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My friend Charlotte, aka The Cooking Fairy, is a fellow blogger and skilled home cook. She lives by the mantra “work hard, play hard- but eat fabulous food”. She writes for young professionals who either love cooking or are intrigued to learn more about it and regularly contributes to The Leeds Guide. Check out her blog for recipe inspirations and don’t forget to follow her activity on twitter @cookingfairy.
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Today on the blog, The Cooking Fairy steps in to give advice where Brides Up North lacks skill – about all things kitchen related! So, mixing bowls at the ready, its over to Charlotte!
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First up, some ideas for a wedding cake with a difference…
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Wedding Cakes are a major focus of your big day, so they need to look fab! A celebration cake should reflect the couple’s personality and personal style. So, what can you do if flowers, frills and trims just aren’t your thing? Here’s a my top 5 favourite alternatives:
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Cool Cupcakes
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These are great as each guest gets an individual portion! The icing can be themed to match the style of the wedding and can be beautifully hand crafted. Cupcake wedding cakes are great if you are on a budget. They can really look a million dollars.
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Photograph via Yum Sugar
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Doughnut Tower
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These can look absolutely amazing and they taste fantastic as well. They can be beautifully decorated with a white icing to complement your white wedding or decorated with flowers for an exotic twist. A yummy alternative to the traditional wedding cake.
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Photograph via discussion boards at weddingbee.com
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Themed Wedding Cake
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Take your pick. What pastimes do you share together? Have a think. Could this work as a cake?
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After something less sweet? Try…
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Pork Pie Wedding Cake
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For the savoury snack lover. These look absolutely amazing and will really feature as a talking point at your big day. Great as an additional feature at the evening buffet.
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Photographs via Brays Cottage and Norbiton Cheese
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Cheese Cake
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This works fantastically as an after dinner course. Decorate with grapes to garnish. It is possible to select such a broad array of cheeses and flavours that you can meet everyone’s taste. A cheese wedding cake adds a novelty edge and oozes class!
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What about Canapés?
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Canapés are an essential to any “full day” wedding event. Your guests will want something light, tasty and which looks beautiful. Canapés should be as pleasing to the eye as they are to your stomach!
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You need something that won’t be too messy to eat and that really is bite sized. In my view the Canapé flavours should be the perfect accompaniment to champagne.
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Canapés can traditionally be salty or spiced. This is widely understood to be because during a drinks reception, the host should encourage the guests to drink more! However in modern times they can encompass a huge variety of flavours.
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To plan the perfect reception, I would always recommend doing a selection of 30% hot canapés, 40% cold canapés, and 30% vegetarian canapés. This will ensure that you cater for all guests and additionally take the pressure off the serving staff from having to deliver piping hot canapés.
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Here are a few of The Cooking Fairy’s favourite canapés:
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Smoked salmon belinis
Asparagus and Hollandaise crostinis
Scallops and pancetta
Tomato and goats cheese mini tartlets.
Monkfish and Chorizo skewer
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I would always recommend serving the canapés on a mirrored surface for a glamorous effect. Using slate, or wood always looks fantastic too. I attended a wedding recently, where canapés were served on reclaimed teak blocks. This looked amazing, and fabulously stylish.
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Photograph provided by The Cooking Fairy
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If you’re planning on having a destination or summer wedding why not consider tropical themed canapés served on a banana leaf?
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If you have any questions or would like any further guidance, contact The Cooking Fairy via the Panic Button on her website, or by emailing charlotte@cookingfairy.co.uk
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This is not a sponsored post.
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