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Your cake design process begins with a design consultation. We hold consultations once monthly on Saturdays at Wedding 101 at The Factory in Franklin, TN. Consultations last approximately 30 minutes. Bring along your planning file for us to look through. We can draw inspiration from the attire, floral, ceremony & reception sites and other details from your day. We've found cake designs in the most unlikely of places, so don't be afraid to include all your ideas.
We'll let you look through our portfolio of recent cake designs for ideas on cake basics as well as to get a feel for the shape, layout, and other design features you like. We also have pages and pages of wedding cake ideas from magazines and the internet available to browse through for more inspiration. From there, we combine ideas from your wedding with ideas from cakes that you've seen and liked to create an original design for your wedding cake. Your wedding is unique and your wedding cake should be too!
Sizing
We'll determine the best size for your wedding cake based on the number of guests, and the look of the cakes that you like.
3-tier wedding cakes serve up to 150 guests
4-tier wedding cakes serve up to 200 guests
5 tier wedding cakes serve up to 275 guests
These guidelines don't include the top tier, which is traditionally saved for the bride and groom to share on their first anniversary.
Consultations are held once per month on Saturdays at Wedding 101 at The Factory in Franklin.
During your consultation, you will sample three flavors of cake and filling, surrounded by yummy, pure-butter buttercream while we discuss the design elements you wish to incorporate into your cake design.
Slowly, very slowly! I started Sweetface Cakes on the premise that quality can't be hurried. Which is why I limit the number of cakes that I take in any given weekend to three.
They are baked fresh and frosted in a base of pure-butter Buttercream, then topped with a hand-rolled eighth inch of fondant for a flawless finish.
Decorating
The average decoration time for one of my wedding cakes is 16-48 hours. That doesn't include baking or any of the filling or frosting items made in advance. Why so long?
Each cake is a unique creation. I meticulously copy lace or embroidery details onto the fondant with a stylus or pin prick technique. I custom-match all of our colors to swatches supplied by our clients. I create my own sugar flowers and figurines. My cakes are often hand-painted, lustered and gilded. I hand cut custom stencils and templates to match patterns from invitations or fabrics.
I also handle all of the cake consultations and do all of the decorating so there's no room for interpretation of your cake design.
Preserving the top tier of wedding cake
Many people have inquired about the tradition of freezing the top tier of the wedding cake for the first wedding anniversary. I don't know the origins of this tradition, but it's considered good luck to share a piece of cake from your wedding on your first anniversary.
You don't have to do it. But my brides report to me that their anniversary cake was delicious after a year. In my opinion, it's because of the fondant covering on the cake. Fondant was originally created for preserving fruitcakes so it is an airtight layer of protection for an otherwise naked dessert. That might explain why my cakes remain so good after a year in the freezer. Whatever the case may be, here is the best way to freeze a cake for your first anniversary:
1. Put the cake, unwrapped, in the freezer until firm.
2. Wrap the cake in two layers of plastic wrap then one layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil over that.
3. Store it in the freezer, no peeking!
4. One to two days before your first anniversary, take the cake out and immediately unwrap it completely.
5. Let the cake defrost in the refrigerator then let it come up to room temperature about one hour before it's served.