Wedding Cake Tasting and Design

Planning your wedding cake is a yummy detail that we adore working on here at Spencer Special Events. We work with the areas most talented, sought after and acclaimed cake bakers and designers in the Lowcountry. Namely, we work with Minette Rushing of Savannah Custom Cakes.  Minette is so sought after, she now only works on a referral basis. She's designed, baked, and executed some of the most divine cakes for our Spencer Special Events brides and her claim to fame is her exceptional hand crafted sugar flowers. We sat down with Minette to get all the scoop a bride needs for her wedding cake!

Where do you start? 

Designing your cake and the highly anticipated tasting usually occurs later in your wedding planning process, about 2 to 3 months before the big day. Minette likes to create cakes that are reflective of the details of your wedding, so typically your floral design is complete, your dress is purchased, and your wedding invitation is designed.  Using these design elements, Minette designs a cake that is reflective of your wedding details for a cohesive wedding design. 

Where else do you draw inspiration?  

If brides have found a cake in a magazine or on Pinterest that they love, Minette is happy to use it for inspiration but always ensures that her brides cakes are completely unique.  (No copying done here!)  Once she's seen those details such as your flowers, invitation or dress, Minette sketches!  She's always working and finds inspiration everywhere.  

"I recently was at the Ritz Carlton Spa in Orlando," says Minette. "As I was sitting there with my friend, I saw some drapes that were beautiful.  I thought now THOSE would make a fabulous cake design. I am inspired by everything around me!" 

What can you expect at your cake tasting? 

Minette usually makes 6 mini cakes (1 x 2" or 2 x 2") of some of her favorites including vanilla bean cake, sour cream pound cake (our favorite!!), red velvet, chocolate with kahlua fudge filling, carrot cake, or banana cake.  Typically the spice cakes are seen more in the Fall or Winter.  You also have a selection of fillings from which to choose! The tasting is typically held at your reception location when you come to town for your menu tasting! 

How much cake do you need? 

The amount of cake you need depends on a variety of factors and with Minette's experience and Spencer Special Events planning, we can help determine the amount of cake that's right for your wedding. We will ask questions such as "What time is the cake being cut?" If it's later in the night, you don't necessarily need cake per person.  We will also want to know if you are having a dessert bar or other sweets.  If you are, you also probably don't need cake per person.  Lastly, the size of the wedding is an obvious determining factor.  The smaller the wedding, you will likely need cake per person.  The larger the wedding, you can bet that not everyone will be eating cake. 

What are sugar flowers? 

So many of Minette's Custom Cakes use sugar flowers, a signature trademark of a Custom Cake. Minette is a pioneer in the industry with her YouTube tutorial videos getting thousands of hits. She now primarily focuses on teaching classes to other cake designers in the country and has a partnership class with Sweet Genius, Ron Ben Isreal. Her designs have been published in Inside Weddings, Martha Stewart, Savannah Wedding Magazine, Occasions Magazine, and many others.  Here's a look of some of her gorgeous wedding cake designs and a close up of the incredible sugar flowers that she did for Weston and Rhoades wedding last fall.  Can you believe these flowers are made of sugar?

Here's a look at some more of Minette's creations!

To learn more about Minette Rushing, Savannah Custom Cakes you can visit her website!  We hope we've given you some valuable wedding cake information and as always, we are happy to answer any question you might have!