Wedding cakes and desserts

Their website claims the North Wind is $83, but I have zero clue how many people actually use them. 🙂

So I just noticed you used Mouse pastries for your wedding—20 kg for $1,300? Man, that is an absolute steal. 🙂

Some girl on this thread mentioned she loved that they handled all the plates; they dropped them off and then swung back to pick them up three days later... was your experience the same? 😁

Also, how did you guys handle the tasting? Since they aren't exactly right around the corner, how did you make that work?
(I know, I'll just call them myself, but maybe my answer will help someone else too...) 😁

Our wedding was four years ago, so prices have shifted since then, but I’d bet they’re still some of the most reasonable out there. 😁

I first discovered them at a trade show, and later through a bridesmaid who used them too. For the final consultation and tasting, we actually drove out to see them by the River. It wasn't a massive trek, just a bit of a scenic drive. 🙂

Regarding the plates, they provided everything. After the reception, the venue sent them back, and I simply met up with their sales rep in Washington, D.C. to hand them over. No stress at all. Honestly, my experience with them has been nothing but smooth.

Look, if anyone needs the lowdown on this...

bakery mus is still charging the same price per kilo $22/kg. If you actually want to try them, just order a kilo of treats delivered straight to your door and pay their driver on arrival. 🙂

Just a heads up: they don't do those massive custom cakes for, say, 40 people. Their cake sizes are fixed.
Depending on how they slice it, you'll get either 12 thick slices (if they bother to mark them) or up to 18 thinner ones if they don't.

Now my wife’s got me second-guessing things... in reality, do they actually mark the slices or is it just a guessing game most of the time? 😬

Man, that's a lot of fine print. 🙂

We’re planning on doing a two-tier cake—probably going with fondant to get that smooth look.

Any flavor recommendations out there?

I was thinking about doing one layer as a chocolate cherry sponge—which is basically my favorite thing ever—and then topping it off with a Black Forest style cream for the top tier. Does that sound crazy? Also, can you even wrap a light, creamy frosting like that in fondant without everything collapsing?

The general vibe I'm going for is having one rich, decadent chocolate layer and one lighter, fruitier layer... just so there's something for everyone at the party. Any ideas? 🙂

Hey, does anyone have a few recommendations for local bakeries or maybe some independent pastry chefs I could hire for a party? Basically, I’m looking for someone in the Washington, D.C. area who can pull off something similar to this. 😍

I really need a "pro" when it comes to cupcakes and working with fondant, because I’m trying to make this cake look like something straight out of a fairy tale...

driftingskipper8 said:

Hey, does anyone have a few recommendations for local bakeries or maybe some independent pastry chefs I could hire for a party? Basically, I’m looking for someone in the Washington, D.C. area who can pull off something similar to this. 😍

I really need a "pro" when it comes to cupcakes and working with fondant, because I’m trying to make this cake look like something straight out of a fairy tale...

I would definitely recommend Mac. Their cakes and pastries are incredible, both in taste and design. My only gripe is that they tend to be on the pricier side. But hey, it doesn't hurt to ask them for a quote. 😁

Thanks 🙂

I actually stumbled upon Sweet Secrets over in Naperville too; they’ve got some seriously gorgeous stuff on their Facebook page 😁

It’s honestly hard to put a price tag on it, maybe anywhere from $7.00 up to whatever, depending on how fancy the cake is and how much work goes into the decorations... but seriously, the woman is a total artist. 🙂 We actually get our cakes and treats from her, though honestly, it’s mostly because we have such a small crew here that it doesn't make a huge difference in cost compared to anyone else.
By the way, my friend had those exact same cupcakes with the green polka dots last year—well, they were purple instead—but she grabbed them back in Chicago.

Quite possibly the finest pastries I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Ever since they became a staple in our household, they never seem to last more than a day. We recently placed a massive order, and before we knew it, the entire batch had vanished. We actually had to place a follow-up order just to ensure we had something decent to bring into the office. They are truly that exceptional! 🙂 My colleagues were practically hounding me for the contact information because these treats taste authentically homemade—none of that cheap margarine nonsense you find in grocery store aisles. Every single bite feels like a brand-new culinary experience. Honestly, no amount of praise seems sufficient. I recommend them without reservation!!🙂🙂

How many pounds does an unknown cake weigh?

They don't sell by the pound at unknown, it’s all individual pieces—they don't really do those classic wedding-style platters. Just shoot Petra an email; she’s super quick to get back to you and can send over a full breakdown of what they offer and how it works. I know they had some small cookies around Christmas, but I'm not sure if that's a year-round thing for them.

thanks

How many cookies should I grab per person? Looking to get enough for everyone to share at the party.

If we're talking about splitting things up, I could probably break those 4-ounce containers down into smaller portions. But honestly? I'll just stick with the full 4 ounces. Seems more than enough for me.

I usually just budget about one and a half to two cookies per person. Anything more than that is overkill because you always end up with way too much left over.

northernseal15 said:I usually just budget about one and a half to two cookies per person. Anything more than that is overkill because you always end up with way too much left over.

Just one or two cookies?
I'm worried that might be cutting it a bit thin.

I personally calculated for about 10 ounces per person.

I also think it matters whether you serve them right away or wait until after the main course as dessert.

I don't know, maybe one or two of the desserts look a little light. I think we were aiming for somewhere around half a pound per person, but honestly, my memory's a bit fuzzy on the specifics.
Since we grabbed a few extra items anyway, those cakes should end up filling out the spread just fine.

I have absolutely no plans to go around handing out cookies to everyone I know just because I’ve got 20 pounds of leftovers sitting around. Honestly, I don't even know what to do with them. I attend so many weddings, and I swear I’ve never seen a situation where people didn't leave at least half the dessert tray untouched.
We were looking at the averages lately—for example, we went to a wedding recently with my brother, his fiancée, my fiancé, and me. Out of the whole spread, I ate three, he had one, my brother didn't touch any, and she had two. We still left about 80% of the box sitting there! We're going to have a wedding cake plus maybe 20 mini cakes, and there's a very good chance we'll be stuck with leftovers again.

Larry Howard4 said:I don't know, maybe one or two of the desserts look a little light. I think we were aiming for somewhere around half a pound per person, but honestly, my memory's a bit fuzzy on the specifics.
Since we grabbed a few extra items anyway, those cakes should end up filling out the spread just fine.

I agree. I believe we allocated about a third of a pound per guest from Musk's catering. Personally, I enjoy sampling sweets, but I rarely find myself eating more than one pastry at a wedding.😁

Back home, we calculate things a bit differently in our hall. If you go with the premium menu, you get four treats per person, but the budget option is three. So, I just took my own average and figured out how much would be left over once the wedding guests head out.