Expert Interview with Red Robin Pantry
Top Three Tips for couples choosing their dream wedding cake
Find the right designer for your dream cake
You’ve been on Instagram and Pinterest and found a multitude of images you love, now to find a designer who can take your inspirational images and run with them. Obviously, taste is critical, but wedding cakes have moved on from the days of a simple white fondant cake with pillars. Cake design is now considered an art form, and as artists, we all have our specialties. Don’t assume that all designers can create any style of cake. Yes, you get some who will try their hand at everything, but the best amount us specialise. So when researching designers delve into their portfolio of past works, read through their websites to find out if their style is right for you. You might find something new you’ve never seen before that changes everything you thought you wanted. I myself specialise in buttercream & ganache wedding cakes, particularly hand-painted cakes that are reminiscent of oil or acrylic paintings or nature-inspired creations adorned with edible flowers. So if your dream cake is a watercolor masterpiece or intricate sugar flowers then I’m not the one for you. But it’s best to work that out early. Most designers have strong relationships with other suppliers. So chat to them about style elements, if they don’t think they are right for you, they will probably point you towards someone who is!
Have a cohesive vision for your day first
Yes, booking your wedding cake is one of the first things you should think of doing once you have booked your venue, but designing the cake should wait. Your wedding cake needs to encompass the overall style of the day. To do this properly I don’t start the process of planning a couples wedding cake until about 6 months before the wedding at the earliest. By this time most couples know their key themes, colour palettes, floral arrangements, etc. and these can be incorporated or complemented in the design of the cake. In the early days of Red Robin Pantry I had to redesign way to many cakes as visions changed. So now, I always try and hold back until the point that the decor is finalised.
Consider the right setting
When choosing your cake it’s important to consider where you’d like it placed and how it will be displayed. Discuss this with your venue and planner if you have one, as well as your designer. You’ll want a nice bright spot in a focal location, after all, if this is your dream cake and you want it to be seen, so a dark corner just won’t do. Think about the aspect of the sun. Most cakes won’t stand up to direct sunlight, even fondant cakes usually have buttercream or ganache inside. Having the cake too close to guest tables at the wedding breakfast or the dance floor can be an issue, especially if it’s close to the kid’s table. You don’t want anything to knock into it. I’d also avoid placing your cake next to where your guests will leave presents or cards, as this area can get a little crowded. Decorating the cake table is often an afterthought for many couples, but it’s equally important. Will your cake stand alone, or will you place it with other decorations for the day? Dressing your cake table can really help showcase your cake. Will you have a statement cake stand, adorn the table with florals or set the mood with candles and draped linens. All these touches can help truly showcase your already show-stopping dream wedding cake.
And, what about the flavour?
Here at Red Robin Pantry, we specialise in hand-painted and sculpted buttercream wedding cakes and nature-inspired edible flower wedding cakes. Although we strive to create works of art with every cake, we also have a company ethos of sustainability & quality, using local and ethically sourced produce to create a range of delicious flavours. It’s all well and good having a beautifully presented cake, but we aim to create a cake that tastes just as fantastic as it looks. We have over 20 tempting flavours, from a classic vanilla sponge filled with our homemade jams, all the way to our more unusual flavours such as my favourite red wine velvet, paired with a cinnamon Italian meringue buttercream. Our most popular flavours include rich Madeira, a Madagascan vanilla & lemon zest sponge paired with a lemon & blueberry curd and vanilla Italian meringue buttercream; raspberry & pistachio with white chocolate; passion cake, a variation on carrot cake with pineapple, banana, and filled with passion fruit coulis and coconut Italian meringue buttercream; and finally salted caramel, a brown butter and muscovado sugar sponge, filled with our own salted caramel and vanilla Italian meringue buttercream. Alongside our scrummy cakes, we also handmake a range of desserts, chocolates and other confections.