blog post about saving the top layer.

The top photo is of the defrosted cake…not only is it a process to FREEZE your wedding cake, but to Defrost it as well… click on the following link if you wish to read about the freezing process: Freezing Your Wedding Cake Maggie and Rob are featured in the next photo. As I was the person storing the frozen cake, I asked them if they wanted me to take it to them in Philly or overnight it. Rob said, “Well, the whole family’s going to be together for KK and Tyler’s wedding, let’s eat it then, and we can all enjoy it!”

I loved the idea, and followed my own instructions for defrosting to the letter, but I have to admit – with an extended family of 14 in attendance to try the cake…I was a little nervous.

The above photo shows an individual serving size – it looks pretty, doesn’t it?

The above photo showcases the top layer with a section cut out. Robert and Maggie did a nice job of cutting it. The cake was a tiny bit frozen, which make for a better cut. As to the taste…it tasted just fine for a year old cake — a bit dry — but ABSOLUTELY no “freezer taste”. I was pleased. I will say, though, that no one asked for a second piece…

And this last photo…the glorious cake on Maggie and Rob’s wedding day.

As an item of interest…the flowers on the cake are not real, but edible, spun sugar!!

Did I preserved KK and Tyler’s top layer of their wedding cake? Well, of course I did… with a little help, (well, a lot!), from my wonderful father-in-law, Ken, just like last year… 🙂 (Patty Cloherty Photos)

I promise to finish my “Blooper Post” tomorrow…

Defrosting the Top of A Wedding Cake

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

Defrosting the top of a wedding cake … easier said than done… Hopefully, you read my blog post on How to Preserve Your Wedding Cake (click on the link if you’d like to read it). When your first anniversary rolls around, will you be ready?

www.weddingcake.name

According to yumsugar.com, it’s fairly easy. Check out the steps below to enjoy a delicious anniversary treat!

“To enjoy the cake:

One day before your first anniversary, begin defrosting the cake: transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator.
After two hours, remove the cake from its wrapping. Continue to defrost in the refrigerator.
Bring the cake to room temperature before consuming.
Serve and enjoy.

If you know you’ll be moving within your first year, lack the freezer space, or simply don’t want to bother with the process of freezing your wedding cake, order a small, six-inch anniversary cake from the same bakery. Ask for similar cake flavors and fillings and have it adorned like your wedding cake (you can even save your cake topper to be placed on it). Use the cake knife and serving set from your wedding, and enjoy the memories of the special day with fresh cake.”

amandinedesire.com

foodswol.com

Below is a photo of my daughter, Maggie, and son-in-law, Rob’s wedding cake. When the family’s all together this weekend for Kathleen’s wedding, we plan to enjoy their top layer as a family dessert. What a wonderful idea – which I credit to Rob! It takes a full day to defrost, so make sure you plan ahead and allow enough time to achieve maximum flavor. I hope you enjoyed the pictures of a variety of wedding cakes, and thanks again to Rob’s aunt, Patty Cloherty, for the great photo of Maggie and Rob’s cake. Next time…I’ll be able to show you an image of KK and Tyler’s! 🙂

Patty Cloherty photos

Do You Know How To Cut A Wedding Cake?

Posted on June 11, 2015June 11, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

Do you know how to cut a wedding cake? Do you need to know? Probably not…but one NEVER knows…It is quite an art. Even if you never have to cut your own wedding cake, or that of another bride’s, it’s interesting. The top layer of a wedding cake is never counted in the “number of pieces” that a cake will serve. At least in American, the top layer of the wedding cake is taken down as soon as the bridal couple “Cut the Cake” and feed each other a bite. It is then kept in a safe place until it can be preserved and stored for the newlyweds to enjoy on their first anniversary. I posted an earlier blog post: “Preserving the Top Layer of Your Wedding Cake” on the process. If you would like to read it, just click on the title. Wedding cake slices are much smaller portions that one would receive when ordering ‘off the dessert menu’ at a restaurant. It is more tradition and a work of art, than anything else. The wedding cake also ties in your color scheme, and can set the tone, or theme of your wedding, A scary story, and one to heed… The friend of an acquaintance recently got married in Texas. The brides’ family chose to hire a wedding planner. When it was time to cut the cake, no one was doing it. The bride’s mother approached the caterer and asked him to please get his team started on the process. “Well, the cutting of the cake was not in MY contract, so we are under no obligation to do it!” And he refused. (I’m thinking this would GREATLY affect his tip…) So the mother of the bride and the wedding planner, (who let this huge hole in the contact with the caterer be overlooked), cut the cake. According to a friend of friend who witnessed the massacre…it was NOT pretty…and as they didn’t know proper portion size, they ran out of cake!

Top Photo: the knot.com

above diagram: www.artisancakecompany.com

chart below: above chart: www.inthenameofcake.blogspot.com

above photo: theknot.com

The following YouTube video is great! How to cut a wedding cake It explains how to cut a wedding cake better than I. Click on the link to watch.

New Wedding Cake Trend

Posted on February 27, 2015February 27, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

There’s a new wedding cake trend …the bride uses her bouquet as her cake topper! The photo above, shows how this new cake style is designed. There is actually a bowl type opening for the bouquet handle to rest in. Some cakes even offer a shallow vessel within the opening to hold water — keeping the flowers fresh. This creates other issues…What does the bride use to”Throw Her Bouquet”? I imagine the florist could provide an additional bouquet – but everyone would KNOW it was not the original… Another drawback, the bride’s cake topper, (i.e. her wedding bouquet), could NOT become an heirloom. Both my daughters plan to save their own cake toppers and offer them to THEIR children when they marry. I think it’s a lovely tradition. Remember moms out there, though…your vision of the perfect wedding may not be your daughter’s…or even more sensitive, your future daughter-in-law’s.

The photo below is Kathleen’s cake topper. Her future mother-in-law gifted her with it at KK’s engagement party. Maggie’s mother-in-law also presented her with a cake topper at HER engagement party. I think we have a new tradition… I would have loved for the girls to use ours…but I did not choose well. Our cake topper was an adorable fabric bride and groom – but it did not hold up well through countless corporate moves, and plain old age. A crystal or china piece is a much better selection – provided you pack it for storage well.

What do you think, readers…do you like the concept? Or will you opt for the more traditional? You really can’t go wrong…but keep in mind what may look best in photos.

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Image #1 http://www.cakesbyshelly.co.uk/