During the preparation for the wedding, the bride and groom are constantly bustling: they need to choose wedding outfits, invite guests beautifully, find a presenter and a DJ and prepare many more different little things. When all the worries have already come to an end and all that is left is to order a wedding cake, the newlyweds are ready to breathe easy, but the confectioner offers a variety of fillings for wedding cakes. What to choose – it is not clear. 

In fact, to make a choice is not so difficult, you just need to think in advance what should be the perfect cake.

The special importance of the confectionery product

The wedding cake is the highlight of the evening. It is brought out in the final part of the celebration, solemnly sliced and laid out on plates for the guests. It can be single or multi-tiered, depending on the wishes of the couple themselves and the number of guests at the wedding. Often the main dessert of the evening is made to order according to an individual sketch, so that the decorations fit the theme of the celebration.

In the past, many cultures used regular bread or tortillas instead of cake at weddings, and the traditions associated with this delicacy varied widely. This lasted until the 17th century, when a Parisian pastry chef presented a candied marzipan creation at one of the courtiers’ weddings. This is where the tradition of making wedding cakes began. Both the newlyweds, who can surprise their loved ones at the celebration, and the confectioners, who show their skills in all their glory, are delighted with it.

This tradition also has a symbolic meaning. It is believed that guests taste a piece of the wedding cake and thereby wish the newlyweds a sweet life without quarrels, rifts and troubles. Often the main dessert of the celebration is used as a prop for contests and auctions. For example, the toastmaster often exposes the guests to auction the first piece of cake, and the resulting amount goes into the piggy bank of the newlyweds.

What can be filled

When visiting a pastry shop, newlyweds learn what fillings there are for wedding cakes – both familiar and exotic. But it is not necessary to chase the fashion that offers unconventional solutions. The main quality of the cake is its taste, and it is necessary to be guided by it.

Here are popular fillings for wedding cakes:

• custard;
• chocolate cream paste;
• whipped cream with pieces of fresh or canned fruit and berries;
• sour cream;
• souffle;
• yogurt filling;
• tiramisu (as in the classic version, made of Mascarpone cheese, Savoyardi cookies and Amaretto liqueur);
• mousse (similar to soufflé, but more delicate and airy and holds its shape better);
• cheesecake (a curd and butter soufflé with the addition of berries, fruits, nuts, and other fillers).

Which of the above are the best fillings for a wedding cake is hard to say. Because people have different taste preferences. However, pastry fillings also differ in structure, for example, soufflé or mousse are less dense than cream or paste. This is important from a practical standpoint, since light fillings are not used at the bottom of a tiered cake.

In addition, the juiciness of the dessert filling is also taken into account – too liquid consistency will ruin the shape of the dessert and possibly the clothes of the guests.

Thinking how to choose a filling for a wedding cake, you should not rely on the opinion of others. The following options are considered the most popular:

• Tiramisu;
• Snickers (the filling is similar to the bar of the same name);
• Three chocolates (mousse of white, milk and bitter chocolate);
• Baileys (praline with waffle crumbs and white chocolate mousse with Baileys liqueur).

Two flavors at once

Delicious fillings for wedding cakes are not uncommon. And therefore, it is likely that the groom will like one, and the bride another. This is no reason for disagreement. Before the wedding, you can combine both options in one dessert. Most of the time, cakes are made in tiers, in each of which you can use a different filling. A photo of what a wedding cake with two fillings might look like is below:

In addition, even in a single tier dessert, it is possible to combine different fillings, if they are combined with each other. They are not mixed, but simply distributed between the different cakes. The main thing, in an effort to make their life together sweet, do not make the dessert too sugary.

What kind of filling you can choose for a wedding cake:

• Chocolate buttercream or paste on the bottom and banana or strawberry soufflé on top;
• vanilla cream and coffee mousse;
• yogurt cream and fruit filling;
• cottage cheese soufflé and fruit jelly
• custard and whipped cream with lemon zest and vanilla;
• Chocolate and vanilla fillings.

Option with mastic

Wedding cakes decorated with mastic deserve special attention. They can be with any pattern or volumetric image, which will choose the future newlyweds. Often such desserts are ordered for themed weddings, when it is not possible to pick a stylized version of simple ingredients.

Mastic is a plastic product based on powdered sugar, which is made according to various recipes. With its help, the confectioner can depict on the cake any plot, and experienced masters get real masterpieces that are not immediately associated with something edible, much less with a dessert.

Despite its merits, mastic – a rather capricious material. Handle it professionally, otherwise the conceived design will not work – it will simply spread. Fillings for a wedding cake with mastic are not suitable for all, which should also be taken into account. Too tender and moist fillings will make the plastic product melt, which will ruin the entire appearance of the dessert.

Fillings for wedding cakes without mastic are much easier to choose. Because to mastic, for example, do not fit souffles, jellies and mousses. The same can be said of sour cream fillings, whipped cream, fruit and berries. It is better to choose a dense cream, for example, on a butter base or with the addition of boiled condensed milk. This applies to all parts of the cake – although the fondant is most in contact with the filling at the top, the sides can also have “accidents” with drips. Despite the fact that there is usually no elaborate decoration in these areas, the dessert will still lose its flawless appearance.

If you still want to use moist filling and mastic in the same cake at the same time, a so-called buffer layer is made. It represents either an additional cake or biscuit on top of the entire filling, or buttercream applied after it. However, even in these cases, there is no complete guarantee that the cake will remain intact.

More tips on how to choose

Coming to the confectionery, it is worth explaining to the master all the nuances of your own wedding, so that he himself suggested the most appropriate options for the filling for the cake. Sometimes this decision is the best – the experience of a professional takes its toll, and the dessert turns out ideal for a particular couple. If the choice is made independently, then you should not just look through the options for the most popular fillings for wedding cakes, but take into account the following nuances.

• All fillings are tasted, even if the bride and groom visit different pastry shops with the same assortment. It’s best to try the fillings with the two of them – that way, long doubts will be avoided.
• Some guests at the wedding may be allergic to some products. It is advisable to ask all friends and acquaintances, so as not to get into an awkward situation. The most common allergies are to citrus fruits, dairy products, nuts and honey. Diabetics are also treated individually – a separate mini-cake is prepared for them.
• If a fruit or berry filling is chosen, it is worth giving preference to seasonal fruits. They will be more juicy and rich, so the result of labor will be tastier.
• The wedding cake should not be too greasy. Since it is served at the end of the evening, most guests will no longer agree to a heavy dessert. Friends and relatives will remain unhappy that they did not get to try the cake, and the newlyweds will have to dispose of it somehow, complaining about the wasted money.
• The portion size per person is determined depending on the filling. If it is dense, as cream, then focus on a mass of 100 grams, if it is light, the weight of one piece should be less. When the portion size is determined, the dimensions of the entire cake by the number of guests are specified.

Choosing the filling for the wedding cake can be simple and fast if the bride and groom agree in advance, and when you visit the confectionery discuss only small nuances. Once you know what the filling for the wedding cake can be, you can experiment and try different options – perhaps you will surprise everyone with an unusual taste and creative execution of the main dessert at the wedding.