Wedding Cakes – Icing Choices Matter

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As they say, it’s the icing on the cake!  And when it comes to wedding cakes, icing is very important because it will determine the look of the cake, as well as the price. Mainly, there is 3 different kinds of icings to be used on a presentation cake.

Traditional Butter Cream Wedding Cakes. The “butter cream” frosting will be slightly off-white, because it is made with “butter.” If  you see a very white butter cream frosting, it surely wasn’t made with real butter! The butter cream is usually a favorite because people like the taste of it, it is also the cheapest icing (we charge around $4.50 to $5.00 per serving for wedding cakes with butter cream icing).

Wedding Cakes with White Chocolate Icing. The “white chocolate” icing is liquid white chocolate that we pour on top of the wedding cake.  It is off-white as well, has a little shine to it, and has a smooth aspect as well.  Our charge for Wedding Cakes with White Chocolate icing run between  $5.00 and $5.50 per serving.

When it comes to wedding cakes, icing is very important because it will determine the look of the cake, as well as the price.

Fondant Wedding Cakes. Then there is the “fondant,” from the French dictionary meaning “melting.”  The fondant is made with sugar and has to be rolled “paper thin” to be the best!  If it is too thick it will not be good to taste, but if it is thinly rolled it tastes like a soft marshmallow. The fondant is the only icing to give a really “smooth” aspect to the cake.  You can also add a lot of different piping design to fondant icing, making an intricate lace design, or an abstract design or even some lettering.  It is the easiest icing to be “piping drawn” on. (For those of you who wonder what “piping drawn” means, it is the technique where the icing is put in a bag or cone and then “pressed” out to create, or “draw,” your design.)  The fondant is the only icing that can be 100% white, it can also be any color you want it to be, although if you do a black or navy blue, your guests will have black or navy blue teeth because of the large amount of colorant that needs to be used. The fondant is usually the easiest icing to achieve the “special design” the bride and groom have in mind.  It also holds better while having to sit on a warm table for a few hours as opposed to the butter cream icing. It is also usually the most expensive, starting at $6.50 per serving and can be quite more based on the difficulty of the design you pick.

Two others worth mentioning:

If you are looking for a less formal look, you could also pick a chocolate ganache icing.  For those who want a darker icing for their wedding cakes, icing made of chocolate ganache is where you’ll get the best taste for a dark color effect.

Or the Lady fingers look is also popular for a more country style cake, and it works well and looks really good with fabric ribbon and fresh flowers.

So remember, when it comes to wedding cakes, icing choices are important and it is the icing on the cake that will make your cake!

Since opening his doors in Pacific Grove back in1984, Gerard Bechler, Owner and Master Chef of Patisserie Bechler’s, has become known as “The Wedding Cake Expert.” Gerard has created over 5,000 beautiful, memorable and delicious wedding cakes for all size weddings. Located in Pacific Grove, CA, Patisserie Bechler’s is pleased and proud to be counted among the few French fine pastry shops in Central California and Monterey County. To find out more about Patisserie Bechler’s visit them at www.patisseriebechler.com