When the wedding guests have finished eating the main course, dessert is served. As a rule, this is a cake, but sometimes newlyweds prefer a loaf. Cutting a cake is an art, because it is not just preparing a confectionery product for tea, but a solemn moment. All newlyweds should know how to cut a wedding cake correctly so as not to get into an awkward situation.
Basic rules for cutting a cake
To make the process of cutting dessert easier, you need to know some rules; they are not complicated, and remembering them will not be difficult:
- To make the knife glide better, prepare a bowl of warm or hot water. You can dip cutlery into it and remove excess cream and crumbs.
- To make the confectionery cut better, place it in the refrigerator if the cakes are too soft and the cream is runny. If, on the contrary, the cake turns out to be tough, take it out 30 minutes before cutting.
- Did you choose the loaf? Make sure it is cool, otherwise the loaf will crumble right in your hands.
- If there are bulky decorations on the dessert, remove them. Figurines of the bride and groom are left as souvenirs until the first anniversary. Distribute the rest of the decor to those who wish or enjoy it yourself.
Choosing the right cake is half the battle
Information about the characteristics of the types of dough, cream and decoration will help you choose the best option and tell you how to calculate the wedding cake so that there is enough for everyone.
What to consider when choosing a cake composition
The top priority among the bases is occupied by delicate airy sponge cakes, ideally combined with a variety of fillings. A biscuit wedding masterpiece can be cut without much effort, without worrying about it becoming deformed. Well-soaked shortbread or puff pastries are considered a good option. Waffle cakes or layers of dry meringue are strictly not recommended. Despite the excellent taste, this type of cake is too fragile and loses its aesthetic appearance when cut.
It is better to choose a light and low-calorie cream. It can be based on:
- cream;
- protein;
- yogurt;
- souffle;
- mascarpone.
Buttercream can be a test for the stomach after a rich banquet. In addition, it significantly makes the dessert itself heavier, affecting its size and weight.
Features of shape and decor
A wedding cake is designed to surprise guests. This is helped by the original shape and unusual decorations. The appearance of the main dessert depends only on your imagination and skill of the pastry chef. Options range from classic shapes like a circle or rectangle to complex multi-tiered designs with rich decoration. Flowers and lace with ribbons made from cream or mastic give the cake an airy feel. Figures of the bride and groom, swans or doves, wedding rings or horseshoes emphasize the triumph of the moment.
But, despite all the attractiveness, the shapes of the cakes in the form of doves, flowers or angels do not allow you to cut the wedding cake correctly and give each guest an equal piece.
Cake cutting process
When the wedding cake has already been moved into the hall, the bride and groom go out to it to cut off the first 6 pieces. They are intended for newlyweds and their parents. Next, the process of cutting the confectionery product passes into the hands of waiters or other people responsible for this, for example, witnesses.
The bride and groom cut the cake together. When dividing the dessert into pieces, the knife is in the hand of the newlywed, while the groom only holds the hand of the bride. The groom places the confectionery product on plates using a spatula.
You need to cut the wedding cake slowly so that the photographer has time to capture the special moment.
When the first 6 pieces are cut and distributed on plates, the newlyweds give 4 of them to their parents. The bride offers dessert to the groom's mother and father, and vice versa. This gesture is done to thank the parents for their beloved. Next, you need to start eating the treat directly. Each of the newlyweds should try a piece from each other, thereby showing their willingness to share everything with their loved one.
Preparing for the ceremony
The first point is a discussion of the cutting ritual by the future newlyweds and the toastmaster. This must be done in advance to avoid unpleasant embarrassment. There are no strictly regulating rules here; the ceremony takes place the way the bride and groom want. Some couples follow the tradition of feeding each other the first piece they cut together. Others prefer to give up this, cut off several servings of dessert at once and present them to their parents, as well as to their most beloved and closest people (friends, grandparents, etc.).
Some couples are not particularly excited about this stage of the wedding ceremony. They make it part of the evening's program and hold an auction to sell the first wedding piece, thus replenishing the new family's budget. Whatever option you choose, discuss this in advance with each other and the toastmaster so that he does not accidentally put you in an awkward position and does not disrupt your plans.
It is also necessary to prepare in advance the utensils for cutting the wedding dessert: an elegant knife and spatula. They must match each other in design. For ease of cutting, it is preferable to choose a large knife with a wide blade. And if your parents still have cutlery from their wedding, then you can start a kind of family tradition and use them.
Cake shapes
Modern confectioners don't just make cakes, they create masterpieces. Pictures, favorite characters and even a whole story can form the basis of a confectionery product. The dessert can have any configuration, but still the main forms that are preferred at a wedding are:
- heart;
- square, rectangle;
- circle;
- flower.
They need to be cut in different ways, the only thing they have in common is that the indentation should be about 5 cm. Square and rectangular ones are the easiest to cut. Their pieces come out in the same shapes. The heart-shaped dessert is also cut into rectangular pieces.
Round, oval and flower-shaped are divided into sectors. The distance from the edge is 5 cm.
Cake cutting methods
Regardless of how you decide to cut the cake, follow one very important rule - use only a sharp kitchen knife (a fish or chef’s knife is perfect). First you need to dip it in boiling water or hold it over the fire for a few seconds, this will allow you to get a more beautiful and neat cut. So, if you need to cut the cake into many equal parts, you can do this in the following ways:
- wedges. This is perhaps one of the most popular methods. Find the center of the cake, insert the tip of a knife into the cake and gradually move towards the edges. A wire cheese cutter will greatly facilitate the task, allowing you to cut the confectionery product very carefully;
- diamonds. Few people know how to beautifully cut a cake into diamonds so that the pieces are as equal in size as possible. To do this, you must first divide the dessert into horizontal stripes, then run a knife along the diagonal of the confectionery product.
But what if the cake consists of several tiers? In this case, it is recommended to cut the dessert in a certain sequence so as not to destroy the entire structure. It is better to remove the first tier first, and start cutting the cake itself from the second upper tier, gradually moving down.
How to cut a multi-tiered cake
It is correct to start cutting a multi-tiered dessert from the bottom tier. Next come the ones above. The top one, as a rule, is not cut. It is left to the newlyweds safe and sound. On the second day of the wedding, it is eaten among close friends and family.
Don’t be alarmed if something goes wrong, no one is immune from mistakes, your family and friends will definitely support and help you. Don't worry and don't be afraid to look funny, it's your day, enjoy it to the fullest.
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How to cut a square cake
Today, square or rectangular cakes are becoming increasingly popular. Not only do they look amazing, but they also have one very important advantage - they are quite easy to divide into equal portions. There are two ways to cut the cake:
- squares. To do this, make two or three long longitudinal cuts (depending on the size of the dessert) at equal intervals, and then cut the cake crosswise several times, dividing the long sides into equal parts;
- triangles. Cut the cake into rectangular pieces as described above. Remember that there should be 2 times less of them than guests. Then simply cut each rectangle diagonally and serve the dessert to the table.
Calculate the weight of the cake based on 100-150 grams per guest. If you plan to decorate with mastic, do not forget that it is very heavy, so it is better to cut the product into pieces weighing at least 200 grams.
Decorating cakes in three tiers or more: fashion trends
A two-tier wedding cake is a real “pearl” of the celebration, and the ceremony of serving it certainly causes real delight among the invited guests.
Recently, new fashion trends have emerged:
- Hanging.
- Inverted.
- Asymmetrical.
- Prints.
A wedding cake with several tiers should harmoniously combine aesthetics and grace with wonderful taste.
Hanging
Recently, there has been a fashion to serve a three-tiered dessert on a stand attached to the ceiling structure. Outwardly, this unusual delicacy resembles a crystal chandelier and attracts everyone's attention. The result is a real miracle composition that decorates the celebration.
In this video there are several options for hanging cakes:
To create a hanging cake, you need to spend a lot of time: calculate and make a hanging structure, cover it with fondant in the color of the cake. The tiers (25.18 and 13 cm) are assembled and placed on a stand, which is suspended from a hook from the ceiling.
The preparatory work takes a lot of time, but the result is simply stunning. This wedding cake will be remembered for a long time.
Upside Down Cakes
For those who love originality, you can offer an unusual three-tier “upside down” wedding cake.
On a beautiful lace metal stand, with the help of special hooks, the largest cake measuring up to 25 cm is fixed at the top, a medium cake measuring 18 cm in size is suspended from it, and the smallest cake with a diameter of up to 13 cm is attached at the bottom.
The result is an inverted structure that seems to float in the air.
The pendant elements are covered with mastic in the color of the cake and decorated along the edges with threads of beads, cream curls and fresh flowers.
Asymmetrical
One of the fashionable trends in wedding fashion has become asymmetrical “ladder” cakes with tiers offset to one side.
To prepare an asymmetrical dessert, sponge or shortbread cakes covered with mastic and decorated with edible flowers, berries, beads or figurines of the bride and groom are suitable. The base cakes can be of any geometric shape.
When assembling the cake, the top layer is placed on the bottom layer and moved with ledges on one side.
The third, smallest cake is placed on the adjacent cake in a similar manner. It turns out to be a nice original ladder.
Prints
A fashionable novelty for wedding cakes in recent years has been decorating them with prints made from edible rice paper with food coloring.
This method of decoration creates incredible scope for ideas and themes for the original design of the main wedding attribute - the wedding cake.
These can be floral prints, delicate watercolors, floral patterns, but the real hit is considered to be a photo print of the newlyweds - a romantic photo of the bride and groom.
To create such a spectacular design, prints are applied to edible rice paper and colored cake paste.
Cake division
If you plan to separate the crust into layers, you will need to place it on the turntable again and use a serrated knife to cut lengthwise.
As before, you need to keep the knife level and use a sawing motion while rotating the cake on the turntable. When assembling, the cut sides of one cake should lie strictly in their original places. For added precision, you can make a shallow indentation in the side of the cake before dividing it, and use that indentation to later align the two halves of the same cake layer.
