Wedding Wedding Cake Flavors

[melpla]

Hi,

I'm getting married in less than 2 weeks! My fmil is making our wedding cake and is eager to know what flavors we want. She used to have her own cake shop many, many, many years ago (like 30) and has experience decorating. The cake itself will be from a box mix, though (not complaining since it's a gift). My problem is that my fiance and I both dislike things that are really sweet. So does my entire family. The wedding is only 16 people, half of whom are my family...we like cake, just not really sweet, frosting-laden ones.

Anyway, I have no idea what flavors would be least sickly sweet from a box. I do like lemon pound cake (which generally doesn't have frosting, which is probably why I like it). FMIL's cakes have lots of really sweet frosting. We're having three teirs, so can either do 3 different flavors or all the same. FMIL suggested an Italian Cream cake, that apparently has coconut, pecans, and cream cheese. Anyone ever have that before? Is it majorly sweet?

I don't really know if anyone can help us with this decision, but I'm just at a loss. Perhaps I'm tired of making decisions.

I'm attaching our inspiration for the cake design. It is actually a UPS ad from Martha Stewart's magazine that I stumbled on. Our cake will look similar to this, but with teal blue "ribbons" instead of green and a flower arrangement on top consisting of pink hydrangeas, ivory roses, and bells of Ireland.

ETA: The frosting will be buttercream or maybe cream cheese frosting, not fondant. But the ribbons will be fondant.

 

[Selkie]

Kind of random, but how about a carrot cake layer with cream cheese frosting? Carrot cake is usually less sweet. Although I don''t know if it comes in a box!

Off topic, but I love that ad because the little people are holding a tiny Tiffany lamp!

Plus it''s a beatiful cake.

 

[melpla]

I was thinking of carrot cake for at least one of the layers (though hers is really sweet. lol). I think she uses box mixes as a base and then creates other flavors. For instance, her pineapple cake starts with a vanilla cake mix and she adds her own pineapple. So the cakes are semi-homemade, I guess you could say. Sweet, though, for real.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Could you make them with her, as a "bonding experience" where you also have some control over the sugar? Or could you have your FI talk to her about your family''s preferance. Is it going to hurt her more to have her son tell her to tone it down or to not have half the party eat the cake? At a wedding as small as yours, I think it would be very obvious there was a problem.

 

[Sabine]

A spice cake layer might not be too sweet, and would go well with teh carrot cake layer i think.

 

[sunnygirl]

I have never had it but that Italian Cream cake sounds yummy and the cream cheese might keep it from being too sweet. I also like the idea of carrot cake. Yum - I am getting hungry just thinking about it!

 

[Gypsy]

Honestly, I find that adding red wine and making ''wine cake'' to yellow cake mixes makes them less sweet. Adding orange and lemon rind and some juice (lemon, not orange which is sweet) also helps. She can''t not use a mix? There are some lovely non-mix and easy recipes out there for cakes.

 

[melpla]

I won''t be able to make the cake with her as she lives across the state and will be driving the cake in the day before the wedding. Good idea, though, if I could have. I thought about asking that the cake not be too sweet, but I don''t want to insult her since she has done this professionally. Maybe carrot cake would work with cream cheese frosting? I also like the spice cake idea. Maybe I could casually mention that selecting the flavors has been hard since my fiance and I are not that fond of sweets. But, I don''t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, or however the saying goes. I think my family will eat the cake even if it is too sweet, so it won''t be obvious that there''s a problem.

Is cream cheese frosting okay to work with on a wedding cake, does anyone know?

 

[FrekeChild]

I don't even know if I want to get started. Cake normally isn't sickly sweet. It's usually the frosting that does that. If she's planning on using frosting made of shortening and powdered sugar-that would be your problem right there. Ask her to make Italian buttercream instead-it's not nearly as sweet as the shortening frosting (American buttercream).

Honestly, I'm kind of worried about your FMIL making your cake. It seems like it's one detail that brides worry about quite a bit (and who can blame them-gross wedding cake is gross wedding cake) and I'm hoping that it goes ok...

As for using cream cheese frosting-it just depends on what kind of recipe she's using.

ETA: ask Gypsy about sickly sweet frosting versus Italian buttercream

 

[melpla]

My fiance said last night that he thinks the Italian Cream cake would be good, even though we've never had it. So, I may just go with that for all the layers and be done with it. I was a bit concerned, since that cake apparently has coconut and nuts in it; I like both, but I'm not sure everyone does. I think my family's okay with them. My brother hated nuts his whole life, but eats them now.

I will ask about the Italian Buttercream frosting. One thing I forgot to mention is that the cake will be delivered to the restaurant about 5 hours before the reception. The chef keeps the restaurant pretty cold and said the cake should be fine set out on the cake table (unrefrigerated)depending on what type of frosting it is. I'll need to keep that in mind as I think about types of frostings...

ETA: I've looked at some recipes for Italian Cream cake, and it seems to be frosted with cream cheese frosting usually. So, I think I'll request that. I think you're right that the shortening-based frosting is what is sooooooo sweet. blek.

 

[FrekeChild]

Yes. Blek for sure on the shortening based buttercreams! I think the Italian Cream cake sounds pretty dang good-I''d have her do that one. Do you have any pics of what you want it to look like?

 

[melpla]

It''s going to look somewhat like the UPS ad posted up above. But there are three other pictures I took in to the florist for inspiration and sent to my FMIL as well. I''ll post those...

This first one uses peonies and hydrangeas on top. The florist thought the top of this one was too big, but I kinda like it like that, since the rest of the cake is rather simple. Our cake will not have peonies (although I love those) but will use pink and ivory hydrangea, roses, and bells of Ireland on top. Also the "ribbons" on each layer will be light teal blue, to match the napkins and place cards we''re using the reception.

 

[melpla]

I also like this cake.

 

[melpla]

And here is a cake with the teal ribbons I''m talking about. It also used hydrangea like we are, although we''re using other flowers as well, as I like the look of a few different flowers on the top. I''m thinking of just using rose petals around the base of the cake. And our cake will be only three tiers, since it''s a small wedding.

 

[FrekeChild]

Hahahaha!!!I''ve been spending too much time in the "Wedding Cakes" thread, and have apparently seen too many!!!I think all of the cakes you posted are beautiful!!!

 

[broadway]

box red velvet cake is not too sweet. from scratch red velvet is. i would describe the box kind as a mild chocolate flaavor, but that might not be right.

 

[ksinger]

Date: 5/20/2008 11:21:35 PM
Author: FrekeChild
I don''t even know if I want to get started. Cake normally isn''t sickly sweet. It''s usually the frosting that does that. If she''s planning on using frosting made of shortening and powdered sugar-that would be your problem right there. Ask her to make Italian buttercream instead-it''s not nearly as sweet as the shortening frosting (American buttercream).

Honestly, I''m kind of worried about your FMIL making your cake. It seems like it''s one detail that brides worry about quite a bit (and who can blame them-gross wedding cake is gross wedding cake) and I''m hoping that it goes ok...

As for using cream cheese frosting-it just depends on what kind of recipe she''s using.

ETA: ask Gypsy about sickly sweet frosting versus Italian buttercream

Ha ha! There''s our forum baker-girl and her Italian buttercream. God, IS there any other frosting?? I just love the stuff. Fun to make, versatile, flavors well, holds up pretty good for being a butter base. Yum.

Speaking of which, since I''ve been in this town for donkeys'' years, the place that catered my first wedding is going to do the cake for the second. By that you might guess that while the first marriage was a bust, the reception at least was pretty killer.

They still do the same cakes, but this time, in deference to my FI''s dislike of chocolate, (I know I know, a mixed marriage. Shocking. I''m human and he''s alien....) we will not be getting anything with chocolate. This one will be their Almond Amaretto cake - in sheet form, not tier since it will be HOT and outdoors essentially. Two layers of white cake soaked in simple syrup, with a layer of apricot preserves, a layer of crushed toasted almonds, and Amaretto Italian buttercream. The one I had...um....15 years?? (yikes) ago, was the same cake, only with apricot preserves, a thin layer of crushed almonds in choclolate and Grand Marnier Italian buttercream. Mmmmm!!! You know though, I''m not sure but that this place MAY use egg yolks in theirs - it is awfully rich, not in a sweet way, just...heftier somehow? I know one of my recipes uses yolks and the other doesn''t. Doesn''t matter though, because this place make awesome cakes... I fully expect people to be going back for seconds. The looks of astonishment as people had a piece was pretty priceless, because you''re right Freke - gross wedding cakes are more the rule than the exception. I didn''t care how the cake looked really, only how it tasted. It''s that foodie in me.

That and the hotel/restaurant management degree.

Makes me just want to march right into the kitchen and whip some up....

 

[FrekeChild]

Come visit me Karen!!!!I''ll make you some!!I have nothing but free time right now because of my break between terms, and I''ve been bitten by the baking bug!

In the past 6 days I''ve made:
Italian buttercream
buttermilk cupcakes
gold cupcakes
chamomile concentrate
2 kinds of lasagna (for a party)
Peanut butter cream pie

And I didn''t bake or cook today at all. What''s bad is I can tell I''m not done yet. I get cravings to make food rather than eat it. Stupid school.

I''m going to have to start packing the freezer with yummy baked goods...unless of course, someone wants to come help eat them!!!

 

[Gypsy]

Yeah. There is no comparison between Italian buttercream (ours is white chocolate... OMG!) and The Other Stuff. In PS terms: It's like the difference between an AGS 000 ACA and a diamond bought from Walmart at one of their $199 for 1 carat special sales. Eww!

I Thank GOD Freke gave me my cake education! I've always scrapped the frosting off of cakes and cupcakes unless it was fresh whipped cream.

 

[Courtneylub]

Date: 5/21/2008 3:36:07 PM
Author: melpla
I also like this cake.

Melpla,

I''m working on calling our cake baker to change our cake to this one. It is just too perfect and simple.

Good luck with your cake! I think the decided flavor will be perfect!

 

[AllieLuv83]

I feel like most of the time its not the cake that is overly sweet but the frosting. I tasted a cake at my caterers this weekend it was chocolate with mousse instead of frosting and it was sweet but not over powering!

 

[[email protected]]

I had whipped cream frosting, coconut cake, and fruit preserve filling. The fruit preserve cut the sweetness of the coconut. It was the yummiest wedding cake ever!