Ask the Expert with Cakes by Deborah

Tonight I had the pleasure of having the amazing Deborah from Cakes by Deborah on our #asktheexperts segment. 

Deborah always had a love and an interest in baking and pastry. Her love of cakes began 25 Years ago when she was on a mission to make her own wedding cake for her wedding day. This wasn't going to be any simple three tier wedding cake.  She went on a sugar craft course in Limerick with Mary Ryan and that began her craft and her skill and her own wedding cake ended up having 100 Pink Rose Buds all made by herself for her day !! And as they the rest is history, Deborah later got her Master in PME in Sugarcraft and since has been making lots of amazing creations. Tonight we got an insight into cake making and asked her about some different trends and tips. Here are some top tips I took from our conversation 

Most Popular Flavour's

• Deborah's Chocolate Biscuit Cake 90% of her wedding cakes have it and I can definitely vouch for this its yummy !! 
• Then after then this they are all really as popular as each other Raspberry & White Chocolate, Lemon Drizzle. Chocolate Cake, Sticky Toffee, Red Velvet 
• White Chocolate Biscoff  - Is a New Flavour and anyone who tastes this loves it !!

Can you have different flavours in each tier

• Almost definitely, flavours are very much your own personality and preference, if you want 3 tiers of chocolate biscuit DO IT !! Its your cake !! With Deborah the price of the cake doesn't depend on the flavours of the cake. The price of the cake is the price no matter what goes into the flavours.

Your All Time Favourite Cake Flavour : 

• This was a tough question for Deborah but her top picks would be her white chocolate biscoff, pistashio cake or her chocolate hazelnut with white chocolate swiss meringue with nutella & hazelnut praline 

If your venue are making your cake as part of the package any tips 

• ask for a tasting, can you try and get to meet the person making the cake
• get a list of the flavours, reflect your own tastes and personality 

 
Should I have a tier of fruit cake to keep the older generation happy ? 

• Your flavours should reflect your personality
• If you don't want fruit cake in your cake then maybe have a small cutting cake in the back for the older generation 

Dietary requirements - Should I consider the Gluten Free Guests when choosing the cake flavours and ingredients 
Its not vital but if you want to consider them you can have a small cake on the side for them or have little cupcakes that are gluten free. Deborah made a really good point to make sure to alert your venue that you have a gluten free tier or cupcakes when they are serving them so that they don't get mixed up. 

Where do couples get inspiration for their cakes?  
Some couples will have very fixed ideas and others won't know where to start but that's what the consultation is for. Deborah normally meets the couples before the wedding to get to know you a little better and run through some ideas with you and also to TASTE some yummy flavours. 

• Some places to get you started would be pinterest / google images 
• You might take inspiration from your flowers for your wedding or the colours of your bridal party or the time of year you are getting married 
• Some couples like to bring their personality to life with the cake and that can be done in a simple way or a more elaborate way. 
• Follow Deborah on Instagram and check out some of her creations aswell for more inspiration 
• You might like to add fresh florals to your cake or you might like sugar flowers. With Sugar flowers they are so beautiful but they do take alot of time to create so there is an element of expense to adding these to a cake. BUT they last forever and these may be used in the future to decorate Christening Cakes for example or if your like Grainne and hoard everything these can be placed in a glass box and kept as a memory 

Opinions on Fake Tiers and Cutting Cakes ? 

• Deborah advised that the Fake Tiers are great to add volume or height to a cake or if you want a really big cake then yes they are fantastic !!
• If you go for the Fake Cake what are you going to use it for after the wedding ??
• There is no real savings with cost as it takes the exact same amount of time to ice the fake cake as it would the real cake so just get the cake and EAT IT !! That is what its for !! 

If the Cake Table needs decor? Is this something you look after or should the couple provide items for it ?  
Deborah always sets up her own cakes, she will set it up, set up the table with the couples items, add any toppers or any fresh flowers that the florist leaves. Deborah is a little obsessive when it comes to setting up the cake but she is a perfectionist at the end of the day and we would expect nothing less !! Deborah sometimes works with Decor Companies aswell for example : @graceevents or @kittureweddings and she would liaise with them in the lead up to the big day.  

Fresh Flowers for the Wedding Cake - Who gets these ?
Deborah will always contact your wedding florist and liaise with her on the flowers and Deborah will add these to the cake. 

The Doughnut Wall - Give me some info on this 
This is a really popular addition to a drinks reception. We provide the board and the 100 doughnuts and people can enjoy with a cuppa tea or coffee or a glass of bubbles. 

Trends for 2020/2021
The Dessert Tables are a huge trend at the moment and will be for the next year or more. There is so many options available and people love the idea of going up to pick what they want themselves and they look stunning. You don't need a lot of everything, there is more variety

200 People at a Wedding, How many tiers should we order ? 
There are lots to factor in for this and its up to the couple, the budget & if you are having a post wedding party as this is where people get a lot of value for their Cake when people use it for their post wedding party. 

Buy a Cake Topper or get one made?  
Depends on what you want !! The Acrylic Toppers are the most popular at the moment and are approx €25 each to personalize. 
The Figurine Toppers are approx €150 made with resin or claydough - quite expensive but you can keep them as keepsake. The Icing Models are more expensive as they take a lot more time. 


When should people book their cake?
As soon as they have their wedding date confirmed with their venue -  as dates are filled very very quickly !! 

Who are you favourite cake people to follow ? 
@emerhock 
@niamhlarkinpastry 
@xptorne 
@dominiqueanse 

 

For More Information on all things Cake
Contact Deborah on 
Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/cakesbydeborahguerin/ 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cakesbydeborah/ 
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