The Flavor of Florida Weddings
Miami is, indeed, the city of vice and when you’re getting married it’s in the form of a slice! Cakes here are as decadent as the nightlife, as cool as SoBe. Tiramisu cake’s big right now, but that was before this story went to press. Trendy or traditional, finding your Miami wedding cake-baker should be a walk on the sweet-hot beach.
Start your Miami cake-baker search 6 months’ prior to your wedding. Caterers usually offer cake as part of the reception package, and many couples go this route for the efficiency and simplicity, and to keep the budget down. Should you desire something as snazzy as those Art Deco buildings, however, hire a baker.
When searching, ask friends and relatives, vendors, and anyone who’s served you a delicious dessert. If your favorite restaurant serves wonderful cake, ask if they do weddings. Your wedding cake can cost anywhere from $400 to $1,000 (for 100 guests), depending on your baker, your choices, and how many confections you order. Before you talk to bakers, write down flavors you love, and bring in any photos of cakes that have caught your eye. Make sure, too, that you’ve listed any food allergies you have.
Cake bakers, regardless of your preferences, will most likely want to give you several options. It’s common to show three cakes; something trendy, something traditional, and something they’re famous for baking.
Cupcakes are all the rage now, either tiered and served as the main cake, or as a second “cake,” in the same or different flavor. Cupcakes also make for great favors. Carrot cake (with or without nuts) is very popular, as is blue and red velvet cakes—check your face before photos, as the food coloring may stain.
Groom cakes are back in vogue too, and usually served with the main cake. Gone, too, are the days when they were made in the shape of hot rods and racing cars. Nowadays, they can look and taste any way you wish.
When you’re ready to get serious about fluff, check out the OurWeddingDay.com Local Vendor section for a list of top-tier cake makers in Miami.
If you’re worried about going over budget, stick to one cake. Tiers can be made small, with a sheet cake in the kitchen that caterers slice and serve. Cake can also take the place of the dessert dish at dinner.
The cake baker you pick will drop off your cake on your wedding day (he will have checked storage facilities beforehand). Miami gets hot and humid, so talk to the baker about making sure nothing’s going to melt away. If he’s worth his, er, sugar, he’ll know how to keep the cake fresh.
Now relax and take a slice of life!
-David Toussaint