More than just dessert, your wedding cake serves as a focal point, a photo opportunity, and a nostalgic memento that you will cherish for years to come. This article from The Pantry Cakes covers the fundamentals, including portions and tiers, flavors and fillings, the best wedding cake with icing for your venue, how to choose wedding cake stands, timelines, budgets, traditions, and more, regardless of your preference for elegant wedding cakes with romantic florals or a sleek modern design. We specialize in bakes that look amazing and taste amazing, so you’re in good hands if you’re planning an eggless cake or have special dietary requirements.

1) Portions & Tiers: How Big Should Your Cake Be?

Getting the size right starts with guest numbers and service style.

• Reception (coffee) portions: approx. 1″ × 2″ × 5″
• Dessert portions: approx. 1″ × 3″ × 5″ (larger)

Typical tiered guides (round cakes):

• 2 tiers (6″+8″) ~40–50 reception portions
• 3 tiers (6″+8″+10″) ~80–100
• 4 tiers (6″+8″+10″+12″) ~130–150

Layer vs Tier: A layer of wedding cake is a single horizontal sponge; several layers make one tier. Your tier is then finished with icing and stacked with others.

Love the tall look but don’t need endless servings? We can add a faux (dummy) tier, fully decorated but not edible, to create height without over catering.

Pro tip: Plan 10–15% extra portions to cover late RSVPs, vendor slices and seconds.

2) Flavors & Fillings Guests Remember

Your cake should taste like you. Our most-loved pairings include:

• Vanilla Bean & Raspberry: light, classic crowd-pleaser
• Belgian Chocolate & Salted Caramel: rich, luxe and indulgent
• Red Velvet & Cream Cheese Buttercream: smooth and striking
• Lemon Zest, Elderflower & Vanilla: fresh, summery notes
• Pistachio, Rose & White Chocolate: elegant with a floral twist

Without sacrificing flavor or texture, we gladly produce eggless and other dietary-friendly options. Let us know about any allergies in advance so we can help you make tasty, safe decisions.

3) Choosing Your Finish: The Right Wedding Cake with Icing

The icing you choose affects the look, the structure and how well the cake copes with room temperature.

• Buttercream: Soft, romantic, and adaptable (swoops can be textured or smooth). Looks great with fresh flowers.
• Semi-Naked/Naked: Perfect for barns, marquees, and garden venues, this minimal icing has a rustic, contemporary vibe.
• Chocolate Ganache Under Buttercream: Enhances stability and sharpens edges, making it perfect for tall designs or warm spaces.
• Fondant (over ganache or buttercream): Sugar flowers, hand-piping, bas-relief, and clean edges are examples of couture details with an incredibly smooth finish.

Wafer-paper ruffles, hand-painted watercolor, monograms, delicate metallic leaf, sugar lace, pleated or quilted textures, and contemporary separators to add airy height between tiers are all examples of design elements for lovely wedding cakes.

4) Shapes, Colors & Style Direction

Shapes:

• Round: timeless and elegant
• Tall barrel tiers: fashion-forward height for editorial photos
• Square or hexagon: clean, contemporary geometry
• Mixed shapes: bold and bespoke

Color stories:

• Ivory & blush for classic romance
• Soft pastels (sage, dove grey, powder blue) for refined subtlety
• Neutrals with metallics for modern luxe
• Deep tones (emerald, midnight, oxblood) for evening drama

Bring your mood-board (invitations, florals, attire details, tablescape). We’ll translate it into a cohesive cake that feels curated, not crowded.

5) Stands & Styling: Elevate the Moment

The right wedding cake stands make a huge difference to presentation and photography.

Popular options:

• Classic pedestal stands for round tiered cakes
• Acrylic plinths/boxes for a “floating” modern look
• Metal frames/hoops as a sculptural backdrop
• Wooden risers for organic or rustic styling

Because tall or fondant cakes require additional stability, we will adjust the stand to the weight and footprint of the cake. Add a lovely knife ready for the cutting shot, a clean linen runner, complementary flowers or greenery, and a soft candlelight (placed safely) to the display.

6) Traditions: Keep, Tweak or Skip?

A traditional wedding cake approach doesn’t have to be archaic. Decide on what seems important:

• Cake Cutting: Celebrate and show unity by scheduling it for when the majority of guests are there, which is usually early in the evening.
• Saving the Top Tier: Usually frozen for a first anniversary or other special occasion, we’ll package and offer storage advice.
• Feeding Each Other a Bite: A charming photo moment, your day, your rules, can be elegant or playful.
• Modern twists: Individual cutting cakes for small weddings; dessert tables with small treats next to your showpiece.

We will skillfully incorporate cultural motifs, colors, or flavors with a modern twist.

7) Timeline: When to Book & What Happens When

Peak season (May–September): book 3–6+ months in advance.
Off-peak or intimate weddings: 6–10 weeks can work.

The Pantry Cakes process:

1. Enquiry: Share date, venue, guest count, flavor ideas and inspiration images.
2. Tasting & Design Consult: Sample flavors; we sketch initial designs and refine details (icing, palette, florals, stand).
3. Secure Your Date: Pay a deposit; we confirm logistics and liaise with your planner/florist.
4. Final Check-In (2–4 weeks prior): Confirm numbers, delivery time, venue access and display styling.
5. Delivery & Set-Up: We assemble on site, place décor, and brief your coordinator or caterer.

8) Budget & What Affects Cost

Several factors influence pricing:

• Servings & size (more tiers/diameter = more cake)
• Finish & labor (fondant, sugar flowers and hand-piping are time-intensive)
• Complex techniques (painting, bas-relief, sculpted textures, separators)
• Delivery distance & on-site assembly time

We’ll design wisely if you let us know what your ideal budget is. For example, we might combine statement details with more straightforward tiers or use a dummy tier to achieve height at a reasonable cost.

9) Delivery, Set-Up & Storage

We handle the moving parts so you don’t have to.

• Transport: Climate-conscious packing and internal supports for stability.
• On-Site Assembly: Tall designs are stacked and finished at the venue.
• Placement: Level, sturdy table away from heaters, windows and direct sunlight.
• Handover: Portioning guide (dessert vs reception), allergen notes and safe boxing of leftovers.

Leftovers: Wrap slices tightly; refrigerate 3–4 days or freeze longer. For a saved tier, we’ll provide specific instructions.

How to Start with the Pantry Cakes

1. Share your vision: date, venue, guest count, inspiration images.
2. Taste & design: pick flavors, choose your finish, explore ideas for pretty wedding cakes that suit your style and season.
3. Decide the details: tiers, décor, layer of wedding cake structure, stand and display styling.
4. Relax: We’ll coordinate with your planner and florist and deliver a perfect showstopper on the day.

Closing

Your cake should taste amazing, look stunning, and be expertly cut. The Pantry Cakes makes the process transparent, imaginative, and delectable from the very first sketch to the last slice. Let’s start creating the wedding cake you will be talking about on your first anniversary and beyond after you let us know your date and location.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make an amazing eggless cake?
Of course. Our eggless sponges are rich in flavor, soft, and moist. Any wedding cake that has fondant or buttercream frosting can be made without eggs.

Buttercream or fondant which is better?
Fondant provides a perfect couture finish and excellent structure for intricate details, while buttercream is tender, romantic, and easy to serve. For crisp edges and cozier spaces, ganache is frequently used beneath buttercream in designs.

Fresh flowers are they food-safe?
To keep your cake fresh and edible, we work with your florist to choose safe varieties and use sealed stems or picks.

How do I choose a stand?
If necessary, we can provide or rent wedding cake stands that fit the weight, diameter, and style of your cake.

Can I have mixed flavors across tiers?
Yes, variety keeps guests happy. For example, the base tier might have chocolate and caramel, the middle tier might have vanilla and raspberry, and the top tier might have lemon and elderflower.