Wedding: Designing Your Cake (and eating it too)!

One of the most enjoyable parts of planning my wedding was undoubtedly designing our cake! There are three kinds of people in this world - those who don’t really get excited about cake, those who don’t even like cake (and may instead choose a ‘wedding cake’ made up of different types of cheese or pork pies *gasp*), or those (like me) who get giddy at the mere mention of cake, butter cream, frosting.. mmm!

As most of our wedding was pretty classic the cake was something that I wanted to get really creative with and make a unique feature. My idea was that cutting the cake would symbolise the end of the formal/ traditional part of the day and the beginning of the party! With all the speeches done everyone could relax and really have fun!! 

I consulted with a number of different cake designers to hear their ideas, taste the cakes (of course!) and get quotes for what I had envisaged. I think it is really important if you want an individual cake (rather than choosing a set cake from a portfolio) to meet with the designers and see their style. I was looking for someone who could create a showstopper, but in a sophisticated way that would be in keeping with the rest of our wedding. As well as making the cake itself I also wanted someone to design and put together a whole sweet table with cupcakes, cookies and other treats to make it a feature of the evening. 

The designers I met with were all fantastic in their own ways. There are so many amazing wedding bakeries in London that I thought it would be helpful to put together a mini-guide based on my experience:

Peggy Porschen – world famous, golden standard of wedding cakes! Stunning, classic cake designs, but definitely on the high end of the budget. Lots of designs to choose from, but customisation is expensive. Their sugar flowers are the best I have ever seen! 

Cakes by Krishanthi – lovely range of designs with lots of creative techniques used. Mid range and flexible with pricing, especially for cakes with less detail. 

Rosalind Miller – beautiful, unique designs to fit different themes. Mid to high end pricing depending on the level of customisation.

Little Venice Cake Company – breathtaking, grand designs, huge variety and experience. If your budget allows they can do anything! They also do great chocolate cakes!

Maisie Fantaisie – absolutely lovely! Cakes are on the more classic side, but all details are beautiful and intricate. Pricing at mid-level and lots of customisation available. 

 
While many of these designers had great ideas when I met Ceri of Olofson Design I immediately knew that I wanted her to make the cake for our wedding! Apart from being incredibly lovely Ceri is so creative, talented, hardworking and an absolute perfectionist. She understood exactly what I was asking for and described it to me a thousand times better than I could have ever put it myself. She designs every cake bespoke by working closely with the bride and groom to create something individual and completely unique. I remember when we first met she said she would feel bad ever copying a cake (or creating a catalogue of designs for brides to pick from in the way many other brands do) as it would feel like giving away a part of that couple. We had so much fun during the design process and Ceri was such a pleasure to work with as she is so genuinely passionate about cakes. Rather than giving me a precise quote she asked what my budget was and what I wanted and designed the cake and all the little extras to fit within it, which was a huge relief. After I had shown Ceri a heap of photos that had inspired me with accents of Rococo, Marie Antoinette, Faberge, English rose gardens and colour schemes she put together a special pinterest board with her ideas for the cake. 

I was so excited to see that many common themes were emerging and Ceri had used the multitude of images I had collected in such a clever way. She had even picked out details from our venue that would be mirrored in the cake such as the filigree from one of the rooms in Syon House (above). We added to this with a monogram that I had designed for use in our stationary and photobooth picture motifs. The last piece of the puzzle was to use a Faberge egg on a nest of fresh flowers instead of a traditional cake topper. She even made the egg as a mini replica of the Faberge eggs we gave to our guests as favours! Adorable!

Before seeing the first design of the cake I was so nervous as I had such high hopes, but the second Ceri gave me her beautiful watercolour drawing I was absolutely astounded at how well everything had come together and how she had incorporated so many aspects of our wedding into such a beautiful design. 

While Ceri is very much design orientated I can't forget to mention that she is an incredible baker and her flavour combinations are phenomenal. We had such a hard time choosing from all the delectable options on offer, but finally decided on:

- Madagascan vanilla cake with berry preserve and vanilla buttercream
- Vanilla chocolate marble with caramel buttercream and chocolate ganache
- Rose with raspberry buttercream and lemon curd
- Traditional fruit cake

We also had red velvet and white chocolate and raspberry cupcakes.

For the Anges de Sucre macarons we chose: Pistache Vera, Damask Rose, Raspberry Ripple, Cheeky Cazzamella and Fruit of the Orchid.

It took us almost a year to put everything together, but we had so much fun doing it! From my constant surfing on ebay for the perfect candy jars, bespoke sweetie bags and cupcake stands to the delicate Anges de Sucre macarons and gold dipped apples, which we had made as a compliment to the cake. Seeing the cake and full dessert table on the wedding day was definitely one of the highlights for me and undoubtedly worth all the effort.

Despite being 5 tiers high I can honestly say our guests loved how amazing the cake tasted (as well as how it looked). In fact, it had all disappeared in half an hour so I sadly only got to try one piece. After cutting the cake I went to get changed and twenty minutes later the cake (and the cupcakes etc.) was all but gone! I am so glad we saved the top tier and am very much looking forward to enjoying it on our anniversary in just over a month!!

If you are looking to have a showstopper of a cake at your wedding, or are simply bored of traditional cakes and want something quirky and unique I really recommend that you check out Ceri’s website. She is honestly the loveliest person and so immensely talented. She is always enthusiastic and happy to give her advice. Even when I couldn’t decide on the napkins (and emailed her far too much) she never once lost patience and always replied quickly with her expert opinion.

Ceri’s designs range from the super girly (like our cake) to really innovative art deco and gritty urban designs. She has so many techniques and styles at her disposal that I really do dare you to imagine something she can’t create!

 

Paleo (gluten/grain/sugar free) Carrot Cake Recipe

Since adopting the Paleo lifestyle (80/20) and paying more attention to my food intolerances I have found it pretty easy to adapt most aspects of my everyday diet, but it has been far from simple when it comes to desserts. I have an extremely sweet tooth and find that most 'healthier' dessert options simply lack flavour so have let many decadent treats slip back into my meals. Often, I feel that after a healthy day of nutritious meals I undo much of my good work with a dairy and sugar laden dessert in the evening. So, last week I decided that I was going to make one of my favourite cakes in a paleo(ish) way – no grains, gluten, sugar (but I couldn’t resist a little dairy). I surprised myself (and especially my hubby) with how well it turned out. He is incredibly suspicious of any healthy versions of traditional recipes, but he loved this one as it simply tasted like a delicious carrot cake! Success!!

I am not terribly competent in the kitchen so I have made this recipe super easy to follow.  You can easily substitute various things and I have put in links for more tricky ingredients that I wasn’t able to purchase in my local supermarket.

Serves 6-8

• 3 raw carrots (peeled and grated)
• 12 tablespoons Dark Agave Syrup (you can also use Maple Syrup or Coconut Nectar)     
• 6 tablespoons (sifted) Coconut Flour
• ½ tablespoon of ground Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoon of Sea Salt (or ground pink Himalayan salt)
• 5 Eggs
• 6 Dates (I love Medjool dates and these are my absolute favourite)
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 100ml (melted) Organic Coconut Oil
• 150g Cream Cheese
• 50g Creamed Coconut
• 1 tablespoon (grated) Ginger Root
• Handful of Walnuts

Here we go:  

1. Peel and grate 3 carrots.

 2. Place carrots into a ziplock bag and add 8 tablespoons of agave syrup  

3. Leave this to marinate in the fridge for an hour  

4. In a small mixing bowl mix sifted coconut flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.

 5. Put pitted dates into microwaveable bowl and add 3 tablespoons of water.  

6. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds, mash mixture with a fork.  

7. Add another tablespoon of water to the mixture, microwave, mash and stir until mixture is an even consistency.

 8. Turn on your oven (I have a fan oven and set it at 150C).  

9. In a mixing bowl combine eggs, 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract, melted coconut oil and date mixture.  

10. Add the dry ingredients in small sections to the mixing bowl with wet ingredients.

 11. Be careful at this stage as the coconut oil may start to solidify forming lumps (especially if the room is cool). Mix vigorously, but if it’s still lumpy you can pop the mixture in the microwave for 10 seconds to help the oil melt.  

12. Take the carrots from the ziplock bag in the fridge and drain excess liquid.  

13. Stir carrots into cake batter.

14. Grease a baking tray with coconut oil (I also use paper for easy removal).

15. Pour the batter into the baking tray and place into your preheated oven. 

 16. Leave to bake for 40 mins (but this is very much subject to your oven so I would recommend checking it at 30 mins and then every 5mins thereafter).  

17. Once baked remove cake from oven and let it cool.

 18. For the cream cheese frosting it is best to use soft cheese at room temperature. 

19. Combine the cheese and creamed coconut through a metal sieve into a bowl (this is the best way to get both ingredients to fuse and ensure there are no lumps while giving it a smooth, slightly whipped texture). If you are intolerant to dairy use the creamed coconut with a little Stevia or alter the cream cheese to creamed coconut ratio.

 20. Add the remainder of the agave syrup, vanilla and grated ginger to the bowl and mix well.

21. Once your cake is cool ice cake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with walnuts!

22. Enjoy with a cup of tea and relax!

I hope that you find this recipe useful and please do let me know if you try it out!!

Our Engagement Party and Amazing Cakes!

On the 1st of June the fiance and I hosted a much belated celebration of our engagement with our closest friends and our families. It was a wonderful evening and while I was having far too much fun catching up with everyone to take many photos I did want to share some pictures from the night and also give a special mention to some of our amazing suppliers :).

You all know I love any excuse to dress up, so while the Mr kept it pretty casual I decided to wear something a little more adventurous. I chose the Talia dress from the Hobbs limited edition Invitation collection with matching shoes. It's a nifty little corset number with a very voluminous skirt that really reminds me of the shape of Vivienne Westwood dresses, which I adore. I paired it with a white L.K Benett chiffon petal bag.

As the dress was already quite a statement I kept my hair simple by curling it with Babyliss hot rollers and brushing through the hair with a soft Denman brush to create loose, soft, shiny curls. For the makeup I went for a silver and grey smokey eye to complement the dress.

I chose the Blanchard Room of the Hollywood Arms as the venue for its amazing decor and it did not disappoint! All our guests loved it and I must say that the staff were outstanding on the night, making sure everyone had plenty of bubbles in their glasses until the early hours ;).

Since we are not getting married till next July we wanted to give our guests a little taste of what to expect next year and decided to order a cake as a sweet finishing touch to the evening. I am a huge dessert fan and loved the idea of having a cupcake cake for our guests to enjoy. After getting quotes from a few suppliers I chose the Chelsea Cake Company. Nessie was an absolute sweetheart in creating the perfect cake for us and it's just so lovely to work with someone who is incredibly passionate about their business. I highly recommend you check her website out for wedding, party or celebration cakes as she does some incredible designs using only the best organic ingredients.

Nessie also made some adorable wedding themed cookies for guests to take away with them! They were just as yummy as they look.

After the party we carried on the celebration at Embargos, although not all of our guests made it that far ;p. Fingers crossed I will be able to make the wedding go as smoothly! xxx