Is wedding cake fake or the real deal?
When there is a fabulous wedding cake at a reception, only the cake decorator knows for sure whether it is real or fake.
Patti Young of Oakland Township has been making fancy cakes for 42 years.
Young started using “dummies,” or Styrofoam forms, for her cakes about 20 years ago when she read about it in a magazine. Now 98 percent of her customers want at least part of their cake to be fake.
Carol Wahl, co-owner of Carol's Pastry Shop in Zelienople, has been in the business for 38 years. She has used dummies, but they were only for family and friends.
After nearly 40 years of making wedding cakes, Pennie Wogan of Butler Township does use dummies but said 90 percent of the time she is decorating real cake.
“It's always been around,” said Tina Villaire, manager of Mary's Cake, Candy & Party Supplies in Butler. “I think it is getting a little more popular, but it comes and goes.”
“When we started, fountains and bridges were a big thing,” said Wahl. “Then they went to stacked cakes without stands or dividers. Then it was more to rolled fondants. Some want a 'simple' cake and not decorated on the sides at all — simple and elegant.”
To be sure the bride gets the style, price and type of cake she wants, Wogan offers several options.
For example, a dummy cake with decorations can be used in the main reception room with real sheet cakes or layer cakes being served from the kitchen to the guests. Another possibility is to use a smaller, tiered cake in the reception room and then have iced layer cakes in the kitchen ready to serve as needed.
Wahl said that even with dummies, the bride still has to pay for all the decoration on the fake cake.
“Sometimes it's less expensive,” said Villaire. “But you are still buying sheet cake, too.”
Wogan explained that to use a dummy for the entire cake, a wedge must be cut from the fake. Then the empty space is lined with paper before a piece of real cake is put in the space. When the entire cake is iced, the real cake becomes invisible. Wogan marks the spot, perhaps with a flower.
“When they cut the cake, they have real cake to serve to each other for pictures,” Wogan said.
On one occasion, a bride wanted the cake to be taller than the groom. Wogan put two dummies together to make eight-inch tall layers possible. She took a small stepladder to the reception site so she could put the cake together.
Young said another reason to use fake layers is because the one largest layer may be enough to feed all of the guests.
“It's better than wasting cake,” said Young.
“The most important perk of a fake cake is that you can leave them out for longer before cutting,” said Villaire.
Some couples cut a real cake as early as 45 minutes into the reception and then whisk it away to be cut in pieces. Villaire, Wogan and Young agree a big advantage of a dummy cake is that it can be a display centerpiece for an entire reception.“People are eating cake, and they still see the cake standing,” said Young. “They know they saw the bride and groom eating it. If you tell them it's a dummy cake, they won't believe it.”“You have to balance it out,” said Wogan. “It is not anything usable. It is a decoration.”Both Young and Wogan ask for the dummies back after the reception.“I can take it back and run it through the dishwasher and use it again,” said Wogan.“When I first started doing the dummy cakes, the ladies at St. Michael's would always say, 'Is that a real cake or a fake cake?” said Young.“If I'd say it was a fake cake they'd say, 'We love you.' It was so much easier for them. Cutting a real cake is a lot of work and it is always so messy,” said Young.Young said people do not mind if the cake on their plate looks like it's from a sheet cake.“They just are worried about what it tastes like,” said Young.“There's still that 2 percent that are old fashioned and want the real cake because it's tradition,” said Young.“Once they are decorated you cannot tell. Not at all,” said Villaire.She sees no downside to using them but she is realistic.“It's all in what the bride wants,” said Villaire. “They are what they are. They're fake.”“I pray over the cakes before I take them, that they are a blessing to the bride and guests,” said Wogan. “It isn't just about making money. You really try to do your best to please them.”
