Wedding Cake Tips for the Budgeting Bride

With the beginning of every New Year comes a new crop of brides. A joyous time for all involved as dreams of the beautiful life you will create with your fiancé and especially your upcoming fairytale wedding float in your head. But, with the current economic situation, many a bride is scaling back on their wedding budgets while still attempting to ensure they get to live out their ideal wedding day. For many, the cake is a large part of that grand vision, but sometimes the cost can be prohibitive. Below, I’ve given some tips as to how to save on costs, while having the wedding cake of your dreams.

*Instead of ordering a large 3 or 4 tiered cake, consider getting a smaller cake and some undecorated sheet cakes. You still get to cut your pretty cake for the photos and your guests will never know they’re eating sheet cake.


*Consider bartering for a lower cost on your cake, by including the company name of your cake designer included in your wedding program. It will be a great advertising opportunity for the cake designer and will help lower your costs.

*Get in on the cupcake trend! Serving your guests individual cupcakes decorated in your wedding colors is a fun and whimsical way to feed your guests cake while helping your budget. Typically cupcakes are cheaper than ordering a 3 or 4 tier cake and each guest gets the joy of having their own individual cake.


*Choose buttercream over fondant. The look and versatility of fondant to cover wedding cakes is fantastic and growing in popularity every day, due to shows like Cakes Boss and Ace of Cakes. However, buttercream with its sweet, lovely goodness shouldn’t be discounted. Not only is it fantastic at covering a cake, but it can also be used to create fantastic designs on your cake. Additionally, it evokes wonderful memories of the cakes you made as a child in the kitchen with your mom and grandma.


These are just a few things you can do when trying to live within your wedding cake budget, but the most important thing to remember when it comes to wedding cake is get what you desire and have the best time eating it! :)

Sweet Cake wishes,
Ritzy Cakes

Sooo Inspired!!

So..the other day, my lovely, sweet and oh-so super fashionable-friend-forever Alex told me that she's getting married! EEK!! How exciting!! I can't wait for July to get here.
She's been telling me some of her ideas for the look and feel of the wedding and I can already tell it will be amazing ,as if there were anything less for Alex! But just when I thought she couldn't have anymore deliciousness to add, she spoke the words, Peacock theme!! *gasp*

My mind raced. I could see it. Rich, sumptious, bold blues, greens, with hints of champagne rich golds or warm hues of brown. It could only be summed up as Stinkin' Stunning!! I was soo excited that I started planning a cake...as if I needed a reason to be thinking about cake. Cake, cupcakes, desserts all I seem to talk and think about. *le sigh*



I mean can you imagine the ways you could go with a Peacock theme. You could go bold and dramatic or feathery and romantic.
Ahhh...the possibilities are endless and so are the many visions that I have of cakes to decorate. Since that fateful day, two weeks ago when she told me that news, I've been designing cakes. Mini cakes, 3 tier cakes, round cakes, square cakes.
I can't wait to complete them all and put the pics up. In the meantime, enjoy this inspiration board I created about her upcoming wedding.



Syreeta :0)
Ritzy Cakes
www.ritzysweetandsaucy.com

Love Dessert Style...long overdue Pt.2

I've become so engrossed in this process of sampling new desserts that I got distracted and didn't post for a while. Mea culpa.
But to continue on where I left off, I realized that Blackberry ice cream was a passing fancy and so was ready for a new dessert to capture my senses. Needless to say, summer is a season full of ripe opportunities. I was able to try a Raspberry Chocolate Cake. He was heavenly to look at, but not quite what I wanted. I tried a Dutchie, a good old Canadian standby and did like him a lot, but was intrigued by another.
It turns out that I have a thing for strawberries. In fact, strawbery ice cream has been my favorite choice of desserts for years. I love how it is the perfect capper to a heavy meal, how it can make the sorrow of bad love melt away and well..it's just darn good. :) But I shall tarry no longer, onto my dating escapades!

When I met Strawberry Ice Cream, he seemed the type that would at least stick around for a few years. He was a perfectly sweet treat to taste at first and quite a satisfying delight after the dessert letdowns of the summer. He was rich, he was creamy, quite a sight to behold, but he carried with him a cloying aftertaste that started to annoy. What seemed like the beauty of time-tested and delightful homemade ice cream, turned out to be a shallow store-bought brand with no depth or true quality of ingredients to it.
This left me a bit shaken, as Strawberry ice cream had always been my fall back flavor of choice and hadn't disappointed previously. But his particular brand was an imposter, made up of chemicals and additives that would cause one more trouble than it was worth over time. So willingly and gladly, I threw away the remaining portion into the trash and walked away a bit wounded but happy to move onto my next dessert adventure.

Wish me luck,
Syreeta

Love...Dessert Style Pt. 1

In the last few months, I decided to enter the dating realm again after a long hiatus. It was at first a little fear inducing, but I've easily settled into the adventure. In fact, a few of the upcoming blog posts will chronicle my journey. I'll incorporate desserts instead of names to protect the names of the innocent. I hope you like it, so let's roll...

The very same week I decided to venture back into the dating pool, I was successful. One day while I was out doing errands, I was greeted by a rather intriguing man whom I'll call Blackberry Ice Cream. He is dubbed as such because I was experimenting that week with my ice cream maker, as I always seem to be doing when the summer starts. And as I'd been out walking in my garden dreaming of all the deliciousness to come from my recently planted lettuce, cucumbers, peas, strawberries and my budding raspberries, I felt motivated to go to Whole Foods and get some instant gratification.

While there I saw some blackberries in the produce section and decided to experiment. On the way out, I ran into Blackberry Ice Cream. He was rather intriguing to me, the way a new flavor from Oberweis is when you wanna shake up your ice cream routine. He and I both realized instantly there was an attraction and decided to see where it lead. Over the next couple weeks, we talked on the phone, met up for coffee, had dinner a few times, took long walks and discussed philosophy, religion, politics, you name it. Now while he was easy on the eyes, tempting to taste and a sweet treat to talk to, I never ventured to take a bite.

Lovely blackberry ice cream lived up to the recipe that I'd recently happened upon online. However, he was tangy to the point of overly tart and heavier than cream overall in his high handed views than I desired. I confess, too rich for my blood. So in the case of love and comfort with Mr. Blackberry Ice Cream man, it was a no go, but, I did fall in love with a new flavor of ice cream. Check out the recipe that I borrowed from About.com and adjusted to my own taste.

Blackberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 C. blackberries, abt. 12 ozs.

1 C. granulated sugar

11/2 tbs. lemon juice

11/2 C. heavy cream

1/4 C. sour cream, full fat

1/4 C. half & half

In large saucepan over medium heat, combine the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice. Cook covered for about 20-25 mins. The sugar should be dissolved and the berries soft. Pour berry mixture into a fine mesh sieve. Then press berries in the mesh sieve to fully extract all juice. Pour juice into a blender, add heavy cream, sour cream and half & half. Blend/pulse until mixture is creamy. Pour into ice cream maker (automatic or old fashioned) and let the good times roll. I recommend putting it the freezer for about an hour or so to firm up even more. Then voila!

Happy Eating,

Syreeta :0)
Ritzy Cakes
www.ritzysweetandsaucy.com

Wedding cake costs

The other day, I followed up with a bride who contacted me about making a cake for her wedding. She stated she wanted a "simple" 3 tier cake to feed 250. It is to be round on the bottom tier with the two top tiers being square. She also wanted it covered with fondant that was handpainted the color of confetti roses in her bouquet with red fondant ribbons on each layer. Additionally, she wanted a sprig of roses sculpted out of sugar paste and a monogram made out of chocolate wrapped with silver foil to gracefully decorate the cake. I was excited for her as the idea of making a cake just like that was fantastic! She, however, wanted this all done for under $500!

I had to gently tell her that the dream cake she wanted would more than double her cake budget. She was surprised as my price per slice is only $1.50. I advised that the added items of fondant ribbons, handpainting, custom chocolate monogram and especially, the sugar paste flowers had been what put her over.

Now, this issue happens quite a lot when it comes to wedding cakes. It is neither the brides or the baker's fault. The baker is charging based on time spent on the various elements of the cake, in addition to materials used and finally delivery of the delectable creation. While for some a simple bakery sheet cake will suffice, on average a towering creation of cake is all that will do! It is then that your baker will work with your budget and suggest that you can get the cake that you desire at the price of your budget.

In the end, the bride and I negotiated a bit and I was able to get her a cake she was happy with for roughly $750. The cake will look pretty close to her hearts desire, but will not be as expensive. We decided on using satin ribbon to frame the layers, minimal handpainting and working with her florist to get confetti roses to place on the cake. Overall a wonderful experience, but definitely something brides should be aware of when ordering their wedding cake. In fact, here's a link to Cost Helper that will help you greatly. Also, I hope you've liked the small peek at the delectable cakes I can make for you.

Happy Eating,

Syreeta

For the love of Chocolate!

I am always seeking and searching how to get better at making desserts. It's my passion! I daydream of cakes quite often. Today, I'm picturing the Tiramisu cupcakes I made for a friend and also the fruit salad I just finished making for my family. Most of all, I can't wait to bite into the Tiramisu I've made for girls night out tomorrow! Yummy! In fact, so you can share in my joy, here's a picture of that awesome homemade Tiramisu . It's a healthier/lite version of Tiramisu because it uses no eggs.Happy Eating,
Syreeta :)

Tim Horton's- such a delight!

Recently, my family and I roadtripped to Toronto, Canada to visit my favorite uncle. It was quite an exciting trip, because I love visiting my Canuck neighbors to the north. The thing that was most exciting is the chance to order out from my favorite Canadian coffee shop of all time- Tim Horton's! Timmies, as they are affectionately called, are everywhere and most are 24 hours! 8)

I'm not quite sure what it is or how they've done it, but somehow they've perfected the coffee and a doughnut experience. There's not been a person that I've introduced to the Timmies experience that's not fallen head over heels for them.
There are no semi-italian/french names for the coffee (ex. Venti Mocha Valencia, no whip, soy, half-caf, low foam...). Sorry Starbucks! But, the fact that you can walk in without having to perform brain surgery on yourself to order coffee makes the experience even more delightful. Walk in to your favorite Timmies and order a double-double (2 sugars, 2 creams) and you're hot to trot!
To go along with that lovely caffeine are delightful pastries, my favorite being the Dutchie. A square/rectangular delight that is unlike your average donut.
When eaten hot, this delicious glazed, sweet dough delight sprinkled with raisins is always sex on a plate to me. Naughty but true!


Needless to say, I experienced immense joy to find out that Tim Horton's has expanded their chain to the good ol' US of A. The first stores opened up in New York state, but I just know they'll be moving to the Midwest soon. But of course, a random roadtrip just to get a taste of a Dutchie is always in order! Yummo!
Happy eats & travels,
Syreeta


Related post: Time to make doughnouts- Dutchies