Beyond Just Something Delicious to Eat: Things to Consider When Choosing Your Engagement Cake

Engagements are a big deal. And the cake represents one of the biggest centerpieces of that event. You can’t celebrate your love and your future commitment to one another with just any cake. It has to be a cake that’s special, a cake that tastes heavenly and a cake so well designed that your guests will remember.

Decide on the Size

small engagement cake with a flower
source: topweddingsites.com

The size of the engagement cake you end up choosing is important. You need to get a cake that will be enough for all the guests present at your engagement celebration party. If you’re doing a small gathering with only your closest friends and family, then a small cake will be enough. Otherwise, you’re going to need something big. Even if there’s leftover cake, you can enjoy it over the next couple of days after the celebration is over. But at least there will be dessert for everybody.

If you’re not into gigantic cakes, you can get two smaller ones. The important thing is for the cake(s) to be enough for all the guests. If you can’t determine which cake size will be perfect for you, you can use a cake size chart. With the help of the chart, you’ll get an engagement cake that fits your needs perfectly.

The amount of servings per cake depends on the size of the cake but also on its shape. If you go for an oval-shaped cake of 20cm, you’ll get approximately 22 pieces of cake. If the cake is square and 20cm, you’ll get around 30 pieces. Rectangle cakes of 20cm give you around 30 pieces as well, while heart-shaped ones give you around 20 pieces. The bottom line is, you need to take the shape into consideration before buying a cake, regardless of its size.

What’s Your Dreamy Design?

love inspired engagement cake
source: tryingtobepositive.wordpress.com

There are no rules when it comes to the cake’s design. It can be really simple or you can go crazy with it, there are no rules. The main thing is for you to enjoy it to the fullest and have beautiful memories from the event. The decoration of the engagement cake is no less important than the decoration of the wedding cake or the way you decorate your wedding reception.

What do you put on an engagement cake? If you go for the simpler version, you can choose a cake covered with fondant and decorated with flowers or frosting only. If you want the more complicated version, you can get a cake that’s hand-painted, one that looks like a chocolate fountain and even one with a design inspired by famous works of art. Nothing is too much and you should get the cake you want most and the one that will represent you. After all, it’s your celebration, the whole night is about you and so should be the cake.

Engagement cakes that make an impression are the tier cakes. They can be made from two, three or even four tiers. Each tier can be designed and decorated differently. For instance, you can choose a combination of both black and white fondant, you can go for a colourful cake or one that has a marbling effect. Another benefit of tier cakes is the fact that you’ll have more than enough pieces for all the guests without having to buy additional cakes.

Pick the Right Ingredients and Flavour

picking the right flavor for your engagement cake
source: cavinelizabeth.com

Now, this is often the trickiest part of the whole cake picking process. You can’t just choose your favourite ingredients and move on with your life. This cake is something that a really large number of people are going to eat. And it should be tasty but also safe for all of them. You need to take into consideration that some people have allergies. Others may follow a special dietary regime. You can’t offer a vanilla or chocolate cake to a person that’s lactose intolerant, or to a person that’s vegan except if the milk inside is coconut milk or soy milk which rarely is.

On the other hand, there’s no way for you to pick a cake that will suit everybody’s needs. So probably the best thing you can do is pick a cake you like and get smaller ones that are vegan, milk-free and ones that don’t contain ingredients that may cause allergic reactions in some people. That way, your guests will have a choice and you’ll prevent accidents from happening.

You can pick a single flavour for the cake or you can choose a cake whose tiers taste differently. For instance, the first tier can be chocolate, the next one caramel or vanilla and you can choose a tier that tastes like berries as well. The whole tasting experience will be much better if there are more flavours to be tasted. Among the most popular cake flavours are chocolate mud, red velvet, orange mud and raspberry rough.

Plan Out Your Cake Budget

engagement cake topper close up
source: vtolaviations.com

Aside from the design and the flavours, you need to pay attention to the price too. On average engagement cakes cost around $300 in Australia (give or take), but the price can vary depending on the size of the cake, the ingredients you choose as well as the decoration. The time needed for the creation of the cake matters too.

Cheaper cakes are made from basic ingredients. You can’t expect more than a simple buttercream frosting. The same applies to the filling inside. For the money, that’s as good as it gets. If you want a cake that’s truly special with a taste that no one will be able to forget long after, you need to invest some money in it.

Now, if the cake is small, it won’t be that expensive even if it contains high-quality ingredients. But as I said, small cakes are only suitable for small, private celebrations. And of course, you will have to pay a bit more money if you want an extravagant design. State of the art cakes are not easy to make, so it’s only fair for the price to be higher.

Mia Hadson

Mia is a passionate blogger. Her obsession with beauty, health and shopping started young. Her philosophy is based on simple things, regardless of whether it is about applying makeup, decorating a room or cleaning a home. She believes simplicity is the basis of beauty and she implements this ideology in all spheres of her life.