Best Wedding Cake Bakers in Harrisburg

In addition to traditional buttercream, custom cake toppings, icing, and fillings include fondant, mascarpone, berries, and even crushed rock candy. A wedding cake is one of the most important aspects of any wedding, as it serves as the main dessert for guests, and it's often the first thing guests see when entering the reception area.

There are many different types of wedding cakes with various flavors, designs, and icing options, so the best wedding cake comes down to personal taste. Some of the most popular wedding cake flavors include vanilla cake with buttercream, red velvet, vanilla cake with blackberries and sugar flowers, and pumpkin spice with cinnamon fondant.

Wedding cakes can cost anywhere between $75 and $1,500. The price of a wedding cake is determined by size, ingredients, specialty toppings, and cake decorations, so specific prices can deviate from the average based on your needs. 

The size and quantity of wedding cake you should order depend on how many guests will be attending your wedding. A standard three-tier cake serves between 50 and 100 guests, and a quarter sheet cake provides 54 servings. A half sheet cake serves 108 single slices.

There are many options for wedding cake flavors, and cakes can also be customized with nontraditional flavors. Common options include vanilla with buttercream frosting, red velvet with white buttercream frosting, chocolate and German chocolate, and marble cake. Less traditional options include lemon, carrot, and banana.

The most common flavor of a traditional wedding cake is vanilla cake with buttercream frosting. However, chocolate is also considered traditional, especially for groom's cakes. German chocolate, red velvet, and champagne flavored cakes are also popular and fall into the traditional category.

Traditional wedding cakes generally have three separate tiers, but cakes can be customized to meet the visions of the bride and groom. Each tier has its own significance. The top tier is to be saved by the bride and groom and eaten on the first wedding anniversary, and the bottom tier is to be served at the reception. The middle tier is distributed to guests after the wedding.

Wedding cakes can be purchased at standard bakeries and grocery stores. There are also bakers that specialize in wedding cakes. When deciding on a wedding cake, couples often meet with bakers to sample different flavors and cake textures as well as discuss their visions for cake designs and decorations.

Wedding cakes are prepared in the same fashion as all cakes. The batter is prepared, then poured into cake pans, and baked at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 60 minutes. Once the cake layers have cooled, they're either iced immediately or frozen until ready for decorating. Icing is then applied, followed by specialty sugared toppings and cake decorations.

Cakes have served as wedding centerpieces since medieval times when stacks of buns were placed in the center of the reception area to honor the bride and groom. Cutting the cake represents the first activity couples complete together as bride and groom, then the cake is served to guests at weddings as dessert following dinner.

Factors that can make a wedding cake expensive include cake size, ingredients, and decorations. Fondant icing or specialty sugar flowers are more expensive than basic buttercream frosting, and custom filling flavors also add to a cake's price. The baker's time and labor affect the overall price of a cake, especially for cakes with elaborate designs and intricate details.

Standard wedding cakes are priced by the slice, ranging from $1.50 to $12. Buttercream is the most common wedding cake icing, and specialty icing, such as fondant, can increase the price. On average, a standard wedding cake serving 50 guests at $1.50 per slice would cost around $75. For 100 guests, the average cost would be approximately $150, and for 150 guests, plan to pay around $225.

Wedding cakes and regular cakes are generally baked with the same types of ingredients. However, the difference between the two is that wedding cakes are specifically created for weddings, so they may be decorated and frosted to represent the bride and groom. Wedding cakes also often consist of three tiers, and the top tiers are saved by the bride and groom until their one-year anniversary.

On average, wedding cakes can range in price between $500 to $1,500, while cupcakes have an average cost of $3 apiece. In most cases, cupcakes would be a cheaper option, but it's important to factor in the number of guests attending your wedding. For example, a wedding with 300 guests would equal $900 for wedding cupcakes.

Wedding cakes can be made up to two weeks in advance of a wedding. The layers can be frozen up to a few days prior to the wedding, then thawed for a full day prior to icing. When ordering through a bakery, how long in advance a cake can be made depends on the specific policies of the business.

If your wedding reception is at a large venue with multiple guests, using a microphone to get everyone's attention to announce the cake cutting is a good idea. For smaller receptions, the caterer or someone in the wedding party can go table-to-table and let the guests know the cake's about to be cut.

It's considered customary for the bride and groom to cut the first pieces of the wedding cake, which is often followed by the feeding of the cake to one another. In certain cases, sheet cake is served to guests, which may be cut by a caterer prior to the reception.

A traditional Italian wedding cake is called a Millefoglie, and there are several variations of the recipe. The cake is made from multiple thin layers of filo pastry, and each layer is covered in cream or mascarpone and berries. The entire cake is then dusted with powdered sugar. Italian wedding cakes are sometimes referred to as thousand layer cakes.

It's a well-known tradition for couples to save the top tiers of wedding cakes as a symbol of prosperity and good luck throughout their marriages. The top tier of a wedding cake is generally placed in the freezer for one year, then enjoyed on the couple's wedding anniversary.

If possible, the wedding cake should be prefrozen without wrapping to allow the icing to harden. Wrap the cake or cake slices loosely in about three layers of plastic wrap, then place the cake in a box. Once the cake is boxed, wrap the box tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer.

Some people are natural bakers who require little to no training to become wedding cake bakers. For those who wish to open professional cake businesses, it's a good idea to obtain baker and cake decorator certifications. These certifications can be earned by taking courses through associations, such as the Retail Bakers Association and AIB International.