Wedding Cakes in Rustic Locales

At least in my area, barn weddings seem to have become very popular.  Maybe the rustic setting is coming back in style, or maybe it's easier on the budget, but I am delivering more cakes to these rustic locales than ever before.  I delivered this cake just this weekend to the barn at High Point Farms.  This design was based on a cake the bride found on The Knot, and I thought it worked very well in the rustic setting.

There are some things you have to be aware if you're planning on having or making a cake for a barn wedding.  There are many types of "barns" - some are nicer than your house; some don't have fully formed walls.  See the light coming through in the background of the photo?  That's sunlight from the outside world.  If you don't specifically know the barn, you should treat it like you would an outside cake.  I recommended fondant for this cake and I'm so glad I did.  When we arrived the barn was cool enough, but it had sawdust / wood shaving floors.  Every time we stepped, you could see sawdust floating through the air.  If I had delivered a buttercream cake, those guests would have had extra fiber in their dessert for sure!

Now for this cake... It was a 3-tier fondant cake, with a rose stencil on the bottom tier, and an extruded rope wrap on the top tier.  The flowers are gumpaste ranunculus in the bride's colors.  The toppers are small corn husk dolls that were made for the bride and groom.

As always, thanks for stopping by and have a great week! 

Piggy Farm Cake

Oh a cake to lift my spirits! I made such a happy little cake and it just oozed cute (well, I thought so anyway). The sweet birthday girl asked for a chicken for her birthday (that is precious) and the party was on a farm, hence the design. I love this mom because she gives me general guidelines and I get to go from there. In fact, she has triplets and this is just one from the weekend. I made a barn for the front and back of the cake, several animals just cut out with my cookie cutters and painted with food markers, and hand molded a few chickens and a muddy pig. I dry painted the sun with petal dust. I made the grass with buttercream (not as easy as it looks to be precise). The fence posts where made ahead out of gumpaste so they would go on nice a straight. I would have loved to do so much more but at some point you know you have to step away from the cake or you will be losing money. I wish I could do all I wanted to every cake. That is my biggest frustration most weeks. I guess being on a time limit is a good thing otherwise we my never stop! Now put your hands above your head and say "over decorating". I am called out that way at least twice a week!