Engagement cake: see tips and inspirations to choose yours

If there’s one thing that wedding trends are proving, it’s that nothing can replace real, flesh-and-blood contact with the one you love. Want an example?

Even with all the technology available to announce the wedding in a second, many people have chosen to do this with an engagement party for friends and family. Then, you know: you need to order a suitable engagement cake.

It’s just that, despite being much less formal than the wedding itself, the engagement party is still an important event. Therefore, choosing the ideal cake involves details ranging from decoration to flavor. See tips to get yours right.

6 tips for choosing the perfect engagement cake

Although it also has the mission to show the personality of the couple and to look good in the photo, the engagement cake has some particularities compared to the wedding cake, starting with the number of guests it serves.

Below you will find the main factors to consider when choosing:

1. Think about the location of the party: because it is much smaller than the wedding party, the engagement party can take place in many different places. In a refined restaurant, in the condominium’s ballroom, in a garden… In addition to guiding the style – for example, a rustic cake for an open-air wedding – the location also helps in more practical matters, such as knowing if the place tall cakes and so on.
2. Keep in mind the style and decoration of the event: the cake concept can either be the starting point or derive from the overall style of the party. The important thing is that they are aligned. Round cakes, for example, match romantic parties, while nakeds are the face of more rustic parties. Another tip in this regard is to choose a color palette and work with it on the cake and decoration.
3. Prioritize “real” cakes: the more intimate nature of the engagement party means that it doesn’t have much to do with large scenographic cakes. Ideally, it should be a beautiful cake, but one that you can simply cut and serve to guests. For this, it is worth betting on meringue, buttercream, whipped cream or even seminakeds toppings.
4. Calculate consumption per guest: despite the smaller number of guests, intimate parties mean that people will feel more comfortable eating. So, a tip is to calculate 100 grams of cake per person, an amount that can decrease if there are other dessert options or a table full of sweets. It is important to remember that the shape of the cake also affects the size of the slice, as will be explained later.
5. Prefer popular flavors: the good thing about smaller parties is that it’s easier to know which flavors please the guests the most, but, in general, the “darlings” don’t stray too far from the classics, such as sponge cake or chocolate with filling. of dulce de leche, brigadeiro or nuts.
6. Look for a lot of references: it’s no use, even the most creative people don’t get ideas out of their pocket. Looking for references is essential to understand what you like and what might work. The good news is that you can find several in this article, but it is also worth looking on Pinterest, blogs and Instagram.

Finally, it is common that, to balance the budget, many people cannot count on the help of a ceremonial to assist in choosing the engagement cake. But there’s no problem! If in doubt, you can always talk to the pastry chef, especially with regard to quantities.

An inspiration for every type of cake

Giving the cake a certain romantic look, of course, is inevitable when it comes to communicating an accepted proposal. But it is best not to fall into the temptation of ordering a cake that is a preview of the wedding cake, betting instead on more stripped down options, which does not mean that its finish should be less careful.

Check out the most popular types of cake for the engagement party below, as well as tips on what situations they are best suited for:

round cake

Quite versatile, the round cake has a naturally romantic air, but can gain a modern look depending on the finish. For those who want something more upscale, ruffled cakes and icing with meringue or buttercream are good options. Those who prefer something casual can opt for spatulas, nakeds, seminakeds and drip cakes.

Another factor that gives a different look to the round cake and which is quite popular is making the cake taller. In this case, it is worth paying attention to the quantity, since, for the piece to be structured, the slices will be larger, which can affect the yield.

square cake

Modern and different, the square (or rectangular) cake is a very practical option. This is because its format is one of the easiest to cut, which is good news for those who are going to serve guests on their own. As for the finish, the well-marked spatulate on the sides, forming 95° angles, is a cool trend that matches more sophisticated parties. In addition, they can receive dripped details and look great with flowers.

double tier cake

This option requires great care due to the smaller number of guests at the engagement party. As an alternative for those who really want a double-decker cake, it is possible to opt for a false base, especially in cakes where the floors have a similar diameter or length. The important thing is not to overdo it, but the finish itself will depend on the style of the party and the bride and groom. It can be dripped style, with flowers, with ruffles, etc.

themed cake

Usually, engagement parties are themed around the proposal itself, working more with colors and the couple’s style. But nothing prevents the cake itself from having as its theme the place where the order was made or some moment in the couple’s history, such as a trip or some common hobby.

When choosing the type of cake, it is also important to consider the place where it will be, as it will have to compose the look along with other items. In addition to the sweets, other cool suggestions to put on the table are flower arrangements and picture frames with photos of the couple.

alternative desserts

In addition to being more intimate, engagement parties are also usually shorter than wedding parties. Therefore, especially in cases where the celebration is made with a dinner, it is common for some guests to feel stuffed at the time of the cake. Which doesn’t mean they don’t have another dessert!

Made or not in individual portions, here are some dessert suggestions to accompany or even replace the cake:

• Cheesecake: on the rise, the American dessert is beautiful and can get refined versions such as with red fruit syrup or guava.
• Tarts or tarts: in addition to being charming, they still work well served warm, accompanied by a scoop of ice cream.
• Brownie: a classic that never goes out of style. After all, you can’t go wrong with chocolate. To not look like a souvenir, it is also nice to serve it hot with ice cream or whipped cream.
• Pavlova: the dessert made with whipped cream, fresh fruit and a meringue disc is elegant and versatile, and can be made with fruits that match the season.
• Tiramisu: One of the favorite desserts of the moment, tiramisu is best assembled in individual bowls or cut into firm pieces. Because of the coffee and liqueur, it usually doesn’t please children so much, so it’s worth paying attention to that.

As well as defining the flavor of the cake, choosing the complementary or main dessert also depends a lot on the knowledge you have of the guests. When in doubt, always prefer more conventional flavors.

more inspirations

Did you think the help would be just the text and a few images?

None of that! Get ready to be inspired – and salivated – with the engagement cake ideas below:

1. Romantic, this cake features the couple surrounded by sugar petals

2. What can also be done in a classic double-decker cake

3. Those who like fun things can opt for this more playful version

4. The wedding proposal itself can also become the theme of the cake

5. And a trend that conquers more and more people is to decorate it with the names of the lovebirds

6. Be it in very simple cakes like this one…

7. Or in more elaborate versions, like this drip cake with flowers

8. Those who love titles can even play with the famous “Mr. and Mrs.”

9. Even if, to be romantic, the cake doesn’t need to say anything

10. Adding flowers, for example, is a delicate way to decorate the cake

11. Remembering that they can be natural

12. Or sugar like these succulents

13. And who said they can’t be used in square cakes?

14. This cake already has drawn flowers

15. While this one completes the romantic look with a heart

16. If you like something more modern, rectangular cakes are a great option

17. As well as cakes that work with other colors, such as this blue

18. And why not bet on the guava tone of the bolo de rolo?

19. What counts is the message that the cake conveys

20. Which, in a way, is always a declaration of love

Chosen the engagement cake, it’s time to think about the wedding party! If you need help, you can count on Dicas de Mulher. See more articles on the topic here.