As the bride, you may choose to have a groom’s cake as the main wedding cake or as a complement to your more traditional wedding cake. You can cut this cake up rather than your groom’s cake, or vice versa. This allows great flexibility.

There are various ways of defining a cake as belonging to the groom. It could simply be his favourite flavour (chocolate cake with pink marshmallows), or it could be more creative, even whacky. Why not decorate it with toy cars from his childhood or dress it in a matching tuxedo to what he will be wearing on the day? Alternatively, here are some more outlandish ideas:

1. Boys and beers – create a cake that resembles his favourite ‘brewski’. A six pack is quite easy to create as it is more cubic in nature. Pay attention to the design of the label and make sure that the cake resembles it closely so that it looks more authentic. Alternatively, shape the cake as a beer glass, filled to the brim with golden beer and a generous head.
2. If your husband-to-be is a sports fanatic, create a stadium, complete with spectators and players on the field. This should be sizeable to allow for the details to be appreciated fully.
3. A real South African man will love his potjiekos or braaivleis. Create these interesting ‘cuisines’ with icing sugar and marzipan. Fill the “potjie pot” with colourful ‘vegetables’ or use jelly sweets to create the look of a pot full of exciting morsels. The meat on a barbecue is fairly simple. You may choose to create a cake looking like a big grilled T-bone steak, or you could set up an entire barbecue scene using cake and icing.
4. Confuse guests by presenting a platter of hamburgers and hotdogs as dessert. Once they bite into them, they will discover that these are sweet delights with a difference.
5. If the groom is a technology junkie, design his cake to resemble a laptop, iPhone, computer game or Xbox. The other guys are sure to get a kick out of this and the usually symmetrical shape will make it an easier option.

Image from Theme Cakes by Traci

Savoury wedding cakes are usually built to resemble a multi-tiered cake, complete with romantic decorations and embellishments to suit your wedding theme. In this way, the bridal couple does not negotiate on the style and glamour of the traditional approach at all. This also helps to make the link for the guests, so that they understand that this arrangement replaces the wedding cake they may have been expecting.

The following ideas are just some innovative inspirations to make your savoury wedding cake beautiful and memorable:

• Cheese – wheels of cheese surrounded by fig preserve, dried apricots, biscuits, port and sherry can make for a stunning display. Many cheeses are white or light yellow on the outside, giving this arrangement a distinctly “wedding cake” look. In addition, cheese and biscuits is a popular post-dinner favourite and is sure to be enjoyed by the majority of the guests.
• Sushi – colourful, delectable sushi and sashimi pieces look exquisite when arranged in a tiered pyramid. This is a real treat for many and adds a certain sense of elegance to your occasion. Ensure that a professional sushi chef creates your cake so that your sushi looks fresh and attractive.
• Pies – create an ensemble of mini pies that are tasty, but not too heavy. These could comprise pork, lamb & mint, ostrich, vegetarian, cheese, and so on. After a while on the dance floor, guests may become peckish, making a bite-sized pie just the thing to fill the gap.
• Snacks – construct a wedding ‘cake’ out of delectable finger snacks that can be picked off at leisure. These may include spring rolls, prawn tails, pumpkin fritters, cheese puffs, crab cakes, mini sausages, etc… This sort of display should be garnished well to avoid it all being the same colour and texture.
• Seafood – treat your guests to a luxurious platter of oysters, caviar, calamari, mussels and prawns in a gorgeous marine creation. This has to be done tastefully to avoid a very kitsch looking cake, but can be stunning if handled by a professional.
• Pizza - for a fun approach, offer something everyone likes. Pile pizza slices into a cake design and young and old alike are sure to ‘dig in’.
• Breads – the variety of bread is truly inspiring. In addition, it can be baked in any style and shape. Hire a professional baker to create an eye-catching wedding cake of breads and surround this with farm butter, jams, preserves, cheeses and spreads.

Cake toppers are an especially easy way to personalise your wedding cake, as they do not require excessive design and creation. In addition, they need not only appear in the traditional position of the plastic bride and groom on top of the cake, but can be used anywhere to transform your wedding cake into a masterpiece of artistic genius.

Top your wedding cake with ornaments that are cute, funny, funky or well known. For instance, ceramic doves or other animals make for amusing and retro cake toppers, as do glass figurines. Alternatively, place farm animals on top of the cake (with a small veil differentiating the ‘bride’). Whatever you decide upon should reflect your personalities, passions or hobbies in some way so that guests can identify with your choice. So, for example, farm animals would be ideal for a vet or farmer that is getting married.

A fairy garden cake can be intriguing and delightful. Fill the cake with toadstools, creeping vines and wooden bridges and scatter fairies and elves all over it as though they are playing in a magical world of their own.

Action heroes are another cool favourite because they are well-known, easily identifiable and are sure to serve a useful purpose once the wedding is over. Batman and Robin or Superman and Lois are sure to get tongues wagging when guests catch a glimpse of your novel creation.

Lego has defined many a childhood and is ultimately versatile. A cake topped with a Lego heart, Lego people or a Lego city is fun and playful with quite a modern twist.

Other fun cake topper suggestions include:

• Dried flowers, grasses and berries (especially nice for a Pavlova)
• “Wild” items like sticks, porcupine quills and feathers (ideal for a bush or outdoor wedding)
• Toy cars
• Flowers or stars made out of fabric or paper

If you are willing to extend beyond the cake topper, why not consider ‘dressing’ your entire cake in the same dress as you (the bride) will be wearing. Alternatively, scatter different colourful buttons all over it like irregular polka dots. These are easily sourced from second-hand shops or fabric outlets. Icing can be applied to resemble fine lace all over the baked creation. For a fun, colourful approach, stick all sorts of sweets onto the cake, including jelly sweets, marshmallows, boiled sweets, liquorice and chocolates.

There really is no limit as to the extent of creativity allowed in creating a wedding cake. So, if you are open to using this medium to introduce some playfulness and even a touch of wackiness into your wedding day, there are endless opportunities.

• First decide what type of cake you, the bridal couple, would like to eat & offer the guests at your reception. Are you going to use the cake for dessert – mousse, rich or fudgy chocolate cake, vanilla cake & custard filling, all these served with berries, ice cream or cream make a delicious dessert. Maybe you would like to serve the cake with coffee, again chocolate is fine also carrot cake & fruit cake. Novel ideas like the French classic Croquembouche, cup cakes, petits fours or individual cakes.

• Look for a baker in the area where you will be holding your reception. Use the internet (a very handy directory at your fingertips!), national bridal magazines, bridal fairs, local bridal shops or service providers, by word of mouth, maybe from a wedding that you have attended & were impressed with the looks & taste of their wedding cake!

• Make a few calls to find a baker who is willing to bake what you would like, for instance some bakers may only work with fruit cake.

• Discuss with your baker the decorating of the cake, to tie in with your theme or colour scheme, chocolate, fresh flowers, sugar flowers, ribbons etc.

• Make sure to find out about your delivery options? Is your baker able to deliver & set up the cake to the reception, (by far the best option as you do not have to deal with getting somebody to transport & set up, & somebody doesn’t have to deal with any mishaps). Wedding cake makers know their jobs & it is part of the service offered – they also need to be at peace – that their cake is proudly sitting on the table for all to see !! Of course there may be the instance that you need to transport yourselves (a very out of town wedding), in this case, ask your cake maker for advice when choosing you cake.

Once you have decided on a cake baker, book them for your wedding date.

Wedding cakes take time & cake makers can only handle limited orders. Most will require a deposit on acceptance of their quote, with the balance paid on of before the wedding, not only will you be paying for the cake but also their expertise, experience & service.

Organise your cake when you have your venue & colour schemes etc & do not be shy to call a few weeks before the wedding to make sure all is going well.

These cakes can be round or square and the layers do not necessarily have to be placed symmetrically on top of one another. Polka dots, humorous figures made of fondant, or a spray of real flowers can be added to the finished product. These small variations all lend an air of imparting the personality of the bride and groom.

Another popular trend has been that of using cupcakes or individual cakes to make up a larger wedding ‘cake’. This introduces a sense of fun or even elegance, depending on what decorations and colours are used. It also allows for greater flexibility in terms of what cakes are used. Individual tartlets can be made of cheesecake, trifle, or even pavlovas. Small cupcakes can be made of different flavoured sponges and can each have a personalised topping, perhaps even the name of the guest, or a brief ‘thank you’ message in icing or on rice paper.

The traditional French wedding cake, the croquembouche, is made up of cream-filled puff pastry, piled in a pyramid and covered in a web of spun sugar. This can be updated slightly by using individually wrapped luxury chocolates, Turkish delight squares / balls or fruits (such as strawberries, bananas or grapes) dipped in milk- and white chocolate.

For a couple that prefers to end off the event with tasty cheeses, or who served a rich dessert after the meal, a cheese platter is a great idea. Using different flavours, and including a variety of fruit and crackers in a tasteful display can be every bit as elegant and tasty as the traditional fruit cake.

Some of these options do not call for the cake to be cut (e.g. cupcakes). This is often preferable. However, there is a great significance to the cutting of the wedding cake. As both the bride and groom share the job of making the first cut in the cake, this custom is supposed to link the two together and signify the joining of their lives together. The cake is usually a fruit cake so that it stays fresher for longer. It is traditional for the bridal couple to send pieces of the cake to those guests that were unable to attend. It is also customary to keep the top tier of the cake in the freezer and eat it on the first anniversary of the couple’s marriage.

It takes only a little imagination to use your resources wisely and create a cake, or appropriate version thereof, that is iconic of you as a couple and aptly represents the ambience and theme of your wedding day.
Cakes for your wedding day.

It is with these two traditions in mind that we are able to see from where the customs we see today originate. Modern brides and grooms cut the cake, often mashing it into one another’s faces (a remnant of the breaking of the cake over the bride’s head). This introduces a fun element of their lives together, but originates from the concept of establishing her biblical subjection to him. After each giving the other a piece of cake, they kiss, usually with their faces still covered in icing and crumbs. Kissing over the cake (or in its general presence) signifies their union and holds the promise of a big family. Feeding one another implies their commitment to provide for each other, despite possible hurdles.

In the 1600’s, brides could distribute some of the crumbs of their cut cakes to the guests, after passing these crumbs through their wedding rings. The guests would then put their crumb under their pillow during the night in the hope that they would dream of the future husband or wife. This tradition did not last for very long as brides became hesitant to remove their rings for reasons of luck.

Cutting the cake is actually the first job that the new husband and wife have to undertake as a team. However, in times past, it was only the job of the bride, but with the modernisation of gender roles and the notion of help and support within the marriage as well as the increased size of the wedding cake to cater for more and more guests, the groom now assists her in the preparation of the cake for distribution to the guests.

Sharing pieces of the wedding cake with all of the guests dates back to the time of the Roman Empire, some 2000 years ago. This tradition is a carry-over from when the cake was broken over the bride’s head and the guests would drop to the floor and seize whatever cake they could for fertility improvement.

There are a few tips that will ensure that the cutting of the cake happens as easily and orderly as possible. Cake plates, forks and napkins should be readily available as well as a jug of warm water so that you may keep the knife clean. The cake, whatever shape it is, should be cut from the top tier (excluding the one that is to be reserved for the couple’s first anniversary). However, if there are different sized tiers and there is any chance of leftovers, take each tier off and start with the largest one. If you have opted for a round cake, cut each tier into concentric circles and then slice these into smaller pieces or blocks. In fact, this method works for almost every shape of wedding cake, and ensures that the cake is evenly and neatly distributed.

Knowing the history and relevance of the wedding cake adds a certain romance and nostalgia to your exclusive day.