Choosing just the right cake....

OKay, I knew what I didn't want. I didn't want gross icing made from shortening. I didn't want gobs of white goo and plastic bridal figurines. I didn't want fountains or ugly plastic birds. I didn't really want anything floral either although, fondant flowers might have been okay. Then as I developed the ocean theme I wanted something with shells. The first cake I found was this one.
I was in love! It's just gorgeous! But how would anyone make that? Getting married in Newfoundland presents some problems as things are not exactly impossible to get...but if it didn't have crisco in it or plastic bridesmaids then I was going to have a problem. So I started calling bakeries and asking if they did fondant. If they said "what?" I just said no thanks. I took my good friend John's advice and booked Specialties Bakery. I had time before I met with them so I kept hunting for the perfect cake...or how to get those shells! Then I found this picture... click for close-up
This was too much!! Unfortunately that was literal. I found the lady that made these lived in Halfmoon Bay, not far from Santa Cruz. I was thrilled. SO I called her up and said that I didn't need the cake because I was getting married in NF but would she sell me the shells? Well.... I think that must have been the wrong way to put it. She seemed indignant but said she sold the sea shells separately sometime...for $300-$500 U$ for enough shells for my cake!!!!!! I thanked her but said no.

Later, I was at a bridal show when I saw a women showing off favours in the shape of scallop shells. They were very pretty, and had a luminous quality about them. I asked and she told me where to get the candy molds and the powder to make them shiny.

Now we were getting somewhere. I started looking for ways to learn how to make the shells I had wanted from the cake. I surely could do it cheaper! I was right.

I bought the molds, powder, sugargum paste (fromWilsons) and some true colour food colouring, all for about $50 U$. It was not totally easy. And some turned out better than others.... but it wasn't $500 worth of difficult either.

The pictures of my cake will be up here soon...you be the judge!

Here are some tips when choosing a cake and baker:

- do you want fondant?

- make sure you get them to use real butter cream icing underneath the fondant. Some bakeries will skimp here.

- making the decorations (ie shells) can be fun and a money saver, but do you have the time and the ability? If not you're better off just buying them.

-ask for samples- it's tasty!

-make sure you get a complete list of the costs...and make sure they will deliver/set-up the cake on the big day

Good Luck!