Wedding cakes and desserts

steelsailor74 said:Can someone please help me out... I saw a mention of a lady named Stephanie a few posts back who bakes amazing cakes. Could anyone shoot me a DM with her contact info or let me know how I can get a hold of her?

I would honestly be so incredibly grateful!! 😉

If you're talking about Stephanie from that small town in the Midwest, I can send you her number—I actually gave her a call two days ago. To be blunt, she seemed completely uninterested. I asked if she had any availability for my date, and she just brushed me off—claimed she wasn't sure, said she’s on vacation until after Easter, and didn't even have her calendar handy to check. Basically, nothing promising there. Her price is $20, though delivery is free...

If anyone else is looking, I tried some treats from Mrs. Smith (Smith's Sweets) and they are fantastic. In fact, I just "booked" her today...

I have a quick question for the group—what are the most common flavor profiles people actually go with for wedding cakes? I can't really act as my own judge here since my tastes are split between three completely different styles, so I’m curious what you all ended up choosing for your big days.

We went with chocolate mousse, strawberry-chocolate parfait, and hazelnut-pistachio parfait.

Parfaits are pretty standard, then you've got Black Forest, vanilla sponge with chocolate or fruit...

Our cake was slightly frozen, giving it this ice cream-like texture—honestly, a total lifesaver for summer weddings. 😍

Smith's Sweets makes killer cookies—their cakes looked amazing at the expo too.
Fancy Cake is pretty good as well, though their colorful macarons are way too sweet if you're willing to shell out the cash.

Honestly, Stephanie let me down too! I stopped by her place to try some of her treats, and they were just... meh. The prices are basically on par with Cheesecake Factory, but the look and taste don't even come close... There’s hardly any variety, and none of the slices were even remotely consistent in size. So, I asked her if I could just order a massive cake for 300 people through her, and she shot me down immediately. Apparently, she’s worried a wedding might pop up that day? Like, seriously? She didn't want to make even a little profit off a cake that big, and at this rate, she probably won't have any customers anyway!

If someone can't even nail basic cookies, why would I expect a whole cake to be any better? — plus, I highly doubt Stephanie actually knows how to make anything modern. I can already see her cake with those tacky little plastic bride and groom toppers and cheap-looking roses 🙄

Daniel Smith8 said:We went with chocolate mousse, strawberry-chocolate parfait, and hazelnut-pistachio parfait.

Parfaits are pretty standard, then you've got Black Forest, vanilla sponge with chocolate or fruit...

Our cake was slightly frozen, giving it this ice cream-like texture—honestly, a total lifesaver for summer weddings. 😍

Thanks... I was actually thinking of something like a chocolate raspberry parfait... maybe even a mocha vibe...
An ice cream-style cake sounds like a brilliant idea... 😁

Roger Phillips54 said:We went ahead and finalized the order for the cake at the Sweet Secret this past Saturday.

Monica was actually at the top of our list, but the employees and the manager were so incredibly indifferent and checked out that we ended up crossing her name off immediately.
Look, let’s be clear: their cakes are absolutely delicious. I have nothing against the quality of the baking. But when I try to get a straight answer through their messaging system, the experience is just maddening. I reached out to ask about a price hike they mentioned would take effect on March 1st due to the new state sales tax, asking specifically how much the increase would be. Her response? "I don't know, maybe a dollar, maybe two, I'm not sure." Honestly, give me a break. If you're running the show, how can you not have a clue about your own pricing? It's incredibly frustrating.
We’ve decided to move on from them. To be perfectly honest, I just can't stomach working with people who lack backbone or show zero interest in what they're doing.
And they still have the nerve to charge a delivery fee, even when you're practically living right next door to them. It’s a bit much, isn't it? 12 miles.

After that, we decided to head over to the Sweet Secret.
We showed up right after business hours, and since we hadn't called ahead, I decided to give the owner a quick ring just to let her know we were standing on her doorstep. She didn't hesitate for a second—she practically sprinted to open the door. Once we got settled, she and her daughter sat down right there with us. They didn't just give us the cold shoulder or try to rush us out the door; instead, they pulled out their catalogs, started taking notes, and really engaged in the conversation, offering suggestions and talking everything through with us.
They aren't going to charge us for delivery from the warehouse in Chicago to the distribution center in New York. In fact, they’ve offered to throw in a slightly larger cake at no extra cost just to make sure we're satisfied.
The cake features a stunning arrangement of fresh white roses and delicate mini roses—and just to be clear, those floral decorations are at the customer's own expense.
They even went through the trouble of packing up half a pound of assorted cookies for us to take home as a gift.

I prefer to call it "knowing how to sell yourself."
We decided to go big and do three distinct layers for this one. For the base, we went with a rich chocolate infused with Ferrero cream. The middle layer features dark chocolate paired with raspberries, and to top it all off, we finished with a decadent dark and white chocolate parfait—we even tucked a few whole raspberries inside the white chocolate just to get that perfect visual pop.

We couldn't be more thrilled!😍

I second this! 🙂
I called them about... I don't know, a week ago, and I had the exact same experience—nothing but inertia and total lack of interest. When she told me she didn't know the prices—even though the sales tax hike was announced two weeks ago 🙂—it was just pathetic.
The woman spent the whole call basically sighing into the phone because she’s expecting a baby in her sixth month and doesn't want any extra work on her plate... seriously????? 🙂

Oh, and she definitely knows the delivery fee—$0.83 per mile. :-)

Scott Reed12 said:Thanks... I was actually thinking of something like a chocolate raspberry parfait... maybe even a mocha vibe...
An ice cream-style cake sounds like a brilliant idea... 😁

We used to get that chocolate orange cake from Monica's—honestly, best thing ever. Hard to replicate at home.

Because I ate the cake and it was freaking amazing!!! And look, it’s not covered in those cheap sprinkles or whatever—it just has whipped cream on top... simple and beautiful!

Does anyone happen to know the current price per pound for pastries at Smith's Sweets?

Edward Mendoza3... I mean, I'm curious too, but we’re actually heading over there soon anyway. So, if nobody else pipes up before then, I guess I'll just report back on what I find out myself... 😉

I tried some treats from Smith's Sweets today, and I have to say—they are excellent. What are your thoughts? How has everyone else's experience been with them?

To me can be absolutely wonderful, truly exquisite, even—but if they lack basic manners, act completely indifferent, or insist on communicating through some digital intermediary instead of looking me in the eye, I simply refuse to give them a single cent of my money!!!

Edward Mendoza3 said:Does anyone happen to know the current price per pound for pastries at Smith's Sweets?

Smith's Sweets—the standard price is $27/lb, though the proprietor gave me a bit of a fairground discount of 10%, bringing my cost down to $24 per pound. As for their whipped cream cakes, you're looking at starting from $3.25 per person—depending on how picky you are about flavors—while the fondant options start at $4.00...

Anyone want to grab some cookies?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/doma%C...719626?sk=info

Sandra, did you honestly think the staff at Magnolia Bakery were communicating with you through that specific channel?
My experience was entirely different—I had a direct conversation with Helen, but what about you?

Come on, people—give me your honest take. What’s your verdict on their pastries?

I guess it’s the same old story with Monica.
And I’m right along with you—if they don't give a damn about the customer, there's no point in them staying in business. You’ll just find some other local bakery or pastry shop that actually values your money and will greet you with a real smile when you show up to pick up your order.

I ended up choosing Magnolia Bakery. Honestly, ever since I had a slice of their blueberry cheesecake at a Fifty Fifty cafe, I knew they’d be my go-to for wedding cakes—and that was way before I even started thinking about wedding planning. I also tried some of their pastries at a local bridal expo, and man, they were incredible. Every single one had its own distinct flavor profile without being overly sugary, which I love. Their cakes look stunning, too; I spent quite a bit of time scrolling through their gallery of wedding cake designs. They really are beautiful. I guess we'll see how everything turns out after the big day. I'm hoping for a smooth experience!

crimsonwolf382 You’re going to love them... I tried the ones from Magnolia Bakery and they were incredible—the flavor, the presentation, everything. My only tiny gripe was the size of the pastry, but honestly, I can be a bit picky about those things. It might not bother anyone else, but for me, it was a little letdown 😁