We served three different layers—pistachio and hazelnut parfait, strawberry chocolate parfait, and a rich chocolate mousse. There was also a special dietary option: a vanilla fruit parfait drizzled in chocolate glaze.
Everyone raved about the cake. It was practically wiped clean; I ended up bringing home ten extra slices more than there were guests. 😬 I managed to snag one tiny little sliver for myself to take home. 😢
They did the same thing to us, shoving all those different parfait samples down our throats 👍 You really should have given their panna cotta a shot next time... 😉
It isn't the newlyweds cutting the cake; it’s the catering staff. 😬 Once that first slice is made on the mezzanine floor by the couple, the rest is their problem. I'm sure they can handle a dessert like that. 🙂
swiftranger16, hit me up later. I want to hear how it went. 😉
Regarding the diabetic options, they told me I could go with chocolate, vanilla, or even vanilla topped with chopped fruit... see what 🙂 says to you. We haven't actually settled on the diabetic selection yet.. As for the flavors, we went with a chocolate mousse on the bottom tier, strawberry and chocolate parfait for the middle, and pistachio hazelnut parfait for the top.
I gave some thought to catering from local spots, but M&M's is my go-to since we've been grabbing treats there for years... I've already ironed out most of the details with them, and settled on the exact cake I've had my eye on for a while. Honestly, I was torn between three choices: cupcakes, something fancy like the one pictured above (but maybe just a smaller version), or the third option—which is what I'll actually end up with—a square cake smothered in chocolate glaze.
I wanted to make one myself, but I couldn't get the flavors right, so I gave up on the whole idea. Now I’m giving up on mini cakes too. They gave me the wrong info at M&M's: $5.00 per piece if they're in cups, but if they're individual ones covered in chocolate glaze, it's $8.25 per piece. That's way too much money for me. 😢
restlesstrucker31 said:Sure, we could do a different flavor for each one, but the manager told us it’s probably better not to mix them up too much. 🤷...but obviously, if we really want a unique flavor per floor, they'll make it happen.
Fine, then. Personally, I always enjoy those weddings where they offer two different cakes so I actually get a choice. 🙂 We’re definitely going with three flavors, though I suspect we won't be able to stop ourselves from trying every last bit. 😬
restlesstrucker31 said:Hehe, now I'm totally lost on what to pick 😂, but if you say the mousse and strawberry-choco are non-negotiable, then it has to be good. The staff there actually suggested we shouldn't mix too many flavors—not sure why, maybe because the cake is three tiers high? 😕 Thanks for the tip 😉 I guess we'll have to go back for another taste test soon 😁
Honestly, everything tastes fine when there's M&M's involved... If we want more mini cakes, we just get more flavors. I haven't sat down for the final planning meeting yet; I'm heading over there shortly to hammer out the details. I don't see why you couldn't have a different flavor on every single floor 🤷
restlesstrucker31 said:We're planning on getting our cake from M&M's too... I just haven't decided on a flavor yet. Do you have any favorites? 😉 Maybe half vanilla and half chocolate? 🤷
I'm worried we'll end up overbuying everything.😬 Chocolate mousse and strawberry-chocolate parfait are non-negotiable. Their panna cotta is decent, the pistachio parfait is great, and the hazelnut is fine too...
urbanowl10 said:So, come on—think back to any wedding you've been to. Do you actually remember the desserts being anything special?
What I really want to know is, is it considered weird to ask a bakery if they offer wedding cake tastings? Because when I asked at a local shop here in Washington, D.C., the woman there—who was clearly just counting down the minutes until she could clock out—was incredibly rude. She basically told me that if I wanted to taste them, I should just buy them first. And get this, one single pastry is $5.00. What am I supposed to do, blow $50 just to sample everything? Why don't they have samples? Or something for the wedding cake? It feels like it's totally against their own business interests, doesn't it?🤷
At Mus, they handed us an entire sample plate of cake for free. Just like that. At M&M's, we got a few different parfaits to try since we're planning on ordering a whole cake from them—though I can't tell if they do that for everyone, considering how long we spent browsing their selection.
I remember being over at Sweet Secret once with a friend of mine—she was getting married to her best man—and they ended up giving us some free samples to try. Good times.
Eric Davis54 said:I hope Daniel Smith8 won't be mad at me, but I finally tried the treats from both Absom and Mus, and honestly... I wasn't a fan of either one.🤷 Absom feels like a total factory operation—they just use five different creams to make five "different" kinds of pastries. And Mus? Such a letdown. I actually sent my little one there specifically to pick up some sweets, and... man, you could just taste the granulated sugar in so many of them. It was crunchy under your teeth. Plus, none of the pastries were consistent; they all had different heights and widths, and the crusts were falling apart on some of them. 😢 Maybe I’m just being difficult, but seriously, am I crazy for paying $40 per pound 😲 for something that, frankly, isn't even that much better than the stuff you get for $18? Should I be obsessing over every tiny detail (because, let's face it, that's just who I am!), or should I just pay $18 since most people aren't even going to look at the dessert table at a wedding anyway? I've basically been on a mission to attack every bakery in town looking for the perfect wedding treats, and at this rate, I'm going to gain 100 pounds before the big day!🙂
Of course I'm not angry. Not even slightly. 😉 It’s a shame you didn't like them. A total waste of time for the kid. 😢
I didn't feel any sugar hitting my teeth. Honestly? A relief, considering my allergy. Maybe I just got lucky, but frankly, I don't care. They aren't even half as bad as the expensive ones. $40Per pound. Everything's getting more expensive. Just another day in this country. At weddings, nobody touches the dessert table anyway. It’s a waste of money. I didn't even think about ordering more than a few pieces. $27 Per pound.
We tossed out those peaches—none of us, not even our friends, could stand them. I cleared out the cookies with the wafers too. Just too basic for my taste. Everything else is fine.
steelrider3 said:Someone on here mentioned that Absom bakes specifically for Bill, and that all their cookies taste basically the same—now I'm stuck in a massive dilemma because they fit my budget perfectly ($18/lb) .... 😢 Even Mus has some haters out there... 😢
God, if I actually believed everything posted on these forums... 😬 If I were you, I wouldn't sweat it. If the price makes them tempting, why not just head over there and grab a sample? If they hit the spot, buy them. If they don't, move on.
My godmother used Mus for her wedding catering, and honestly, nobody had anything bad to say. Besides, we see people talking about Emma here too—she's one of the most famous pastry chefs in Washington, D.C., at least when it comes to weddings. It’s subjective. Some love them, some don't.
Robert Hall55 said:Does anyone know where I can pick up some really nice wedding pastries? I have a little baby at home, so I honestly don't have the bandwidth to go hunting around for options. I’d be so grateful if someone could suggest a few spots in Washington, D.C. or the surrounding areas...
What’s the verdict on the sweets over at Absalom? I’ve heard they're pretty great, but I was wondering if anyone here has actually tried them...
Absalom is alright, honestly. Prices are cheap. Personally, I prefer the ones at the Two-toothed mouse near the Riverbank (about 20 miles outside of Columbus). I mentioned the prices in a previous post.
Your options depend entirely on your budget. In Washington, D.C., you're looking at anything from $75 up to $40...
The dessert situation is settled; we snagged them from Mouse this weekend. 🎉 I was torn between them and Absalom, but I went with Mouse—my godparents served them at their wedding, and honestly, they just taste better than Absalom's. A kilo is $20, plus shipping from Columbus to the Grand Market costs $50. At Absalom, a kilo is $18, but with shipping being $67, the difference is only $17.
I ordered 20 kg for about 120-130 guests. I didn't want to overdo it; every bride I talk to says they ended up with way too much cake. Since our wedding is in the summer, people will probably eat even less sweet stuff in the heat anyway.
It’s likely those same places I mentioned earlier where I pick up my treats. Abraham Lincoln charges about $18/lb, while Mus is closer to $20/lb, and there are still plenty of other bakeries scattered around Denver with much better prices. Delivery runs about 100-$67 if you're out in the Chicago suburbs.
I suspect they’re just slicing it floor by floor, which means those top layers end up missing from the slices—but honestly, nobody even notices. I can't remember the last time I was at a wedding and actually got a perfectly cut slice of cake, though it didn't bother me one bit while I was eating it. 😬
