Whether it’s a birthday, wedding, anniversary, baby shower, or corporate event, cakes help take your special occasion or event to the next level. Not only do they provide a delicious treat for your guests, but they also often serve as the decorative focal point for your big event. Thanks to new techniques and innovative technologies, the art of cake decorating has reached new levels of sophistication. In today’s article, we will share top tips for choosing the best cake for your next special event.
Why are cakes important for special occasions?
With vibrant colors, unique designs, and decorative accents, cakes undoubtedly make every event more exciting. After all, the food you share with your guests is an expression of your happiness and joy. A cake is the quintessential focal point when it comes to celebrations. It adds more joy and excitement to the occasion, represents success and milestones, and provides a special gift to warm the heart of the guest of honor. Ultimately, few things can beat the power of the perfect cake to light up the party and make things extra special.
Cake type
The word cake refers to a collection of desserts made from different recipes. Some of the most common cake types include:
- Butter cakes are made from a combination of butter, cream, and sugar, and they may or may not include eggs. Butter cakes also include baking powder to help give the cake shape and height. They are light in texture and can be baked with various flavors.
- Pound cakes are dense and tasty cakes traditionally made from one pound each of butter, eggs, sugar, and flour. You can also alter this base recipe to make different variations of the pound cake.
- Layered cakes include multiple layers of cakes for added height and dramatic visual appeal. The layers are typically held together with fruit filling, icing, frosting, or fondant, or other fillings. Layers can be uniform or include a variety of shapes and flavors.
- Sponge cakes are light and airy and are baked without leavening agents (such as baking powder or baking soda). The light and airy texture come from the eggs, which are whipped for approximately 15 minutes before adding them to the batter.
- Cheesecake is a rich and creamy dessert that typically contains a graham cracker crust and cheese-based filling. Cheesecakes are often topped with fruit or other flavors.
Consider the occasion
Different celebrations call for different cakes. When it comes time to order your perfect cake, it’s essential to consider the occasion you will be using the cake for. For example, when selecting a birthday cake, you should consider a rainbow cake, funfetti cake, cartoon-themed cake, or movie-themed cake. Wedding cakes tend to be more ornate, with multiple tiers and decorative floral accents.
As you consider your cake, you should also consider what you want and need. Will your event be large or small? Will someone serve your cake, or will you serve your cake? Do you want a traditional flavor, or do you want to try a unique flavor? You can narrow down your selection to a few of your favorite options by answering these questions.
Birthday cakes: When it comes to cakes, almost anything goes at a birthday. These cakes are usually designed with the guest of honor in mind, selecting their favorite flavors and themes. Typically, children like colorful cakes themed around their favorite cartoons or superheroes. We’ve prepared our guide to the most popular kid’s birthday cakes (for toddlers and teens) to make your life easier. For adults, cakes tend to focus on their favorite colors and flavors. Our guide to men’s birthday cake ideas can inspire you to get something special. Also, don’t forget to check out our list of the most popular birthday cakes.
Wedding cakes: At a wedding, the cake serves as both dessert and the centerpiece. Wedding cakes are typically multi-layered and adorned with elaborate fondant decorations and topped to represent the bride and groom.
Anniversaries: One of the most important dates in a couple’s life, anniversaries represent a couple’s love and commitment to each other. Cakes associated with anniversary celebrations typically reflect the colors, shapes, and flavors commonly associated with love. Think heart-shaped strawberry cakes. These cakes are often designed to meet the unique tastes and styles of the couple.
Religious events and holiday celebrations: From crescent moon-shaped cakes to celebrate Ramadan to holly and tree-themed Christmas cakes, religious festivals worldwide celebrate with cakes. Cakes baked for these occasions are typically decorated with key elements from their respective religious or holiday traditions.
Select the right size
This is important: how many guests will you be serving? When you host a special event, the last thing you want is to run out of cake before you serve all your guests. On the flip side, you don’t want to order more cake than you need. It’s essential to consider the number of guests at your event and their preferences. For example, will you serve many vegans who prefer an eggless cake or healthy cakes (dietary, gluten-free or vegan)? Will there be nut or gluten allergies? Knowing your guests will help you narrow down your cake selection.
Cake serving sizes:
- Half kg: Serves 5 to 10 people
- One kg: Serves 15 – 20 people
- Two kg: Serves 25 – 30 people
- Three kg: Can serve up to 50 people
Cake decorating trends
Understanding cake trends will help you know the latest flavors and decorating techniques available for your cake order. While buttercream painting was popular in 2020, painting buttercream with a palette knife is popular in 2022. Some popular trends of 2022 included adding chocolate ball spheres on the top of cakes, creating unique decorative accents with rice paper sails, origami cake designs, and wafer paper ball designs. Looking toward 2023, you might expect to see unusual or uniquely shaped statement cakes, overloaded decorative accents, and bold and exciting flavor combinations. While you do not have to choose a cake designed with the latest trends, you want to be aware of all your options.
Consider a unique design
All high-quality cake takes time, experience, and expertise to make. The baker focuses on all details you select to make your cake special, such as color, theme, texture, flavor, and decorative accents. Think about the design you want before your event. This way, you can discuss the design with your baker to ensure you are happy with the result. Design is where you can get creative and personalize your cake for your special occasion. If you aren’t sure what design you want, ask the potential baker about their specialty or signature cakes.
Consider the shape
The shape of a cake is just as important as the flavor and style. There is essentially no limit to the shape of a cake, there are typically a few shapes that are most common for all occasions:
- Round: Perhaps the most common cake shape, round cakes are versatile and work for just about every occasion. Their round shape makes them easy to cut into equal pieces and deliver to your venue for the big event.
- Square: The second most popular cake, square cakes provide a sleek design that breaks away from the classic round shape.
- Heart: Ideal for anniversary parties, Valentine’s Day, engagement parties, and other celebrations of love, heart shaped cakes are perfect for romantic occasions.
- Custom shapes: Looking for something unique, today a cake can be baked into literally any shape you want. You can even layer different shapes on top of one another for added visual appeal. From star shaped cakes for birthday parties and crescent moon shaped cakes for Ramadan celebrations to exact replicas of your favorite monument, there really is no limit to the shape of your cake.
Choosing a flavor
Cakes are available in a wide range of flavors. From classic vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet to unique combinations such as raspberry chocolate truffle, salted caramel, and pistachio, the flavor combinations are limitless. Some popular cake flavors for your special occasion include:
- Chocolate: A favorite that will never go out of style, chocolate cake is loved and appreciated by people all over the world for all types of events. Chocolate is also combined with other flavors for a layered effect, such as raspberry and coffee.
- Vanilla: A popular traditional flavor, vanilla cakes are known for their elegant simplicity. Vanilla cakes are particularly popular at anniversaries and weddings, although they can be found at every type of celebration.
- Berry: Strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry cakes are all very popular, especially for layered cakes. Oftentimes, various berries are incorporated into layered cakes for an extra level of flavor.
Delivery or pickup?
After you finalize your cake order, be sure to confirm your delivery details. For smaller cakes, you can pick up your cake or have it delivered to your event. For larger cakes, we recommend delivery directly to your venue. This ensures that the cake will be delivered in mint condition, as your baker will have experience transporting cakes. Be sure to confirm the delivery date, time, and other details. For multi-tiered cakes, clarify how it will be delivered and if they will set up the cake at the cake-cutting station. Also, make sure to store the cake in the right conditions to keep it fresh.
Elevate your special occasion with Joi Gifts
Are you looking for something special to mark your next special occasion? Perhaps you want to let that special someone know how you feel about them. Regardless of the reason, at Joi Gifts, we have something for everyone. From helium balloon bouquets to flower arrangements with stuffed animals and delicious treats, we can help you find the perfect gift. We encourage you to browse our online catalog by occasion to find precisely what you’re looking for.
Need a cake? We can help with that too. Whether our delicious Oreo Pastel cake, a unique pistachio cake, or a set of our baby red velvet cakes, we’ve got a cake to take your next special occasion to the next level.
