Let Them Eat Cake -- Just Not at Your Wedding
It's a fact, however odd it seems, that some
brides don't like cake -- and don't want one at their wedding
reception. Others like cake just fine, but prefer to serve
something a little more distinctive for dessert. On the whole,
brides pass up cake at their wedding because they: -
don't like it
- want something nontraditional and edgy and
are bored by "the norm"
- want something that more personally
represents them or their geographical area
- attended too
many catered weddings where no one touches the cake because
they'd already had a full meal plus dessert
- have a venue
that tacks on high cake serving fees
I must admit I'm
tempted to stare when someone tells me "they just don't like
cake." Because, as everyone knows, wedding cake is no longer
just cake. Wedding cake has morphed into something that, in the
right hands, borders on a religious experience.
Today's chefs know that a good cake -- one light years away from
the "packing material" type cake of old -- is full of delicious,
creamy fat. And not that horrifying vegetable shortening,
either. The modern wedding cake is loaded with real butter,
moist base material (poppy seed cake, pound cake, carrot cake,
banana, chocolate, red velvet and more) and tempting fillings
(amaretto, chocolate mousse, tiramisu, raspberry, white
chocolate).
The exterior, too, has gotten sleeker and lovelier in response
to today's streamlined bridal fashions. All the former hallmarks
of questionable taste -- fountains, pillars, mugging couples on
a cake topper -- are gone. So how can any bride resist?
Many don't, but a few persevere in wanting something else.
Fortunately, weddings these days are about personal choice and
individuality -- they don't have to have one. And the
alternatives to cake are many.
The secret to a satisfying wedding cake alternative is simple --
presentation. Whatever you're serving, stack it in tiers. Follow
this simple tip and you can turn almost anything into food fit
for the most special occasion.
Tiered puddings and mousses
Pre-chill wine or champagne glasses, and fill with: -
Chocolate, chocolate orange, lemon mousse
- Rice, coconut
rice or wild rice pudding
- Raspberry, hazelnut or regular
tiramisu
- White chocolate, key lime, blackberry or biscotti
parfaits
- Heavy whipped cream, topped with sweet in-season
berries
If your budget's ample, you can also stack up
individual-sized - Caramel, anise, pumpkin flan
-
Cr