A Glossary of Cake-Speak:
Marzipan
Made of finely milled almonds and
sugar, this icing is worked into a paste, then rolled out
and wrapped around the cake. It creates a smooth appearance,
can come in any color, and can also be used to form flowers
on the cake.
Rolled Fondant
Similar to marzipan, many bakers
find rolled fondant easier to work with. However, it is made
with 90 percent confectioner's sugar and is very,very sweet.
Most of the flowers and scrolls adorning cakes are made of
fondant.
Ganache
Lighter than marzipan or fondant,
ganache is a glaze of pure chocolate and whipped cream that
is poured over cakes.
Souffle
Soufflés are lighter,
spongier cakes that are layered with bavarian cream or fruit
filling. They go well with a light frosting, such as whipped
cream, and lend themselves to fresh-flower toppings.
In Small Packages
Seeing the White: Everything old is new again, as the intricate tone-on-tone wedding cake makes a sweet comeback.
By Mary Beth Leone-Getten
In recent years, the classic white decorated wedding cake has taken a back seat to those adorned with sugared fruit, dark chocolate curls, or, most commonly, fresh or dried flowers. Today, though, the most modern celebratory confections seem to be completely white or ivory cakes, painstakingly piped and decorated with buttercream, royal icing, ganache, pastillage and fondant.
For current brides seeking something both contemporary and classic, the options are varied and easily tailored. All cakes start with a base of icing-a blank slate-onto which other adornments are affixed. For a matte finish, pastry chefs advise choosing rolled fondant, white chocolate clay or marzipan. For added sheen, try a cake topped with ganache, a poured glaze of chocolate and heavy cream. Or rely on the sweet standards: buttercream and whipped cream icing.
"I see a return to simplicity in all facets of the wedding," notes April Wysocki of the Country Cake Cupboard. Many modern cakes with a traditional twist are so understated that they merely whisper for attention. Indeed, there is nothing quite like the elegantly fitted look of rolled fondant or poured white chocolate ganache. Equally beautiful in its simplicity is a cake decked with nothing but white chocolate curls, or a smooth coat of buttercream layered with handfuls of scattered Swiss dots.
"Many brides are drawn to a certain texture," offers Mary Zahasky of A Piece of Cake. Zahasky says she has worked with clients who requested the stucco look of cornelli lace, a basket weave pattern, or a style that uses fondant cut-outs to create the appearance of quilted fabric.
But cakes inspired by traditional white designs need not be plain and simple. Paul Suplee, executive pastry chef at Lunds and Byerly's, notes a rise in requests for elaborate Victorian-style ivory, white or ecru cakes.
For more on the tone-on-tone trend, see the Spring/Summer 1999 newsstand issue of Minnesota Bride.
