The Wedding Cake....or Cupcakes???

How many layers or tiers would you like?
Buttercream frosting or fondant?
What flavor do you want? Vanilla, Carrot, Chocolate Mousse, Cannoli?
Or do you want a small 8" round to cut and have a cupcake tower?

The wedding cake has become the center of attention at weddings. Gone is the two tier traditional with white frosting. The cake is used to reflect the bride and grooms unique style.

The Six Most Popular Styles for 2010 are:

Black and White Patterns
Many brides love the classic and clean look of white icing with black details.  This popular choice for cakes can be decorated to mimic the details of the bride’s gown.  The elegant details can also be enhanced with silver or pearl dots or colored sugar flowers.

Chocolate Frosting
Brides who love chocolate are getting their cakes iced with dark chocolate frosting.  So many cakes this year will be a chocolate lover’s dream from the chocolate cake with fruit filling to the whipped chocolate frosting! 

Shaped Cake
Round is out and shapes are in!  Brides are now choosing topsy turvey designs, square and heart shapes to make their cakes stand out from the rest.   When these shapes are stacked they are a unique base that displays embellishments and colors beautifully. 

Bold Colors
No more white frosting!  Couples today are icing their cakes with bold colors that match their wedding colors and show their creativity.  So don’t be surprised when you walk into the reception and see an orange cake with brown flowers!  

Cupcake Displays
To save money and lessen the chances of having a lot of wasted cake, many couples are choosing to use cupcake displays instead; some of them have a small cake as the top tier to cut for the pictures.  Using cupcakes allows room for creativity because they can be stacked into shapes and letters on the table and serve as a wonderful decoration at the reception, especially when small spotlights shine on the tiers of the stand.  Many couples who use the cupcake tier are also choosing square shaped instead of round cupcakes.

Monograms
You will probably be able to count on your hands how many wedding cakes you will see with the traditional bride and groom on top.  Many couples are topping their cakes with their monogram.  The DIY bride is even decorating the letters themselves to add a personal touch to their stylish display.  Some monograms will be part of the actual cake design and will be centered on the middle tier.  

On a final note, when taking home the top tier of your cake. In tradition, you are not to eat the cake till your one year anniversary. My husband and I did this. However, we had an outage in the apartment and the cake ended up being ruined. When we moved to our new place and celebrated, the cake was not the same and we didn't enjoy it. There are bakeries that will make you the top tier especially for your one year, so if you have that top tier at home your wedding night, eat it and have them make a fresh one for your anniversary.