If you’re in or will be in the CNY or Fingerlakes area next weekend (Feb 7), join me at the show at The Lodge! I have some tickets I’d love to give away!! I’m not displaying at this show, but I will be there to visit some of my favorite vendors and have a look around to see if I may want to do this show the next time it comes around. My first stop will be to The Backyard Garden Florist booth to say hi to Nino. Make sure you say and have a look at his amazing flowers and portfolio. You don’t need me to tell you how great he is, he just oozes with talent.

This is also an opportunity to see The Lodge first hand if you haven’t.  Paula is amazing with her brides and the space is incredible.  It is one of my favorite places to work with.  I look forward to all the couples this season that will have their cakes delivered there.

Email me or comment for tickets, I’ll amend the post when they’re gone. Hurry! And see you there!

Until then, I’ll be working on wedding cakes and continuing the remodel that is going on here to create a larger and improved space for my clients new and old.  I’ll also be preparing for the one show that I will participate in later this spring so stay tuned for that.

Today, I’m working on Nicole’s wedding cake, and hey, guess who is doing the florals…yep, you guessed it - Nino!  I can’t wait to show you the finished cake after this weekend.  But even more, I can’t wait to see Nicole’s expression when she sees it all come together after all her planning.

Don’t forget to comment or email for a show ticket, you won’t be able to get them at the door, at least that’s what they say.  Happy Planning everyone!

Many thanks to at Michelle at My Personal Artist for sharing this awesome video she found via Indianapolis Wedding Blog. It is worth the watch, trust me.

I wonder if any of my couples this year will get this creative. The days of the boring ol’ first dance are gone thanks to tradition bustin’ fun couples like this one - and YouTube of course! What will you be doing for your first dance?

Thanks to everyone who entered. It was fun reading your responses and having flash backs to the scenes you described in your favorite movies! Our feeble attempt at a scientific method of choosing the winner consisted of my young one picking a number between one and eight and a giggle or two at the thought of seeing Jimmy actually start his wedding vows this coming August by reciting a line from his favorite scene.

That’s right, the winner is poster #8; Jimmy.

Jimmy, expect an email tonight with info on receiving your Fandango Bucks to go see the movie. Enjoy it with your fiance or maybe even one of your groomsmen…you seem like you’ve got a great sense of humor!

Thanks again readers!

Last month we talked about ordering your cake and some helpful hints on doing so. Now we’re going to tackle the ins and outs of some of that cake terminology. Ok, so maybe putting the words cake and tackle in the same sentence can make a mess of things, but I’m going to take the sting out of some of the buzz words that might make it a bit tricky for someone searching for a wedding cake for the first time.

We’re going to skip past the differences between a sponge cake and a butter cake because that is a post in and of itself as well as icing types, and instead focus mainly on construction. Ok, so you’ve got your cake, I’m assuming that part is self explanatory for this post. Most commonly mixed up would be tiers and layers. A wedding cake might be constructed of several tiers: each tier being a different circumference than another, or at least being visibly different in size or shape to signify it is a separate cake from the one below or above it. Tiers can be all the same flavor or different flavors. Layers are the sections of cake inside each tier and are separated by icing or some other filling. Depending on your baker and your region, you’ll find that a certain number of layers might be commonplace for a wedding cake. Some folks prefer 2 layers and one layer of filling. It is my opinion that a cake made especially for a wedding should be at least 3 or 4 layers of cake with 2 or 3 layers of filling respectively. This is the yummiest way to go But that’s just me, and it looks fancier on a plate as well. The filling is your icing, fruit, chocolate ganache, etc, etc. that is spread between the cake layers. It improves flavor, adds texture and moisture and makes for an all around better cake. The filling can be anything. My favorites are ganache infused with another flavor, complementing icing flavors to the cake itself, fruit fillings, not jam or jelly mind you, but a fruit filling. You can of course also have fresh fruit and custards, but I usually recommend this as a less than perfect option depending on season and how long your cake will be on display. On to display…

A stacked cake is one where the tiers of the cake are positioned directly atop each tier below it. Internal supports provide the necessary structural support for the cake and should always be used. You might hear a cake referred to as pillared or tiered, this is when your cake tiers are separated by pillars or some other external decorative supports that appear to hold each tier well above the one below it but often still in a straight vertical position. You can also have floating tiers; the external supports are not visible and the cake appears to float tier above tier. Different ways of using floating or pillared tiers can include staggering the tiers as well. You’ll see that most of my cakes are stacked. A sculpted cake will of course be a cake which has been carved into the requested shape. These can have multiple layers and internal structuring and sometimes will have filling, but that will depend on your baker’s skill level.

A cake stand is what your cake is placed on for display purposes and often refers only to a very decorative stand. A cake drum is a thicker cardboard, foam core or wooden board made specifically for placing the cake on; it can serve as the cake’s bottom board or the decorative stand as well if decorated appropriately. Each tier of cake does need some sort of cake board under it for supports. Dowels can be either wooden, acrylic, or plastic and serve as the internal support structure. Careful measuring and cutting is done to be sure of proper placement and structure for your cake. There are even fancy, expensive systems on the market that your baker has access to that provide ultimate support with little stress for your cake. I happen to own a couple, but frankly, experience and expertise with doweling makes use of these stands unnecessary for most cakes. A display cake is the now common term for the actual cake that is on display at the reception, it is used in conjunction with the terms kitchen cake or sheet cake. With me, you get a kitchen cake and I use that term for cakes of the same number of layers and filling as your display cake, but not elaborately decorated and therefore less expensive than your display cake. The term sheet cake when used in conjunction with display cake is simply cheap cake and refers to just that; cheap cake. Most experienced professional bakers like myself will now insist that when purchasing your display cake that you purchase all your cake from the same location - in other words, no cheap sheet cakes served with my cake, my reputation will thank you for it.

Thanks for reading the 101 on cake buzz words. We’ll touch on the types of cake and icing another time. Don’t forget you can always contact us with your questions! I hope that this helps just a little bit with your planning!

Last Friday, on opening night here in Syracuse, fellow wedding vendor extraordinaire Erin from Bride Design and I went to see this new flick starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. The movie might have been a little cheesy, but for lovers of all things weddings and fans of having a girls night out, it was a blast for us. The theater was packed with what I assume was part single girls with a wish, part bridal party chums, and even part boyfriend/fiance dragged to their seatsenjoying a great movie, but it was packed none the less. Erin and I really enjoyed it and we know you will too.

That’s why we’re each giving away Fandango bucks this week for one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite wedding movie or wedding scene and you can win $20 in Fandango bucks, accepted at most theaters around the country. If you’re not sure if your theater works through fandango.com, just type your zip code in on their home page and find out. After I’ve read all the entries and choose the winner based on whatever scientific means of fairness I devise, I’ll let you know who has won Friday morning and send 20$ fandango bucks to you via email for your viewing pleasure!Total of 4 tickets between Erin’s giveaway at Bride Design and mine here at She Takes The Cake, so you can double your chances by entering both!

I’ll have to admit, I think Erin could identify more with the little girl inside these two characters and their passion for weddings; I never did have a wedding box filled with my dreams and wishes for my big day when I was young (I saved that for my 20’s). I did enjoy the humor in this movie though, and sharing it with my best gal pal was the way to go! I can’t imagine that anyone would ever go as far as these brides went in the movie, but what a stress reliever it was to watch it, especially if you’re mid planning and need a break!

So, here’s to all you brides out there…and to the winners, enjoy!