Once Bitten - Forever Smitten - Best Value

Are you a price savy bride or a spend thirft groom? The thing is no matter what your normal habits are, when spending on your wedding different rules apply. Who is paying? and are they just handing over a lump sum for you to spend or are they trying to give you something that's not quite perfect. Are the families paying for the reception and the happy couple footing the bill for everything else? Are you hoping to save money by makeing do?

During this wedding season I have had a Sister & Brother, a Step-Mum, a Grandad, and of course the Father of Bride pay for wedding cakes. Paying for the cake is a delightful way of contributing to the couple's big day so providing they still get to choose the cake filling and design its a gift that will be remembered by all of those attending. Savy brides have even been known to add the cake to their wedding list!

 Now I have wetted your appetite with pictures of some of this season's most beautiful wedding cakes there is some good and bad news. Bad news first........due to the ever increasing costs of ingredients, electricity and transport prices will be increasing prices for the 2012 wedding season and theGood News is you still have 4 weeks to book your Design & Taste session and get your 2012 wedding cake at 2011 prices.
Still more Good News.....in order to help you plan your costs I will be accepting the full payment in 3 installments rather than 2 so its easier to reserve the cake of your dreams and pay for it next year.

Book your Design and Taste session now for 2011 prices or come to The Wedding Show at Leeds Castle on October 15th and 16th to register for a discount voucher.  Remember to visit the website for lots more ideas for Wedding Cakes or Birthday Cakes and to Order
Best Wishes, Janet

Once Bitten Forever Smitten - Ultimate Wedding Cake

The ultimate design in my opinion is a four tier cake displayed on a pedestal stand. Perfectly iced in an antique white smooth fondant and decorated with a side design.

This stunning cake has all the elements that I love and that I am sure in time it will become a classic. The fantasy flowers were made to match the flower on the bride's dress and the dusky pink and apple green tinting was used to tie in the bridesmaid's dress colours. The flowers were made in Flowerpaste which means that while technically edible they can be carefully detached from the cake, wrapped in tissue and kept in a keepsake box - perfect for using again on the 1st Wedding Anniversary Cake.

The Ultimate Birthday cake has to be a cake that is just person perfect. Are they simple or complicated? do they like a lot of bling or a sharp style statement? What's their favouite flavour? Do they want to share it with everyone in the office or just their nearest and dearest? That's the beauty of a custom made cake - like a custom made suit you can get a perfect fit.

to order any size cake just email or text me 07714286911and Delicakes will make you the perfect cake.

Once bitten forever smitten - Delicakes Cupcakes in two finals!

What an exciting week - just been notified that both my entries into National Cupcake Week Championships have been shortlisted for the final in London on 15th August. Not sure who my competitors are but the judges are an exceedingly well respected bunch in the baking and cake industry. I have a Chocolate Fudge cupcake in the free from category and a Courgette Cream Pie in the innovation category. Can't wait to see how we get on.
Other news this week is that I am still looking for a bijoux shop/studio in the West Malling/Sevenoaks area - just cannot find the right thing at the right price but I will continue undaunted to bake my cakes from home until the right premises turn up.
I have ordered the uniform's for the staff to wear at The Wedding Show at Leeds Castle in October - they are so retro I had to have them - who cares if they had to be imported from Venice - yes Venice Italy they are to die for.
I could not leave you without a cake picture, so here's wishing Katie and Rob a long and happy marriage which they started by cutting this cake

 Cakes for every occasion can be ordered from Janet at Delicakes by email, or text 07714286911 or phone 01732 843518 office hours.

Once bitten forever smitten - Raise the Cake

The cake should be the centrepiece of the celebration - either on a table on its own or presiding over the buffet table. Call me old fashioned but I like small cakes on stands, especially for afternoon tea receptions. Last week I found a beautiful pressed glass cake stand circa 1950's. It's so stunning I am designing a cake to do it justice which will be on display at The Wedding Show.

 For elegance to raise a cake where the side design is the focus I love this ceramic stand - it gives the imression your cake is floating on air. If you are having an intimate wedding with a smaller cake then choose one of the pedestal stands available to hire from Delicakes or your cake may look a little lost on the venue's big silver platform.

 A traditional stand can make even a very simple cake look stunning as seen here with one of Delicakes take away wedding cakes.

And finally I am looking for a supplier in the UK who can get me the sort of stands I've found on this site where they really do Raise-the-Cake
Contact me for all cake enquiries - you know I'm happy to help 01732 843518, text anytime 07714286911 Email direct or use the website contact form.

Once bitten forever smitten - Creative Cakes

If you are going to pay for a specialist to make you a cake then be inspired - if you can buy one like it at Asda what's the point? Bespoke cakes are for totally indulging your taste buds with sumptuous flavour combinations and for for going wild creatively. Now take this week - its my 5th Wedding Anniversary so wood is the traditional gift but I prefer cake. So this year we have a Dali inspired molten clock cake.

I love to make my own interpretations in sugar of classic themes - so if you have an idea - just ask! Mollie's Daughter asked for her cake to be decorated with her favouite hobby (all these 80 year olds are so active, but maybe that's the secret) so I make a boules cake, its also known as petanque but it doesn't matter. This was a sponge cake perfect for her friends and family to enjoy at a teatime party.

The sand is sugar so the boules rolled around when the cake was carried leaving very realistic trails in the 'sand'.
For more cake ideas seee the Birthday Delicakes website and don't forget if you are getting hitched in 2012 you should book your cake maker before Christmas.
Best wishes, Janet

Once bitten forever smitten - How long does it take to make a cake?

I was at a garden party last weekend and the mother of a prospective groom asked me how long does it takes to make a wedding cake and my response - about three and a half days. This is true for a standard 3 tier cake and I thought no more about it. Then today I got a call asking if I could make an open bible cake for a christening in 10 days time - of course I can make it and I had loads of ideas to make it appropriate and pretty but I cannot make it as there isnt enough time...

So when ordering a special cake its not the time it takes to make the cake that's important for your order to be accepted its the time available in the 3-4 days before the delivery date. With the exception of fruit cakes which should always be ordered 10 weeks in advance most cakes shold be ordered 3-4 weeks before you need them. Then your bespoke cake maker can schedule the purchasing of special trimmings, ensure the cakes are baked, rested, 'dirty iced' so called because the crumbs show through, chilled, second coat buttercream, chilled, marzipan covered, rested overnight, fondant iced, stacked and decorated and finally boxed for delivery or collection.

If you have a wedding make sure you start the selection process for a cake maker 6 months before the big day - and for all other celebrations unless you want a 3 tier cake make sure you have chosen a cake maker a month in advance. Of course at a quiet time you may be lucky with a week or two's notice. And don't forget if you want something special for your own Birthday register for the wish-list. Orders can be placed by email or via the contact form.
Best wishes, Janet

Once bitten forever smitten - Wedding Show

Newsflash - Delicakes has signed up to go to my first wedding show!

Put on your sexy M and S food ad voice - this is not a wedding fair but a two day exclusive wedding show featuring Delicakes for the very first time, inspiring designs, exquisitly decorated show cakes and some divine tasting samples.

Yes the show will be packed with Kent's finest:  Venue's, Photographers, 4 Catwalk shows compared by Claire Sweeney, florists and every other thing you need to make your wedding perfect. As soon as possible I will add a link and pictures.

Its at Leeds Castle 15th and 16th October 2011 - make sure you put the date in your diaries especially if you are getting married next year.

I was so excited last night creating new and exclusive cake designs for 2012 to launch at the show I couldn't sleep. Its too soon to reveal the designs but as a little taster I'll tell you the themes include Snow White and Chandelier

For 2011 design ideas see the Once bittten forever smitten website
Best wishes, Janet