Elevated three-tiers are out, and so are photo cakes and floral edible designs. The new wedding cake mantra across the city now shouts out all things Shaadi!
Say hello to ones with the couple garlanding each other, taking the traditional saat-phera, mehendi, and marigold designs for the sangeet function, and more. The idea is, when decor and music are as classic as it gets, why should the special wedding cake not follow suit? For local patisserie makers, the designs are making them delve into wedding fashion brochures to get a cue…Bite into a shaadi ceremony. The cake is always the show-off element in most weddings now, and the traditional Western style of tiers and ruffles are giving way to Indian designs, affirms sweet specialist Neeru Mehra. “There is a huge demand for the jaimala cake, which has the couple garlanding each other. But the most popular one is the saat-phera cake where edible figures of couples are doing the phera.” The cakes are usually made in white cream with Belgian chocolate inside.
“Whites or pastels work better to show off the elaborate dress,” she says. Cake maker Nisha Damania says the challenge is to make the cake resemble D-Day as far as possible. “The couples actually show a peek of what they are wearing on the final day so their miniature versions look like them to the T. From the shade of the dress to the flair, it has everything similar.” She also adds that motifs like the peacock are in big demand. “Don’t forget this is the Big Fat Indian Shaadi we are talking of, so people want lots of bling, like creating edible diamonds, for instance, using isomalt sugar for the shiny, jeweled finish.
“Regional themes and flavors often call for incorporating ethnic culture in the cakes. “Customisation in motifs and molds is a big trend of late, and I often have to look at wedding brochures to get it right. For a Bengali ceremony, we made handcrafted figures to look just like a traditional Bengali couple, replete with the dhoti and color combination. And recently, for a Maharashtrian wedding, we made an edible Nauvari sari look. Some couples also want the look of minions for some fun,” reveals cake maker Rakesh Saini. The taste is also in sync with this. “For Bengali cakes, the demand is for layered gud-sandesh or strawberry-sandesh cakes with a rangoli design on top. Punjabi families ask for ras malai and gulab jamun filling or jalebi and fresh cream ones,” adds Mehra.Henna cakes for the Shaadi, too
Mehendi designs with florals and paisleys. This time around, henna-inspired designs are popular on wedding cakes. Decorated with butter cream and frosting, these cakes are meant to exude traditional appeal for the wedding ceremonies. Whether it’s paisley prints, geometric elements, or elaborate Arabic designs, the curls, curves, and flowers are much in demand. Some even bear a design of the bridal palanquin. For those watching their weight, try henna-laced piped cupcakes or cookies.