Delicious Details... Dessert Tables

Goodness me, how much do I love cake? Making them, eating them, reading about them, looking at them, thinking about them - if it's vaguely cake-related, count me in. I bake for me, for my son, for my family and friends but most of all, I bake because I adore cake.

And I know I'm not alone here - we've all gone a little cake crazy recently. So, when you combine our cravings for cake and our love of fabulous details, it's obvious that dessert tables are definitely the way forward. I know that I couldn't choose just one cake to feature on my big day and I also know that the host in me loves spoiling guests with lots of choice and abundance.

Dessert tables are such a feature - you can decorate them so beautifully to fit a theme and with all the baked goodness arrange on them, they look stunning. You can use a dessert table after dinner in lieu of a traditional dessert course or serve up the sweetest evening buffet ever. Either way, your guests will love you and you could get your parents and other important people to choose a cake or treat to feature on the table. Alternatively, ask friends to bake the best recipe and bring it along - a lot less pressure than making a 'proper' wedding cake but they'll still be involved. See, I told you dessert tables are just perfect...

 Above - love this table - the cakes and bakes on the pretty stands (complete with mini chalkboard signs) are sweet enough but I think the backlit backdrop is almost a work of genius. It's so simple but it highlights the cakes wonderfully without overpowering. All you need to do is stretch a relatively thin fabric over a wooden frame, stand it behind the cakes and light it from the behind. The glow here will draw guests to this table like moths to a light! Image - Alice Hu

 Above - I love the colour combination in this image. The pink cakes and the yellow decorations are just brilliant. Add in the white of the vases and the plates and you've got a really great look. Probably not for you if you're going for something more mismatched but if total co-ordination is your thing, this is the pic to keep in mind. I like here how the floral decorations give lots of variation in height - without those, the table would look a little flat and visually uninteresting. Image - Alicia Rico

 Above - such an adorable dessert table. I love the coloured backdrop and the colours of the cakes and treats on the table are just gorgeous too (and very chocolatey by the look of things which is always good!) I think my favourite part of this set up though are the stands - they add height and interest and the metal stops this sweet look becoming sickly. Image - Brandon Kidd

 Above - another great look and the actual table itself here is a bit of a star. I really like the differing heights on that table with the platters, bowls, cake stands and cloches. It looks so gorgeous, I'd like to dive right in! The window behind the table is fabulous - the view is the perfect backdrop and the trailing ribbons on either side frame both the window and the table. Excellent. Image - My Sweet & Saucy

 Above - now this is a very elegant dessert table and really on trend with the lacy look and white/nude colour combination. The cupcake tower is definitely the centrepiece and the symmetrical set-up is definitely more for a formal event than something very laid back. Loving the doily detail on the banner and that fabric backdrop livens up a dull wall (easy to copy!) Image - Sandra Downie

Above - oooh, the bunting, the colours, the patterned table cloth! This is a pretty pastel dessert table if every I saw one. Again, the variation in height is wonderful and the stands and platters all add visual interest. I love those little flower arrangements too, they made that table just right for a garden style event and this table would brighten up a corner of a marquee really wonderfully. Image - The White Library

The Great British Wedding Cake - Interview With Ruth Clemens

As the Royal Wedding gets ever closer and wedding season has now officially started, I've been spending even more time than usual thinking about cakes and bakes (impossible I hear you cry but trust me, I've managed it!). Sweet treats for weddings are such a focal point right now with gorgeous cakes, quirky cakes, classic cakes and alternative cakes. Add edible favours and other goodies into the mix and you'll see why baking is taking up even more of my thinking time than usual.

And it seems I'm not alone - this Wednesday (20th April) at 8pm, BBC2 shows the one-off special 'The Great British Wedding Cake'. Featuring baking gurus Mary Berry & Paul Hollywood as well as the three finalists from the last series of 'The Great British Bake-Off', Edd Kimber, Miranda Gore-Browne and Ruth Clemens, the show looks at wedding cakes from the earliest Tudor creations right up to the present day and also challenges Edd, Miranda & Ruth to bake some brilliant wedding cakes in just 16 hours. I am going to be on the sofa (with a suitable cake accompaniment watching this!)

As someone who was glued to the last series of 'The Great British Bake-Off' (and has literally baked her way through the series' cookbook!), I was thrilled when Ruth asked me to write the introduction to the series of wedding features she was putting together for her fabulous website. You can see what I had to say here and I would urge you to keep an eye on Ruth's website as there are some brilliant recipes coming up. The cookie 'how to' published today is such a cute wedding detail and so easy (and economical!) to make yourself. Plus, who could resist a cookie that sits so sweetly over the edge of a tea or coffee cup?!

In return for my little feature, Ruth agreed to a little interview for my blog and I'm thrilled to publish it today as a little taster for 'The Great British Wedding Cake' and the series of scrummy treats that will be appearing on Ruth's website very soon. Enjoy...

We know you from The Great British Bake-Off - what prompted you to apply & how has your life changed since the show?
I had finished work 6 months previously to be a stay at home Mum and always liked to have a 'project' on the go. When I saw the ad looking for keen home bakers, I thought I'd give it a shot - heck, did I get myself a project! Life is now completely different - a complete whirlwind! I love what I do and I feel I've finally found my 'thing'! Most importantly, I can fit it in around the boys and family life giving me the best of both worlds.

Why do you think we've all fallen in love again with cakes & baking in the last few years?
For a long time, we were in awe of what the supermarkets and chain stores were producing and we could buy extravagant cakes and bread off the shelf so much so that we forgot that we could actually make them ourselves. Baking has seen a huge resurgence with people getting back in the kitchen and giving it a go and proving that we beat off the shelf hands down!

What are you ultimate comfort bakes? What do you enjoy baking (and eating!) the most?
Coffee cake is my ultimate cake for eating, it's an indulgent bake for me because the boys won't touch it with a barge pole so I do have the majority of it myself. My comfort bakes are anything that can be shared, good old sponge cake with icing and sprinkles probably has the top spot.

What makes a great wedding cake?
Ultimately, a wedding cake has to taste fantastic but it also has to look the part too. Wedding cakes are very much about the style and the character of the wedding couple, they reflect the theme of the wedding and should provide every guest with a little piece of magic!

Why do you think wedding cakes have become so much more varied (and so much more of a statement) recently? Is there still a place for the 3 tiered white iced fruit cake?
Wedding cakes are a statement piece - both of the wedding and the couple getting married. They reflect their personalities and tastes and stand on show for all the guests to see. Cakes are now so diverse in style because really anything's possible. If couples don't want cake, they don't have to have cake - they can have cheese, cupcakes, meringues, anything goes. Tradition has taken a back seat to choice. There's still a place for the 3 tiered traditional cakes - in fact, I think they'll be making a come back fairly soon.

If someone wants to make their own cake, what tips would you give them?
Lots of people say they don't like fruit cake but actually I think they haven't tried the right fruit cake yet! Fruit cakes can be made months in advance giving you plenty of time to get ahead. Sponge cakes and cupcakes can be made and frozen un-iced. Have a practice run and test out your design. Best of all, rope in a friend or family member to help you. Most of all - consider giving it a go and you may just surprise yourself!

What would be the simplest things for people to bake for their own wedding?
Cupcakes - make the in advance and freeze them un-iced. You can also prepare buttercream and freeze that too. They can be decorated a day beforehand - get your bridesmaids involved and make a girlie afternoon of it!

Weddings, school bake sales and work cake fundraisers - have you got any suggestions for sure fire winners?!
Chocolate muffins always go down a storm but any homemade cakes and biscuits are always going to be popular!

If you were baking the cakes and treats for William & Kate, what would you make for them?
This is a really tough question! Wedding cake making, for me, is very pressurised - a wedding cake is perfect in all it's glory and it's very important that it is exactly what the bride and groom want. It's way to stressy for me. I worry too much! I have been tasked with making my sister's wedding cake next year and I'm already panicking about it turning out right. I love cake decorating for friends and family and teaching others to decorate cakes but I certainly couldn't do it as a business. William & Kate - please ask someone else who won't worry so much as me!

The Great British Wedding Cake is on BBC2 Wednesday 20th April at 8pm.
Ruth's recipe packed website is www.thepinkwhisk.co.uk and you can find her on Twitter as @thepinkwhisk

 

A Little Update...

Well, there's just so much going on here at the moment, I thought it was probably a good time to fill you in with all the news...

I'm rather excited this week because I have a meeting on Thursday with someone I admire very much (all hush hush at the moment, wish I could say!) and then on Friday, I'm off to Dorset for a shoot with the very lovely Courtenay Photographic. I'm going to be frollicking in bluebell woods and some brilliant suppliers have got involved too to make this a shoot to remember. Huge thanks to 'the bluebell girls' - Jo Barnes Vintage, The Tea Party and Genii Cupcakes. Can't wait to blog the shoot and show you the pics!

It's a little way off I know but on June 16th, I'm hosting a wedding inspiration Ladies Lunch at the truly stunning l'ortolan restaurant near Reading. If the idea of a day of wedding chat, prosecco, canapes and a three course lunch in a Michelin star restaurant appeals then book up soon. A perfect way for brides to spend a day with their Mums being pampered, indulged and inspired (and there are the cutest goodie bags too!)

Next week is going to be a bit more cake fuelled than usual! I am so pleased to have been asked by the truly lovely Ruth Clemens of The Pink Whisk to get involved with a series of wedding related posts she's written for her bake-tastic blog. UK readers of my blog might know Ruth from The Great British Bake-Off and you're going to love the recipes she's come up with. Ruth is featuring on BBC2's The Great British Wedding Cake which airs on Wednesday 20th April at 8pm and I'll be interviewing her on my blog on Tuesday 19th April. If you love cake and/or weddings, you won't want to miss any of this!

Julie Tooby and I are running another workshop for anyone interested in becoming a wedding planner on Sunday May 8th in Reading. These are great days - packed with information and where else can you pick the brains of two multi award winning wedding planners?! We've only got a few places left so read more here and if you're interested, get in touch soon!

I've also been asked to write a column for a new magazine - very excited about this and I know it's going to be a brilliant project to be involved with. More details as soon as I can tell you...  There's also another big project that I'm working on at the moment that makes me smile hugely. It's going to be rather special, beautiful and fabulous for brides. Lots of 'behind the scenes' work going on at the moment so when it's launch-time, it'll be announced on the blog first. So want to tell you all now because I'm just bouncing about it but I must be good!

And then there's this blog. I am totally blown away by the response to my wedding ramblings. In the last month, the numbers of you visiting every day have more than quadrupled and that's rather mindblowing. So, to you, wherever in the world you are, thank you. There's much more to come...

If you want to keep right up to date, the please follow me on Twitter - I'm @tamrynkirby. Hope to 'tweet' soon!

I Love... Mini Cakes

Last week, I was talking to the lovely Ruth Clemens from The Pink Whisk (who you may recognise from BBC2's Great British Bake-Off) about baked goodies for weddings. Obviously, this set me thinking and looking through the hundreds of recipes that I have bookmarked and now, I have to say, I am now totally in love with Mini Cakes.

Aside from the obvious cuteness of them, I just think they're perfect for weddings in so many ways - ideal bitesize bursts of yumminess perfect for afternoon tea style canapés or sweet treats to serve alongside post-dinner coffee. And if you can't choose, how about a tasty display, dessert table style?

Now, which one of these little baked beauties would you like to try first?

Above - these are the cutest little rounds of vanilla or chocolate sponge stacked and sprinkled with hundreds and thousands. And yes, the little doilies are working a treat here as well. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - little rounds of cake finished with a white frosting and a rosebud. How sweet are these? I love the little detailing on the bottom tier - so elegant. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - I know, these are strictly cookies but I couldn't resist. Vanilla cookies rounds, sandwiched with white icing and finished with a little edible decoration. These boxed delights were intended as favours but of course, they'd look great at any point. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - can you think if a more perfect summertime afternoon tea treat than this? I love the strawberries and the flowers - both are making me think of an outdoorsy event (possibly with scones and strawberry jam too) The polka dot ribbon is a great touch too and really bring this mini cake to life. Image - The Cake Parlour

Above - hmmm, chocolate cake heaven. These chocolate coated delights have been decorated beautifully - the delicate detailing would make these cakes perfect for a wedding with lots of lace or a sophisticated soiree  and certainly would be substantial enough to serve as dessert. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - pretty mini cakes in an array of pastel tones look fabulous at an informal wedding. Love the decorations, the 'mix and match' ribbon around the cake and yes, that bunting edged gingham cake board is calling to my country girl heart in ways you can't imagine! Image - The Knot

Above - mini bundt cake heaven! Loving this dessert display with little bundt cakes in different flavours, all drizzled with icing and finished with a fab floral flourish. How great would this look during a drinks reception instead of served canapés? Also, the ring shaped cakes are making me think of wedding rings... Image - Martha Stewart

Above - Oooh, so pretty! Ridiculously girlie I know, possibly even a little too cutsie but I thought I'd finish with a perfect mini cake. Am thinking of a standard sized wedding cake decorated to match and surrounded by these little treasures (and how sweet are those mini stands?). The tiny flowers decorating the cakes are so delicate, you'd almost feel bad about eating them. Please note - I said 'almost'! Image - The Knot

I Heart Cake Pops...

I have fallen in love. With cake pops...

These cakey, yummy balls of decorated goodness are my new favourite thing.

The cake pops book by the totally fabulous Bakerella (www.bakerella.com) is inspiring and every page has something oh-so pretty on it. You'll be in the kitchen before you know it! And, best of all, Bakerella (aka Angie Dudley) positively encourages to start your cake pop making by using cake packet mixes. Excellent! Check out these red velvet cake balls - http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake-balls/

But, my thoughts are these are great for weddings. Instead of big chunks of cake, how about delicate little cake pops? I can imagine beautifully coloured pops on sticks poking up from a flower covered square of oasis or chocolate covered cake balls (without the sticks!) served with coffee after the wedding breakfast. You can design any pop to go with your theme and pops wrapped in cellophane would be great wedding favours too. Oooh, can't you just feel your imagination running riot?

And isn't that what weddings should be all about?!