We Have Our Cake Flavor!!!

We met today with Ms. Caroline Taylor of Taylor Made Cakes (which is just too clever), and sampled seven delicious flavors. Our top four were the Frangelico, the Almond Praline, the Light Lemon Butter, and the White Velvet Butter.

After serious consideration (and I mean serious, because Caroline's cakes are absolutely wonderful) we have selected the Light Lemon Butter for the wedding: four moist layers of buttermilk cake filled with a light creamy lemon filling and frosted with lemon meringue buttercream. Absolutely to die for.

Our thinking was this:

• Chocolate allergy among our guests
• The possibility of an Indian summer October 3rd, with weather reaching 75 degrees (chocolate and carrot cake would just be too much for warmer weather)
• Among the remaining non-chocolate cake, the lemon butter was by far the most zingy, fun, and tasty.

And thus it shall be: Light Lemon Butter Cake.

A few other details:

• We're going with buttercream frosting, which means we can either go with white or ivory, but not color--as colored frosting looks terrible in buttercream, and we don't want to go with the formal stiffness of fondant.
• We're going with three-tiers--the perfect size to feed 70.
• We're going with round tiers. Square is just too sharp.
• Caroline makes her own sugar flowers, which are simply AMAZING.
  
• She also makes her own fondant ribbons, should we choose to wind them around the bottom of each tier. As for designs, we are still searching for that perfect "one."
  

However, we're considering some of the following for an all white or ivory cake:

• Textured beading, scrolling, or floral design etched into the frosting.
• Colored fondant ribbon around the base of each tier. Green?
• Little sugar flowers spread out across the tiers.
  

More to come as we continue to research. But we're so excited to have our cake flavor!

Cake Flavors: Votes?

We're hoping to go cake tasting at Caroline Taylor's this Sunday, but need to select four flavors to sample! Thoughts?

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Chocolate genoise is split and brushed with crème de cacao flavored syrup. It has two fillings, a thin layer of raspberry, topped with chocolate raspberry mousse. The meringue buttercream frosting is flavored with Framboise, a raspberry brandy. For a spectacular groom's cake, rich shiny chocola te glaze can be substituted for the meringue buttercream.

Light Lemon Butter Cake

Four moist layers of buttermilk cake are filled with a light creamy lemon filling and frosted with lemon meringue buttercream. This warm weather favorite has a light and zesty flavor.

Chocolate Mousse Cake, and variations

Each tier of this dark chocolate genoise is split in four and filled with a light creamy and definitely chocolaty chocolate mousse. Buttercream flavored with white crème de cacao completes the cake. Variations: Vanilla genoise or alternating layers of vanilla and chocolate genoise, may be substituted, still filled with the same rich chocolate mousse.

White Velvet Butter Cake

Tender layers of white butter cake are filled with delicate pale yellow vanilla buttercream. It's the perfect choice for those who no matter what, say, "I want vanilla."

Frangelico Torte

This specialty is an unusually dramatic cake, Dark and light layers of complimentary flavors alternate within each tier. Hazelnut genoise is brushed with Frangelico liqueur syrup and layered with coffee brandy buttercream, chocolate soufflé cake, and chocolate ganache. The frosting is flavored with Frangelico and white crème de cacao.

Passion Fruit Cake

Orange genoise layers are filled with passion fruit curd. Meringue buttercream lightly flavored with passion fruit completes a cake that will remind you of the tropics.

Marble Cake

Yellow vanilla butter cake swirled with chocolate is filled with milk chocolate ganache, and frosted with vanilla/crème de cacao meringue buttercream.

Citrus Poppy Seed Cake

Butter cake layers are flavored with poppy seeds and grated rind of lemons, oranges and limes. The filling is a light and tangy lime curd, and the frosting is lemon meringue buttercream.

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Cake

Light chocolate butter cake is filled with a rich chocolate and hazelnut praline ganache, and frosted with Frangelico flavored meringue buttercream.

Lemon Raspberry Cake

Raspberry preserves and creamy lemon filling are layered with tender lemon butter cake, and frosted with lemon meringue buttercream. It gives a lovely balance between tart and sweet, and the cut slices look so pretty!

Almond Praline Torte

If you're an almond lover, this is the cake! Almond paste genoise is filled with French buttercream, which is enhanced with the crunch of finely ground almond praline and a hint of Amaretto.=2 0The meringue buttercream frosting is flavored with Amaretto and vanilla.

Southern Caramel Cake

This is a modern version of the old-fashioned caramel cake. Tender buttermilk cake is layered with rich caramel buttercream, and frosted with creamy vanilla meringue buttercream.

Carrot Cake

This is a wonderful moist carrot cake made with oranges and finely ground pecans. It is filled with lemony cream cheese filling and frosted with buttercream scented with lemon and Grand Marnier.