Help Question About Wedding Cake "flavor"

Baking By Renesaindon Updated 4 Nov 2010 , 3:53pm by Renesaindon

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Renesaindon Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 2:47pm
post #1 of 37

I am doing my first wedding cake, like need to start NOW. It will be 3 tier and they want "traditional" wedding cake and wedding cake flavor. I have seen "wedding cake flavor" @ some online stores, but my local stores says there is no such thing. I don't have time to order from an online site. Who is telling met he truth and what do I do? Any suggestions? I need something sturdy for the tiers (which I have never done before and have no idea where to start). HELP!!!
In over my head! icon_sad.gificon_eek.gificon_cry.gif

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36 replies
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matthewkyrankelly Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:17pm
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When you buy things like "wedding cake" flavor or creme bouquet, you are buying blends of extract. They most often consist of a lot of vanilla and small amounts of butter flavor, almond, and citrus.

You can do this yourself by mixing some up and adding to a plain buttercream to test the flavor.

Within reason, you can vary the amounts of vanilla and butter flavors without changing the cake too much. They both seem to add richness to the cake.

I find citrus and almond to be stronger flavors in the final product. The key here is a very light hand. If you keep the amount to approximately 1/8 the amount of vanilla, they will add great flavor and bouquet without becoming The flavor of the cake. Some people may not be able to tell they are there, but it won't taste like plain vanilla.

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aswartzw Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:32pm
post #3 of 37

More than likely they aren't talking about the emulsions mentioned by the previous poster or even what you saw online. These people simply want the "wedding cake flavor" like white cake, etc. that is the traditional type of wedding cake.

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Renesaindon Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:32pm
post #4 of 37

ok, so If I use Creme Bouquet that is basically the same thing as wedding cake flavor?

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Renesaindon Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:35pm
post #5 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by aswartzw

More than likely they aren't talking about the emulsions mentioned by the previous poster or even what you saw online. These people simply want the "wedding cake flavor" like white cake, etc. that is the traditional type of wedding cake.




She specifically said "traditional wedding cake flavor" as what she wanted, not just "white cake" as the coloring.

I guess I just need to ask her specifically if she wants white cake/vanilla flavor?

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mbark Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:37pm
post #6 of 37

no, Creme Bouquet is VERY citrus-y, use a very light hand with it if you use it. it's not the same as wedding cake flavor.
but yes make sure you understand what they want, there is Wedding Bouquet which is a mixture of vanilla, almond, and butter flavoring that usually flavors icing and you could use it to flavor cake too, or wedding cake which is usually white cake

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Chasey Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:42pm
post #7 of 37

Or another possibility, does she mean a pound cake type of wedding cake?

Guess it depends on what region her expectations/comparisons are coming from. icon_biggrin.gif "Traditional" where I grew up was more dense in nature, closer to a pound cake than a fluffier WASC recipe for example.

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Renesaindon Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:43pm
post #8 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbark

no, Creme Bouquet is VERY citrus-y, use a very light hand with it if you use it. it's not the same as wedding cake flavor.
but yes make sure you understand what they want, there is Wedding Bouquet which is a mixture of vanilla, almond, and butter flavoring that usually flavors icing and you could use it to flavor cake too, or wedding cake which is usually white cake




I yi yi! Why does everything have to be so darn difficult! LOL

Now, I am totally confused! icon_eek.gif

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azeboi2005 Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:46pm
post #9 of 37

When I've had people ask for "wedding cake flavor" I usually make two flavors of white cake, one having a vanilla/almond flavor & the other with a french vanilla extract. These are two very popular flavors when they order white cakes. Personally I like the vanilla/almond blend. I would just ask specifically what they want/looking for.

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Renesaindon Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:46pm
post #10 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chasey

The definition of husband is one who takes out the trash and then declares he cleaned the whole house..




Love this! so True! thumbs_up.gif

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aswartzw Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:48pm
post #11 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renesaindon

Quote:
Originally Posted by mbark

no, Creme Bouquet is VERY citrus-y, use a very light hand with it if you use it. it's not the same as wedding cake flavor.
but yes make sure you understand what they want, there is Wedding Bouquet which is a mixture of vanilla, almond, and butter flavoring that usually flavors icing and you could use it to flavor cake too, or wedding cake which is usually white cake



I yi yi! Why does everything have to be so darn difficult! LOL

Now, I am totally confused! icon_eek.gif




Remember: when customers say things like "traditional wedding cake flavor" it doesn't mean the same thing to decorators as it does to them. They could simply mean vanilla or almond or the type of cake, ie. pound, white. They could also mean sweet BC vs. non-sweet BC. You need to find out what they want. My guess is white vanilla cake with sweet BC or poundcake. They could even mean fruitcake since that is the traditional wedding cake. You need to find this out.

Also, I guarantee you wedding cake emulsion did not exist when they were growing up and hence, that's not what they mean.

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Chasey Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 3:49pm
post #12 of 37

icon_lol.gif

Ask the bride specifically about pound cake vs. birthday cake type of texture. Although a wedding cake isn't always a birthday cake like crumb, you'll at least get an idea of what type of texture she's thinking of.

Then ask about the almond flavor. Could be a chance she doesn't realize that is the subtle flavor she is tasting, you know? You know A LOT just by reading CC, but the bride doesn't know the details!

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daltonam Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 4:00pm
post #13 of 37

Without reading all the above posts. For me in THE SOUTH (FL/GA/AL) that is pound cake & buttercream frosting (& sweeter than I make it-UGH) & to some it's that old school almond flavored frosting.

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kansaslaura Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 4:00pm
post #14 of 37

I'd ask the bride to describe exactly what she means. Around here, 'wedding cake flavor' means a really good white cake. Go figure!

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Renesaindon Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 4:05pm
post #15 of 37

We live in Kansas, does that help anyone? The bride is only early 20's so what she grew up with wouldn't be that long ago. :O)

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daltonam Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 4:37pm
post #16 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renesaindon

We live in Kansas, does that help anyone? The bride is only early 20's so what she grew up with wouldn't be that long ago. :O)




BUT is the info coming from what "mama & daddy" say she should get? If you are at all comfortable with calling her you really need to. If I had to make a decision without calling her & it was ME....I'd do my cream cheese pound cake & buttercream (which is a french vanilla flavor). Has she EVER had one of your cakes,?
OK I'm going back to, call her.....I had a customer want a wedding cake cake b/c she also wanted to tasted it for an up coming order (so I did a little round cake for her, she paid for it, etc etc). 6 mos later she ordered a birthday cake, I made her a birthday cake, she emailed, FB & called yelling b/c it wasn't the pound cake.........Call your bride, just tell her that you want to make sure you & her are both on the same page.

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Chasey Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 5:15pm
post #17 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renesaindon

We live in Kansas, does that help anyone? The bride is only early 20's so what she grew up with wouldn't be that long ago. :O)




Nope, you'll have to call and ask HER! icon_biggrin.gif

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kansaslaura Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 5:28pm
post #18 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chasey

Quote:
Originally Posted by Renesaindon

We live in Kansas, does that help anyone? The bride is only early 20's so what she grew up with wouldn't be that long ago. :O)



Nope, you'll have to call and ask HER! icon_biggrin.gif




Hasn't she been in your shop? Tried your product? Asking for a tasting?

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Renesaindon Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 5:44pm
post #19 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by kansaslaura

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chasey

Quote:
Originally Posted by Renesaindon

We live in Kansas, does that help anyone? The bride is only early 20's so what she grew up with wouldn't be that long ago. :O)



Nope, you'll have to call and ask HER! icon_biggrin.gif



Hasn't she been in your shop? Tried your product? Asking for a tasting?





LOL
I am a little one person hobby baker that just started! I was only doing this for myself to have fun and all of a sudden people started ordering from me. This is only my 3rd order!!! and it is a wedding cake!

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Kandis Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 5:55pm
post #20 of 37

I tried the creme bouquet and I prefer my own mixture like matthewkyrankelly suggested!

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daltonam Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 6:08pm
post #21 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renesaindon

[LOL I am a little one person hobby baker that just started! I was only doing this for myself to have fun and all of a sudden people started ordering from me. This is only my 3rd order!!! and it is a wedding cake!




nothing wrong with just starting out, congrats!! but again hun, call her icon_smile.gif


Quote:
Originally Posted by Kandis

I tried the creme bouquet and I prefer my own mixture like matthewkyrankelly suggested!




ditto...........had a bottle & threw it away! Loranne Professional Kitchen (products) has an emulsion (Buttery Sweet Dough) that I do use SOME (in cookie icing) it's a citrus flavor

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3GCakes Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 6:15pm
post #22 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renesaindon

Quote:
Originally Posted by kansaslaura

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chasey

Quote:
Originally Posted by Renesaindon

We live in Kansas, does that help anyone? The bride is only early 20's so what she grew up with wouldn't be that long ago. :O)



Nope, you'll have to call and ask HER! icon_biggrin.gif



Hasn't she been in your shop? Tried your product? Asking for a tasting?




LOL
I am a little one person hobby baker that just started! I was only doing this for myself to have fun and all of a sudden people started ordering from me. This is only my 3rd order!!! and it is a wedding cake!




Is this someone you know....or a stranger? Is there some reason you can't just call them?

There is no "wedding cake flavor"---there are flavorings FOR wedding cakes, but no tried and true flavor called "Wedding Cake"--so no matter how much anyone on here guesses--we still have no idea what that person is referring to. Heck, in some parts of the world "wedding cake flavor" is fruit cake!

Call them. You'll be glad you did! thumbs_up.gif

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Renesaindon Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 6:17pm
post #23 of 37

a bit off topic:

How do you guys get the profile pics and the signature graphics? I am very computer literate, but my profile area doesn't have a place to upload anything. Do you have to be a paying member for that option?

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Renesaindon Posted 21 Oct 2010 , 6:23pm
post #24 of 37

Is this someone you know....or a stranger? Is there some reason you can't just call them?

Call them. You'll be glad you did! thumbs_up.gif[/quote]

I can't call her right now as I am a teacher and am in class. I have emailed her and mom and am awaiting a response. ;O)

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Renesaindon Posted 22 Oct 2010 , 5:27pm
post #25 of 37

well, doesn't matter now anyway as 8 days before the event, they have decided to go to wal-mart. I already have everything to make the cake and had made plans around an unbelievably busy week (conferences - I am a teacher and I was going out of town) to do this and now they want to go to walmart to get it "fresh" because it was going to have to be refrigerated for a few days before hand because of my travel plans, which they knew about when they ordered the cake. Why do people do this? I would never order something like that 3-4 weeks in advance and then the week before when someone was already prepared for the job cancel it for things I knew about before I ordered it!

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TattooMom25 Posted 22 Oct 2010 , 5:44pm
post #26 of 37

I can absolutly positively guarantee Walmart's cakes are not "fresh"

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Renesaindon Posted 22 Oct 2010 , 5:50pm
post #27 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by TattooMom25

I can absolutly positively guarantee Walmart's cakes are not "fresh"




Yeah, what she will get will have been frozen for longer than I have been decorating, probably! Oh well, I hope she enjoys it as I doubt she can get a 3 tier wedding cake done with no notice from a business like that much less something that is fresh and I don't think that Wal-Mart does Fondant either which is what she wanted. I already spent all that time learning how to and making the fondant and all that time planning and researching just for her cake. Spent time meeting with them and practicing the techniques I would use on her cake. This is someone I know and really didn't expect to get juked around on. I am really sad. icon_sad.gif

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3GCakes Posted 22 Oct 2010 , 6:04pm
post #28 of 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renesaindon

Quote:
Originally Posted by TattooMom25

I can absolutly positively guarantee Walmart's cakes are not "fresh"



Yeah, what she will get will have been frozen for longer than I have been decorating, probably! Oh well, I hope she enjoys it as I doubt she can get a 3 tier wedding cake done with no notice from a business like that much less something that is fresh and I don't think that Wal-Mart does Fondant either which is what she wanted. I already spent all that time learning how to and making the fondant and all that time planning and researching just for her cake. Spent time meeting with them and practicing the techniques I would use on her cake. This is someone I know and really didn't expect to get juked around on. I am really sad. icon_sad.gif




I would go ahead and make the cake, just for practice. A lot of people wait until their first wedding order to make a wedding cake, and it's very stressful.

Here is a great opportunity to learn without the possible consequences of it not working out. I'd do exactly what she asked for. You can always take the cake to school and possibly get orders there too.

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Renesaindon Posted 22 Oct 2010 , 6:24pm
post #29 of 37

[quote=I would go ahead and make the cake, just for practice. A lot of people wait until their first wedding order to make a wedding cake, and it's very stressful.

Here is a great opportunity to learn without the possible consequences of it not working out. I'd do exactly what she asked for. You can always take the cake to school and possibly get orders there too.[/quote]

that is exactly what I was just telling someone I was going to do. Since we have conferences next week everyone will be craving sweets while they are waiting around for parents and such and I can get the practice. Then, when she sees the pictures later, she can just suffer with what she decided to do instead! The part that really sucks is I was going to use the money from that cake to pay back the money I used to get my airbrush system. I was going to save up for it but since this order came a few days after I decided to buy an airbrush, my husband told me to go ahead and get it then put the money back when I got paid for the cake, now, no cake. They knew that as well since they are people I know. (they are friends of my best friend) We even talked about how excited I was to be able to get the airbrush because of her cake order. I am just really upset over this whole mess! I was doing her a favor by squeezing the order in during a time that was crazy for me. I almost canceled my travel plans for her. Glad I didn't now. My husband would have been so disappointed as he has been looking forward to this trip for months.

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AnnieCahill Posted 24 Oct 2010 , 10:35am
post #30 of 37

The average person is not going to know about the various emulsions that we use. I agree with the statement that in the US, "wedding cake" is usually a good white cake.

Not sure if you are a scratch or box baker (I am both) , but what I would do is make her a sample of the WASC under most saved recipes, and see if that's what she's going for. It's usually the denseness and almond flavor that give it that extra something special. Read the reviews for WASC on this site:

http://www.food.com/recipe/white-almond-sour-cream-wedding-cake-69630

A lot of people use this for wedding cakes. I just made one for my own bridal shower cake yesterday.

I see you're just starting out. In the future, I would get specifics from your customer. Get a feel for the texture and flavor they're after. It's really hard to just go based off "wedding cake flavor," because as was mentioned before, that can mean a million different things!

GOOD LUCK!!! icon_wink.gif

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