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Click here for the Top 10 Questions you
should ask |
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| Bavarian
Cream: |
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A molded cream that is made from custard sauce or sweetened fruit
puree bound with gelatin and lightened with whipped cream. Bavarian
cream can be served on its own or used as a filling for cold charlottes
or molded cakes. |
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| Butter
Cake: |
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A type of cake made from flower, milk, eggs and a significant amount
of butter. Characteristically moist and rich. |
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| Buttercream:
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A light, creamy frosting made with softened butter, confectioners'
sugar, egg yolks and milk or light cream. This uncooked frosting
is beaten until light and creamy. |
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| Cake
Plate: |
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The base used to support each layer of wedding cake, except the
bottom one. Also called separator plates. |
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| Cake
Stand: |
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A decorative platter, elevated on legs or some other decorative
stand, used to display the wedding cake at the reception. |
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| Cake
Table: |
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The table at the reception on which the wedding cake is displayed.
The cake table should be sturdy, level and wide enough to hold the
cake, serving set and any intended decorations. |
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Cake Tasting:
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Couples generally
choose the flavors for their wedding cake by arranging a cake tasting
with the baker. The couple is provided with morsels of different
available cakes to sample and choose from. |
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| Cake
Tower: |
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An elaborate cake stand used to display multiple 'satellite' wedding
cake layers at the reception. |
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| Cheese
Cake: |
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A mixture of cream cheese, eggs, lemon juice, corn flour, sugar,
vanilla and butter or cream poured over a piecrust and baked. |
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| Columns:
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Tubes placed in-between layers of wedding cake to create a multi-tiered
effect with open air in-between each layer of cake. Unlike separators,
columns are clearly visible on the decorated cake and are part of
the overall look. Also known as pillars. |
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| Confectioners'
Sugar: |
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Fine sugar with a little cornstarch added. |
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| Decoration:
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Icing,
pulled sugar, flowers or other materials placed on the wedding cake,
either alone or in concert, in order to finish the look of the cake. |
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| Figurine:
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A small statue made of plastic, porcelain or other material, which
is placed atop the wedding cake. Commonly referred to as cake toppers,
these figurines are often miniature brides and grooms. |
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| Filling:
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A food paste, often fruit or cream-based, dividing or contained
within cake layers. |
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| Flavor:
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The predominant taste of a dessert, cake or cake layer. Wedding
cakes come in a wide variety of flavors and each cake layer may
have a different flavor. |
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| Flower
Ring: |
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A layer of fresh flowers alternated between cake layers for a beautiful
visual effect. The flowers are anchored by inserting the stems into
an oasis, a material often used in flower arranging. |
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| Fondant:
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Used as both candy and icing, fondant is a simple sugar-water and
cream of tartar mixture cooked to the soft-ball stage. After cooling,
the mixture is beaten and kneaded until extremely pliable. It is
often formed into decorations or candy that can be dipped in chocolate. |
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| Food
Coloring: |
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Edible dyes used to change the color of food. The dyes do not alter
the taste of the food in any perceptible way. |
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| Ganache:
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A rich chocolate icing made of semisweet chocolate and whipping
cream that are heated and stirred together until the chocolate has
melted. |
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| Groom's
Cake: |
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A smaller cake prepared for the reception and either served along
with the 'bride's" wedding cake or boxed and sent home with
guests. In the past, the groom's cake was traditionally a fruitcake.
Today, however, the groom's cake is generally a dark chocolate cake. |
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| Gum
Paste: |
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A mixture of confectioners' sugar, water, cream of tartar and tragacanth
gum that can be molded like clay and turns hard and brittle as it
dries. Often used for cake decorations. Also known as candy dough
or sugar dough. |
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| Individual
Wedding Cakes: |
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Single serving mini-cakes served in place of a traditional wedding
cake. |
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| Meringue:
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A
mixture of egg white, caster sugar and air that is whisked and dried
in a slow oven. Meringue should be shaped before drying. |
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| Mousse:
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A stiff foam made of whipped cream, egg whites and sometimes gelatin.
A variety of ingredients may be added to flavor the mousse. |
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| Pastry
Bag: |
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A cone-shaped bag with two open ends. The small end is pointed and
can be fitted with decorative tips of different sizes and designs. |
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| Pillars:
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Tubes placed in-between layers of wedding cake to create a multi-tiered
effect with open air in-between each layer of cake. Unlike separators,
pillars are clearly visible on the decorated cake and are part of
the overall look. Also known as columns. |
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| Piping:
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Lines of icing added to decorate a cake. |
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| Pound
Cake: |
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A dense cake made from flour, eggs, sugar and shortening. The cake
takes its name from a traditional recipe that called for one pound
of each ingredient to be mixed in order to make two cakes. |
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| Rosettes:
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An
icing decoration applied to a cake, generally using a pastry bag
with a star tip. |
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| Sheet:
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A large, flat cake, often used to supplement a smaller wedding cake.
The sheet cake is generally created with the same flavoring and
icing as the wedding cake. |
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| Stacked:
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A
multi-layered cake effect in which each layer is place directly
on top of the next layer down. Little support poles or separators
are pushed into each layer to prevent the layers from sinking into
each other. |
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| Tiered:
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A multi-layered cake effect in which each layer is separated by
columns, often several inches in length. The open space between
each layer allows for the placement of decorations on top of each
layer. |
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Topper:
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A figurine placed
on top of a wedding cake. Traditionally, the cake topper has been
a bride and groom. |
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Whipped Cream:
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Cream containing
between 35 and 40 percent butterfat. The cream is whipped to add
air and to convert the fat into a semi-solid form. |
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| Yellow
Cake: |
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Cake made with only the yolk of the egg, not the white. |
