How a cake is designed

I had a lovely meeting yesterday with a Bridal couple and her parents. The Bride's mother is a past client of mine. Nicest people you could imagine!

I usually have Sunday off, but this couple actually live in New Hampshire, so their availablity is very limited. They are both in med school at Dartmouth, which is how they met. (Two physicians, the average IQ of my house went through the roof!)

We tasted 6 cakes. Polling revealed 2 liked the Vanilla Bean best, with Sour Cream Chocolate in second place, and 2 liked the reverse. Plus 3 votes for Caramel in 3rd place. Solution? Wedding cake half Vanilla Bean, half Chocolate, and a Groom's cake of Caramel.

The Bride wanted a simple cake with Swiss Dots. No problem. I suggested that we make it more personal to them, so we brainstormed a bit. The Groom suggested the Trinity Knot motif, an Irish design that is on their wedding rings. Perfect. The Bride will be carrying some Thistle flowers in her bouquet to refer to her Scottish heritage. I suggested that the middle tier of the cake have alternating Trinity Knots in fondant Strap work, and bas relief Thistle flowers. This will photograph really beautifully.

But what about the Groom? He is from Columbia. Not a lot of cultural overlap with the bride's Celtic origins...What is Columbia famous for? Coffee! So, a coffee mug. How about a mug with a Dartmouth D on it? The Bride's mother pointed out that even when it is cut, the cake will look like coffee. Final touch, the Groom would like it sculpted to look like a diner mug, curving slightly inward. Perfect!

So, in this wedding, the cakes will refer to the Bride's heritage, her bouquet, the Groom's heritage, where they met and fell in love, and their wedding rings/future together. Plus taste really really scrumptious!

Who would think you could get so much into cake design?