so after my first cake tasting..

[partyjewels]

I''m kinda bummed.. FI and I had a busy busy day on Saturday, went to the big bridal show that was downtown, and after that we had a cake tasting at a place recommended by some friends who had their cake from there.

I was disappointed because it didn''t seem like the lady was paying attention to anything we were telling her! To make it short, I described a cake to her that we had seen and both loved the idea of, instead of saying that she could or couldn''t do what we had seen, she went on to describe a wedding cake that while beautiful, was a whole lot of everything we just said we didn''t want! It also really bothered me that when we said how we didn''t want white for the frosting, we were thinking of a dark chocolate or maybe one of the accent colors we end up using (like a fuchsia maybe? I think that would look amazing!) she was listing colors like ivory and champagne! I mean, I really don''t think she cared what we told her.

The tasting part of it went ok, but after we left FI started on about how he doesn''t like the choices you get for wedding cakes. They all taste the same he says... well thats fine and dandy except that he''s the one who picked the choices that are most common (I think anyways) in wedding cakes.. when I pointed this out he said it''s because thats what he likes. I think the problem is that we had previously talked about trying to find someone to make us a dirt cake, and I think he''s got it stuck in his head and won''t be happy with anything that isn''t at least similar...

I came up with the solution of calling every cake place I can find and asking them if they can make the cake I have in mind before even bothering to go in for a meeting. I came up with a cake combo that I think will make FI happy (and me too, it sounds wonderful to me!). Chocolate cake, with vanilla pudding and cool whip mixed together in between the layers of cake and also acting as the frosting (not sure if that part would work, it would have the be the right mixture otherwise the pudding would be falling down the sides of the cake...) and then the whole thing covered in crushed oreos. This way it''s a cake... but it''s very reminiscent of dirt cake. I don''t know if thats even doable, but I think it should be... it sounds like something I''d be able to make at home, so why wouldn''t a professional baker be able to make it? We''d do it ourselves but aside from the wedding we''re also doing an addition to the house this year, and I don''t think the added stress of making our own cake is a good idea.. I''ll have better peace of mind knowing someone professional is doing it.

Now am I just crazy or does that sound doable?

Does anyone have any suggestions of bakers in Wisconsin to try? We''re in the Milwaukee area but the wedding is in Delafield.

 

[Sabine]

It sounds doable to me (and incredibly yummy!), but I can''t imagine how it would look. Would you be okay having a totally nontraditional cake on the outside as well as the inside? If not, you could always compromise and do a groom''s cake in addition to the actual wedding cake.

 

[cara]

Don't hire anyone that isn't interested in giving you what you want.

Then work on getting what you want clear and doable.

You want something inspired by a dirt cake, with non-white icing, chocolate cake and some kind of pudding filling.

Go with that and see what they suggest. They might have practical concerns - ie. cool whip doesn't hold up well for icing, or oreo crumbs are difficult, but should be able to suggest something else suitable if they are listening.

And may even improve upon your ideas. They are professional creative bakers, after all! You just want someone able to branch out beyond "champagne"-colored as a radical innovation for wedding cake.

 

[partyjewels]

Sabine - Oh yeah, we'd be totally fine with it, the only reason we're not just doing a dirt cake is because I just can't think of how they would do that for a wedding..... how do you decide how much to make? etc etc... I thought about just doing it or something like it for a grooms cake, but I'd be happy with it as the actual wedding cake too, so it just makes more sense to have the one cake instead of having to find someone who can do both the cakes we want

Cara - thanks for the tips Thats my concern as well, but I bet they'd be able to do what I'm looking for on the inside... most wedding cakes seem to have the two layers of cake with some kind of filling in between... so if the pudding/cool whip type mixture is just on the inside that would be fine too I think.

At the cake tasting we were at on Saturday, one of the frosting options they had tasted similar to cool whip, just kinda thicker.. I guess you would say. So I think that could be a good option for the actual frosting... and as for the crushed oreos... either they could put a layer inside the cake with the filling... or they could just sprinkle it over the tops instead of the tops and sides... hmmm... we'll see.. I'm getting really excited about this cake, I really hope I can find someone to do it for us!

 

[basil]

What''s a dirt cake?

The cake people should definitely listen to what you''re saying if you want a nontraditional cake in a color or in chocolate. I''d be a little worried about your pudding/cool whip combo and how it would hold up.

 

[somethingshiny]

This actually sounds like a cake that would be made for birthdays. You may try checking professionals who don''t necessarily advertise for wedding cakes.

 

[partyjewels]

basil - Well, there are several variations on the recipe.. but heres one as an example..

20 oz. Oreo cookies, crushed
2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
2 c. confectioners sugar
2 lg. chocolate instant pudding
4 c. milk
16 oz. Cool Whip

Mix cream cheese, Cool Whip, and sugar. In another bowl mix pudding and milk. Combine cheese and pudding mixtures. Layer pudding mixture and crushed Oreos (start and end with Oreos) into serving dish. Chill 3-4 hours.

To make it cute for parties people sometimes serve it out of a flower pot and with some gummy worms sticking out.


somethingshiny - thats definitely something I'll be doing. Really if I could I'd get an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen! hehe. But I can't figure out an inexpensive way to display it, so I think I'll stick with this idea.. thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Gypsy]

I found the MOST amazing baker in DC using the Washington Post. They do reviews of just about everything... so I would in your local paper for food reviews in your area. Or any other publication. Another way to find an amazing baker is to call up the MOST EXPENSIVE and upscale catering company and ask THEM for baker recommendations. They usually know who the top bakers are in your area and are happy to refer you.

 

[partyjewels]

Ooh! Thanks Gypsy, that sounds like a great idea

 

[basil]

Well that sounds really easy, it''s not even baked! If that''s what you really want, you should go for it.

Do you have a friend or relative that you could trust with making a big sheets of it? I could imagine it would be cute with gerbera daisies sticking out of it or something.

 

[partyjewels]

basil - The problem is, I really don't have anyone I feel comfortable asking to make it. I would be fretting over it the entire time, because if something gets messed up, it's not like I can complain to the company, it's a relative or friend that I have to deal with. So for my own peace of mind, having anyone who's not a professional baker make it is not an option for us! But all this talk of the dirt cake is making me want some! I'll have to make a batch this week

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 1/21/2008 4:58:35 PM
Author:partyjewels
I''m kinda bummed.. FI and I had a busy busy day on Saturday, went to the big bridal show that was downtown, and after that we had a cake tasting at a place recommended by some friends who had their cake from there.

I was disappointed because it didn''t seem like the lady was paying attention to anything we were telling her! To make it short, I described a cake to her that we had seen and both loved the idea of, instead of saying that she could or couldn''t do what we had seen, she went on to describe a wedding cake that while beautiful, was a whole lot of everything we just said we didn''t want! It also really bothered me that when we said how we didn''t want white for the frosting, we were thinking of a dark chocolate or maybe one of the accent colors we end up using (like a fuchsia maybe? I think that would look amazing!) she was listing colors like ivory and champagne! I mean, I really don''t think she cared what we told her.

The tasting part of it went ok, but after we left FI started on about how he doesn''t like the choices you get for wedding cakes. They all taste the same he says... well thats fine and dandy except that he''s the one who picked the choices that are most common (I think anyways) in wedding cakes.. when I pointed this out he said it''s because thats what he likes. I think the problem is that we had previously talked about trying to find someone to make us a dirt cake, and I think he''s got it stuck in his head and won''t be happy with anything that isn''t at least similar...

I came up with the solution of calling every cake place I can find and asking them if they can make the cake I have in mind before even bothering to go in for a meeting. I came up with a cake combo that I think will make FI happy (and me too, it sounds wonderful to me!). Chocolate cake, with vanilla pudding and cool whip mixed together in between the layers of cake and also acting as the frosting (not sure if that part would work, it would have the be the right mixture otherwise the pudding would be falling down the sides of the cake...) and then the whole thing covered in crushed oreos. This way it''s a cake... but it''s very reminiscent of dirt cake. I don''t know if thats even doable, but I think it should be... it sounds like something I''d be able to make at home, so why wouldn''t a professional baker be able to make it? We''d do it ourselves but aside from the wedding we''re also doing an addition to the house this year, and I don''t think the added stress of making our own cake is a good idea.. I''ll have better peace of mind knowing someone professional is doing it.

Now am I just crazy or does that sound doable?

Does anyone have any suggestions of bakers in Wisconsin to try? We''re in the Milwaukee area but the wedding is in Delafield.

Whatever you do, don''t get your cake from that woman! And if she has a boss I really think that you should complain about her!

I make wedding cakes, but only for friends, relatives, and people who ask me nicely. I plan on making my own wedding cake because I don''t trust anyone to do what I want them to, and use real ingredients. Once I get out of school I actually plan on opening a bakery type establishment.

As for your idea of the vanilla pudding/cool whip filling and then using that mixture as the icing-I have never worked with that particular combo and I know nothing of the consistency. The thing I can think of that would be most similar to the combo would be a mixture between pastry cream (vanilla pudding) and chantilly cream (whipped cream) but that is used as a filling because it has very little structure. I''m guessing that if you used this on the outside of a cake and then put oreos on the outside of it the weight of all that would send it sliding off the cake even without having any movement jostle it.

Wedding cakes are very very heavy. A fully butter creamed and filled 12 inch round can weigh about 25 pounds. Part of the job of the covering is that it''s outside structural support-even with that support you can sometimes see cakes bulge out of the icing just because of the weight of the cake and everything on top of it.

You didn''t mention what kind of cake that you''re going to have-3 tier, 150 people, et cetera, if I knew the details of what you want I could definitely help you out more.

 

[sumbride]

Like FrekeChild said, I''d be most concerned with the structure. There is no way something like that would hold up in a traditional tiered or stacked format. You COULD, however, have several smaller versions made up and have one out on display and the others in the kitchen.

Wedding cakes aren''t really that simple. They are feats of engineering! And usually they are made several days in advance. I don''t think this type of cake would work THAT way, but it doesn''t mean you can''t have it. It just won''t be 4 tiers tall with a figurine on top. It really depends on what you want. I think something like this would be great for a grooms cake, which tends to be a little less practical anyway, but you may still want something more "cakey" for a wedding cake. It''s truly up to you, but I do think you should visit a few more bakers!

 

[partyjewels]

FrekeChild We definitely won''t be getting our cake from her. And sadly she is the owner so theres no one to complain too. But anywho, we had planned on having a sheet cake in the back to have enough servings for everyone if whatever size display cake we ended up with didn''t cut it. The problem is that FI apparently really likes the tall cakes... he likes the height that pillars add, while I feel that in our venue a huge cake with pillars will look ridiculous! At most it would be three tiers, but it doesn''t need to be. Two is fine, and really, one would be ok too. I prefer the stacked look. We''re looking at around 200 people right now.

I figure that the mixture wouldn''t be good on the outside, but thats why I think whatever kind of frosting it was that we tried at the cake place would be good instead. It had the right kind of taste to it ya know? In any case, I''m sure we''ll figure something out. Just even from posting this I''ve already changed around what I''m looking for because after thinking about it more I know the logistics (not sure thats the word I''m looking for, lol) of it just don''t seem like they''d work.

I feel like a big part of this whole cake problem is FI, he''s driving me nuts! He had only told me a very small amount of preferences he had, and when at the cake tasting all of a sudden he''s telling this lady all these other thing he wants and I''m sitting there going what?!? Especially since the past few weeks I''ve been telling him just what I''ve been picturing for the cake, asking what he thinks about it and what he''d like, etc etc... and he didn''t say a damned thing! Then we get there and I just felt like an idiot. I was irritated with the lady for not listening, and I was irritated with FI cause I felt like I didn''t know him at all since he was spouting off all these things that I had asked him about several times and he never cared! *sigh* ok, sorry I had to get that out. lol. I feel like I''m all over the place on here, so I''m sorry, it''s just I''m so frustrated here. I just sent FI an e-mail asking what he thought about the cake idea I have though since I''ve brought it up to him a bunch of times since I thought of it and he''s had nothing to say but a distant ok. I don''t want it to be another case of him not telling me what he''s really feeling and go through all the work of finding someone to make it only to have him tell me it''s not what he wants. Ok, now I''m really done!

 

[partyjewels]

Thank you sumbride I know they aren''t as easy as they seem. I don''t NEED it to be stacked on top of eachother, but FI has turned out to be pickier than I thought!

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 1/21/2008 6:18:21 PM
Author: partyjewels
FrekeChild We definitely won''t be getting our cake from her. And sadly she is the owner so theres no one to complain too. But anywho, we had planned on having a sheet cake in the back to have enough servings for everyone if whatever size display cake we ended up with didn''t cut it. The problem is that FI apparently really likes the tall cakes... he likes the height that pillars add, while I feel that in our venue a huge cake with pillars will look ridiculous! At most it would be three tiers, but it doesn''t need to be. Two is fine, and really, one would be ok too. I prefer the stacked look. We''re looking at around 200 people right now.

I figure that the mixture wouldn''t be good on the outside, but thats why I think whatever kind of frosting it was that we tried at the cake place would be good instead. It had the right kind of taste to it ya know? In any case, I''m sure we''ll figure something out. Just even from posting this I''ve already changed around what I''m looking for because after thinking about it more I know the logistics (not sure thats the word I''m looking for, lol) of it just don''t seem like they''d work.

I feel like a big part of this whole cake problem is FI, he''s driving me nuts! He had only told me a very small amount of preferences he had, and when at the cake tasting all of a sudden he''s telling this lady all these other thing he wants and I''m sitting there going what?!? Especially since the past few weeks I''ve been telling him just what I''ve been picturing for the cake, asking what he thinks about it and what he''d like, etc etc... and he didn''t say a damned thing! Then we get there and I just felt like an idiot. I was irritated with the lady for not listening, and I was irritated with FI cause I felt like I didn''t know him at all since he was spouting off all these things that I had asked him about several times and he never cared! *sigh* ok, sorry I had to get that out. lol. I feel like I''m all over the place on here, so I''m sorry, it''s just I''m so frustrated here. I just sent FI an e-mail asking what he thought about the cake idea I have though since I''ve brought it up to him a bunch of times since I thought of it and he''s had nothing to say but a distant ok. I don''t want it to be another case of him not telling me what he''s really feeling and go through all the work of finding someone to make it only to have him tell me it''s not what he wants. Ok, now I''m really done!

Well tell everyone you know to not go to her! I know personally I''d never try to push a bride into something she didn''t absolutely love. It''s obviously not the way to get customers in the first place!

To be honest I''m not surprised about your FI chiming in all of a sudden while pretending to not care before. I am sure that''s what my BF will do too, but I''ve already told him that I''m making our cake and he really does not want to stress me out about it even more than I will be. One thing I''ve learned is that men usually only care about 3 things: food, what they''re wearing, that their fiancee is happy, and that''s it.

Just out of curiosity-what''s your venue like? I know what you mean about a tall cake-sometimes they go, sometimes they don''t. As for the pillars vs. no pillars thing-there is a compromise. You can have the three tiers and have the bottom tier have the pillars to the next two tiers that are stacked. I''ll try to post a pic of it in a little while.

From what you''re telling me about your FI, I would recommend having a grooms cake-and let him have whatever he wants. Just so long as that can be fit into the budget of course. My brother had pecan pie as his grooms cake. Another option is having different flavors for different layers (I''m afraid I''ll have to do this one for mine...) with the chocolate cake and oreo/pudding/cool whip filling for the base tier and then something else for the top two tiers. It sounds like you''re getting a better idea of what you guys want, I would make him sit down tonight and discuss exactly what you''re looking for as far as flavors go. And see where he stands on the stacked vs. pillars thing.

Let me know if you have any questions. I''m more than happy to help!

 

[sumbride]

It took me about 5 months to REALLY decide what kind of cake I wanted. The flavors, the details, the height and shapes. It was one of my hardest decisions because it was important to me. My baker had her ideas, I had mine, and we worked together to come up with what we wanted. We were changing things a week before the wedding! But it came out great. And it was delish. I don''t regret the work I put into it. And it was work! My baker was an evangelical minister''s wife... so we''d spend an hour together and spent about 20 minutes on the cake and the rest on what God wanted me to have in a cake and why she''s making cakes. And this happened EVERY time we met, which was about 5 or 6 times! I felt like my cakes were very blessed, but I had to build in extra time to pray with her each time, and I''m not a religious person. She was just that good.

So don''t be afraid to take time to decide what you want.

 

[sumbride]

Oh, and when I read about the pudding filling, I thought of what my baker did with my cake. She made one of my layers like a doberge cake. She was from Louisiana and this is the way she made cakes. It was thin layers with a filling of lemon that sank down into the cake layers. She made it 3 days in advance so that by the time we ate it you couldn''t tell where the cake ended and the filling began. I had to look it up because I didn''t know how to spell it. She pronounced it "Dough Baaush". It''s often made with chocolate pudding style fillings.

 

[partyjewels]

Date: 1/21/2008 8:13:24 PM
Author: sumbride
Oh, and when I read about the pudding filling, I thought of what my baker did with my cake. She made one of my layers like a doberge cake. She was from Louisiana and this is the way she made cakes. It was thin layers with a filling of lemon that sank down into the cake layers. She made it 3 days in advance so that by the time we ate it you couldn't tell where the cake ended and the filling began. I had to look it up because I didn't know how to spell it. She pronounced it 'Dough Baaush'. It's often made with chocolate pudding style fillings.

OOH!! That sounds exactly the kind of cake FI wanted other than dirt cake! It sounds like a poke cake, you can make it with pudding or jello, though I'm sure it's different than what she made in some way, but I bet FI would love that. Why can't you live by me so I can use your baker! hehe. But now I know a type of cake I can ask for in addition to something similar to a dirt cake! Yay!! Thank you so much!

ETA: So I looked it up and from the first recipe I found it sounds like it's totally different than a poke cake, duh, but has the same kind of effect that FI loves from that kinda cake. So I'm still all pumped up. hehe!

 

[sumbride]

Date: 1/21/2008 8:33:28 PM
Author: partyjewels

Date: 1/21/2008 8:13:24 PM

Author: sumbride

Oh, and when I read about the pudding filling, I thought of what my baker did with my cake. She made one of my layers like a doberge cake. She was from Louisiana and this is the way she made cakes. It was thin layers with a filling of lemon that sank down into the cake layers. She made it 3 days in advance so that by the time we ate it you couldn''t tell where the cake ended and the filling began. I had to look it up because I didn''t know how to spell it. She pronounced it ''Dough Baaush''. It''s often made with chocolate pudding style fillings.

OOH!! That sounds exactly the kind of cake FI wanted other than dirt cake! It sounds like a poke cake, you can make it with pudding or jello, though I''m sure it''s different than what she made in some way, but I bet FI would love that. Why can''t you live by me so I can use your baker! hehe. But now I know a type of cake I can ask for in addition to something similar to a dirt cake! Yay!! Thank you so much!


ETA: So I looked it up and from the first recipe I found it sounds like it''s totally different than a poke cake, duh, but has the same kind of effect that FI loves from that kinda cake. So I''m still all pumped up. hehe!

That''s great! Now you have a good starting place. My baker closed up shop a week after my wedding and moved to Dallas! She said my wedding had kept her in town (I booked her a year in advance) but her husband had wanted to move. So if you''re anywhere near Dallas...

 

[VRBeauty]

Have you tried the bakeries at larger grocery stores? They often carry cakes that are less ''high falutin" and more like popular favorites.

 

[somethingshiny]

I don''t know what your wedding is going to be like, fancy/casual/outdoor/etc. But, since the cake won''t hold up structurally to stacking, you could get one kind or several kinds of raised cake plates. Or you could get a tiered stand, like you see cupcakes on, because that would provide the support (with a plate or something holding it on the stand) and still showcase it like a wedding cake. You could put lots of flowers, ivy, leaves (whatever matches your decor) in and around each smaller cake. OR, you could have little cakes done for each table as a center piece. (only advisable if you''re having a smaller wedding)

 

[surfgirl]

What is this dirt cake you speak of? Pudding and cake? That sounds alot like my version of the afterlife...

 

[somethingshiny]

Date: 1/21/2008 10:15:17 PM
Author: surfgirl
What is this dirt cake you speak of? Pudding and cake? That sounds alot like my version of the afterlife...

It''s oreos, pudding, cool whip, cream cheese and sugar. And, it closely resembles what I picture Heaven to be.

There''s a recipe half-way down the page!

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 1/21/2008 8:33:28 PM
Author: partyjewels

Date: 1/21/2008 8:13:24 PM

Author: sumbride

Oh, and when I read about the pudding filling, I thought of what my baker did with my cake. She made one of my layers like a doberge cake. She was from Louisiana and this is the way she made cakes. It was thin layers with a filling of lemon that sank down into the cake layers. She made it 3 days in advance so that by the time we ate it you couldn't tell where the cake ended and the filling began. I had to look it up because I didn't know how to spell it. She pronounced it 'Dough Baaush'. It's often made with chocolate pudding style fillings.

OOH!! That sounds exactly the kind of cake FI wanted other than dirt cake! It sounds like a poke cake, you can make it with pudding or jello, though I'm sure it's different than what she made in some way, but I bet FI would love that. Why can't you live by me so I can use your baker! hehe. But now I know a type of cake I can ask for in addition to something similar to a dirt cake! Yay!! Thank you so much!

ETA: So I looked it up and from the first recipe I found it sounds like it's totally different than a poke cake, duh, but has the same kind of effect that FI loves from that kinda cake. So I'm still all pumped up. hehe!

The cake that it's based off of is the Dobos Torte, which is made with chocolate buttercream and is very work intense because a baker is either going to have to bake separate layers of cake (about 8 super thin layers) or cut them which is a little bit easier. That's going to translate into being expensive. What I would suggest is that you ask for at least 3 layers of cake (chocolate or yellow-and four might be preferred) with chocolate pudding in between. Any baker worth their buttercream is going to use a simple syrup to help keep moist and even help flavor the cake-you should ask them if they use it, if they don't, their cake may not be as moist as it should be. Anyway it should look like this with four layers:

*******cake******
---pudding---
******cake*******
---pudding---
*******cake******
---pudding---
*******cake******

They should be able to do that easily-or use vanilla pudding instead of chocolate. I would also ask about how long it'll take to make the cake-wedding cakes can take up to a week to make because some of the stuff can't be rushed. Because you're using a highly perishable filling you're going to want to make sure it's less than 3 days that your cake will sit there, already built.

It's my own personal opinion that cakes should have at least 3 layers of cake and two layers of filling-no matter what-otherwise it just gets to be too much cake-and if they didn't use simple syrup, it's going to be really dry.

I keep trying to add a picture but the file is too big, so I'm working on resizing that. Holy cow I think it may have worked. She asked for an artsy snowflake cake and her colors were white, silver and eggplant. It was chocolate cake with mocha/Kahlua Italian buttercream as the filling. Anyway, you can see the stacked/pillar combo. I should add that I HATED the poofy thing on top.