Let Them Eat Cake

Choosing the perfect cake for your wedding can be a bit overwhelming with all of the choices available. I recently had the oppertunity to asked Heidi Smith from ICING Cakes By Design several questions to help those of you facing the cake matrix. Heidi owns and operates Icing Cakes By Design in St.George, Utah. Her cakes are absolutely Beautiful and can bring a sense of whimsy and class to any event! The above cake photo is not by Icing, however you can see many examples of her gorgeous cakes here


1. What are some national cake trends you have seen that you would like to see more in the local wedding industry?

- Wedding Cakes date back to the Roman Empire. Twists on traditions have evolved. Although we have lost one tradition for some time which is the Grooms Cake. Some of the national trends that we are seeing is Grooms Cakes. You don't really see many here. They seem to be making a come back.
They are so fun! They put the Grooms personality into play.
Also we are loving the cylinder cakes. They are smaller around and taller. Also NY and Chicago Cake Designers are doing a lot of really simple designs, with 1-2 really large flowers or designs on the cake. Tons of piping and detail are not really the trend right now. A-Symmetrical Cakes are also really big, like the middle tier a double stacked cake. So many great ideas! So little time!

2. What is the number one thing that a bride and groom should know about wedding cakes?

- We love it when the Bride AND Groom come in for the consultation and tasting! It is fun for both of them to get involved in the cake flavors and design!
It is tradition to save the top tier of the Wedding Cake, freeze it and then serve it on your 1 Year Anniversary.
We supply an airtight container just for that purpose.
Oh....what is the #1 thing a couple should know about Wedding Cakes? Well, I would say, that it should be the special "ritual" or "tradition" to cut and feed each other the first taste of the Wedding Cake. This is fun and intimate. Your Friends and Family love to watch this event!
Your Wedding Cake should be an amazing "decoration" at your Wedding.

3. Which do you find to be more popular edible faux flowers or fresh flowers topping the cake, and what are the benefits of both?(is one more cost effective than the other?)

- Well of course we love to make flowers for our Wedding Cakes! We offer chocolate flowers, gum paste flowers, all kinds of edible sugar flowers. They are very true to life and Amazing. But we also love the look of fresh flowers on our cakes. As far as the cost difference...They usually run about the same. The Sugar flowers are very labor intensive, but are really fun, because you can color them any color to match your Wedding Colors, Also you can save them. They Don't Wilt! The advantage to using real flowers, is that you can really tie the cake into the same design of your Brides Bouquet etc.

4. How can a bride/groom incorporate their personality or style to the wedding cake? (Are the little bride& groom still seen on top?)

- Well, like I say....I LOVE the Groom and Bride to both decide on the look and flavors of the Cake. Sometimes the Bride will pick the flavor of one tier and the groom will pick the flavor of another tier. It is important to capture the personalities of the couple in their cake. If they like contemporary or elegant, whimsical or simple. This is also where the Grooms Cake comes in....The Bride gets her beautiful Cake and the Grooms Cake can reflect his personality.
You know we are not really seeing a lot of Cake Toppers. It is very popular in our area to top the cake with flowers, which is really nice. We again are really loving the one or two big flowers on the side or top of a really simplistic design.
But really your cake should be your own taste and personality! We like to just guide the customer in designing THEIR special Cake.

5. In todays economy how can a bride keep her budget and still have a memorable wedding cake?

- Keep your budget in mind when looking for Cake Design Ideas. The Cakes with a lot of intricate detail will be in a higher price range. You can have a beautifully designed cake for a minimal price though. If you are planning on serving the cake, that also replaces refreshment costs.
The presentation (Stand, Table, etc.) of the Wedding Cake can really enhance the overall look of your cake without adding extra costs. We also offer cupcake towers, and rental cakes. Both of these popular options are less money than a traditional all cake Wedding Cake. We also offer styrofoam based cakes. They are not edible but more of a decoration. Or you can do some real cake tiers, and some styrofoam tiers on the same cake. This really depends on how many you would like to serve.

   -Thanks Heidi for giving us some insight into the world of cakes!