Wedding Guide Asia

No, I’m not talking about decadent material; I’m talking about red velvet cake – currently quite the yummy trend in the world of weddings. If you’re absolutely sure of your baking skills (or if you’re a total DIY bride), why not try whipping this up?

With special thanks to Debbra Lee, owner of Bisou for the recipe and pictures. Bisou is a Malaysian wedding vendor that makes fab wedding cakes and cupcakes cakes. Currently Red Velvet is their best-selling flavour!

Red Velvet Cake

Preparation

Grease and flour three 10-inch cake tins. Pre-heat oven to 175º Celcius.

Cake

Milk 500ml

Oil 500ml

3 eggs

2 tsp red colouring

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

520g sugar

520g cake flour

¼ tsp baking soda

1tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

30g cocoa

Frosting

500g cream cheese

500g butter

1 tsp vanilla

150g icing sugar

Have your cake any way you want it (and eat it, too)

Get Cracking

Sift all dry ingredients together.

Whisk oil, vanilla and sugar till thick and glossy. Add eggs one at a time and mix till incorporated. Add in colouring and vinegar.

Add in the dry ingredients with the milk in intervals.

Pour mix into the prepared tins and bake for 40 minutes. (more…)

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive Discovery Travel & Living launch of one of it’s latest shows, Cake Boss. Cake Boss airs on Travel & Living every Wednesday evening, 7 pm (SG time) and follows the entertaining Italian Buddy Valastro, who runs the family cake store Carlo’s Cakes in New Jersey. So to get us all in the mood for the show, we had a free lesson in cake decorating!

For all the ladies who are planning their wedding and baking their cake at the same time… this is for you.

Here are some tips from Miss Loo, an experienced Malaysian wedding cake decorator who represented the Cake Boss.

1. If you want to DIY your wedding cake, one method is to buy ready made sugar flowers – so you just bake the cake then decorate it with these pre-made flowers. OR alternatively, take a class in cake decoration and make some simple decorations!

2. For a wedding cake, it takes approx 4 months as you need to make a lot of flowers – which need time to dry. With our S.E Asia climate, its very humid so it takes longer than say in colder countries.

3. Popular wedding cake flavours to go for – fruitcake (if your design is difficult). But usually buttercake as most ppl like it!

4. Remember to choose a common cake flavour,  Durian is not a wedding winner!

(more…)

A rather beautiful cake by Delectable (awesome cake shop at Gardens Mall, K.L)

No wedding is complete without a cake; it’s been a part of the festivities since Roman times. Even Fijian and native American tribes enjoy cakes during their wedding ceremonies although they tend to be much plainer than the fancy confections we are used to. Historically, the cake has been variously represented. From throwing mini cakes over the bride instead of confetti or crumbling cake over her head, all these gestures were meant to promote fertility. Also popular in old England was the secreting of a ring in the cake. The guest who found the ring would be blessed with good luck in the year ahead (albeit a messy affair I would think!).

The evolution of the cake from flat and round with fruit and nuts (for fertility again!) to its modern three-tiered counterpart is alleged to have been inspired by the spire of Saint Bride’s Church in London. If you’re not afraid of ants, it’s also believed that guests who place a piece of wedding cake under their pillow can increase their chances of getting married. And remember: when you cut the cake, it symbolises your shared future, so do it with care. You may also want to keep the top tier of the cake for the christening of your first child.

Cakes are creative outlets nowadays – they can be fanciful or fun and may even be in the shape of a cupcake tower. Shop around, compare prices and choose a design that best reflects you and your partner as a couple.