Summer wedding themes are full of creative possibilities. The following article will help you to determine what factors you should consider when choosing summer theme cakes.
If your happy summer wedding will be held outdoors (in the garden, at a public park, or at the beach, for instance) you'll need to take special care to ensure that your summer theme cake will keep its taste and attractiveness as long as is necessary. Fondant-covered cakes are popular and beautiful, but a fondant cake subjected to hot weather for even a few minutes can develop unsightly beads of "perspiration." Even worse, the fondant coating can begin to loosen and slide.
Whipped-cream is another hot weather no-no. Not only can flying insects become mired in it, a glaring sun can melt it right off your summer theme cake! There's a slight risk of illness, too, from such exposure, so why take a chance? Be aware that cream cheese is also another product that many experts warn should not be left too long even at room temperature.
Outdoors, in hot weather, buttercream icing is your best bet for summer theme cakes. Buttercream holds up well and can safely be left unrefrigerated. Remember, too, when planning your summer wedding cake, that people's appetites are generally lighter in the heat. A simple, light cake with a fruit filling would be more appreciated than a chocolate-brownie concoction dripping with syrup.
Some flavors seem to say "summer" more than others. Strawberry, raspberry, kiwi, lime, lemon, and coconut are delicious examples. Edible cake toppings with a summer feel include fresh berries, apricots, cherries, or even herbs. The pale green of just-picked sage or a sprig of vivid rosemary will add unusual flair to a summer cake.
Flowers are a favorite summer theme cake decoration, but they may be at risk in outdoor summer heat. If you're set on flowers for your cake but worried about the heat, have your cake baker create flowers from sugar paste (same as "gum paste" and similar to fondant) or marzipan, or buy them ready-made. When modeled skillfully, these can look just like the real thing. Marzipan creations are not quite as realistic as those made from sugar paste, but many people prefer its flavor. Another way to ensure perfection in the heat is to use "candied" flowers for your summer theme cakes. These are real, usually edible flowers that have been painted with a special mixture, then dipped in super-fine sugar.
Does your happy summer wedding have a theme? If so, you'll probably want to carry that summer wedding theme over to the cake. If you simply want to echo the theme of summer, however, you can create a spectacular wedding cake design in the image of a terraced garden. To do this, decorate a tiered cake with flowers, herbs, and sugar-paste butterflies spilling down the sides. For another idea, order a basket-shaped cake with basket-weave piping, and top it with mounds of sugar flowers.
If you're planning an informal reception, why not be different and serve a sheet cake? These are easy to decorate according to summer wedding themes. Using modeled sugar-paste figures, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. For a lakeside wedding, how about a cake iced to resemble pale blue water (complete with wake and whitecaps) and top with a bikini-clad bride on water skis, her veil streaming out behind her while the groom tows her along with a speedboat? For a picnic wedding, the cake's surface could be green, with the bride and groom lounging on a blanket, enjoying goodies from a picnic basket at her happy summer wedding.
Whatever you decide on, remember that summer is the most popular season for weddings, and bakers will be extra busy. So order your summer theme cakes as far in advance as possible to make sure you'll be able to get exactly what you want by the date you need it.
