It's all about the cake

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Cakes by Marlene, Marlene Bryant, Dixfield, 562-8224; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cakes-by-Marlene-Marlene-Bryant/131817486869302?fref=ts

Katie Houghton stated, “Marlene was great to work with! I got married the same year as Katie Dolloff, so we went together. We were both expecting 300-plus people, so that was my major concern. Marlene was so easy to work with. I went in to see her with a few pictures of ones that I liked so she would have ideas, and she pulled out her books of cakes she had made previously. She was so understanding with all the concerns to details I had. I made the deer toppers and she didn’t mind me adding my own touch to it. I loved working with her. A year later, my husband and I were on our one year anniversary in the northern Maine woods on a moose hunt, go figure, and we had brought the top part of the cake with us. It was just as delicious that day, as it was the day we got married. To this day, I recommend people to her all the time. She is friendly and the cake she makes is so good. It speaks for itself.”

Photo:

Patrick and Katie Houghton are seen here cutting into their wedding cake. Marlene Bryant of Cakes by Marlene, was the creator of the sweet centerpiece.

Your wedding cake should be a reflection of your wedding style and the designers here in the River Valley can make that happen. So speak up and share your sweet dream, whether it’s a six-tiered, basket weave cake or a bright orange one topped with fondant deer antlers...it’s YOUR cake, have fun.

When preparing to meet with Carri, Marlene or Diane and Doreen, remember to have a couple of photographs of what you desire your cake to look like and, as an added bonus, maybe you want to have a few terms about cake up your sleeve.

Basket weave; A piping technique that feature interwoven and horizontal lines.

Buttercream; A smooth, creamy icing that stays soft so it’s easy to cut through. It can be colored and/or flavored. It’s also used to create piping, swags, and other borders, as well as those little decorative rosettes. And, it can be used as filling, too. But, remember, it may melt in extreme heat or humidity.

Cornelli; An elaborate piping technique that gives you a lace-like pattern.

Dotted Swiss; A piping technique that forms tiny dots in random patterns that resemble a fine dot swiss fabric.

Dragees; Round, edible sugar balls coated with silver or gold and used for decorative purposes.

Fondant; A sweet, elastic icing made of sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin that’s literally rolled out with a rolling pin and draped over a cake. It’s a smooth, firm base for gum paste flowers, decorative details, and architectural designs, and has a porcelain finish.

Ganache; A sweet, rich chocolate, denser than mousse but less dense than fudge, which can be used as icing or filling. It is made with cream and will soften in high heat and humidity.

Gum paste; This paste of sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin is used to mold realistic-looking fruits and flowers to garnish a cake. Gum paste decorations are edible and will last for years as keepsakes, but, by popular vote, they don’t taste as yummy as marzipan.

Latticework; A piping detail that criss-crosses with an open pattern.

Marzipan; A paste made of ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites, used to mold edible flowers or fruit to decorate a cake. Marzipan can be rolled in sheets, like fondant, and used as icing.

Pillars; Separators used in a tiered cake. They can be made of plastic or wood in several lengths to achieve the desired look.

Piping; Decorative technique created using a pastry bag and various metal tips. Piping details include leaves, borders, basket weave patterns, and flowers.

Pulled sugar; A technique which sugar is boiled and then manipulated and pulled to produce flowers and bows.

Royal icing; Made of egg whites and confectioner’s sugar, it begins as a soft paste piped from a pastry bag to create lattice work, beading, bows and flowers. Cannot be refrigerated, as it becomes hard and brittle.

Torte; A dense cake that does not use leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda.

Whipped cream; Heavy cream beaten to achieve a thick consistency. It does not work well as icing and needs to remain refrigerated. It is unstable and not recommended for outdoor weddings.