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Through word-of-mouth, you might find someone
who makes cakes in his or her home, and certainly the odd grocery
or restaurant bakery may create a wedding cake for your special
event. But when it comes to specialized wedding cakes in Juneau,
the hot spot is The Gumdrop House.
Licensed owner Doreen Adair has been creating wedding cakes in town
for more than 20 years. Adair is versatile; choose an idea from
her book showcasing around 100 ideas, or bring in a picture of something
that's caught your fancy. It's easy to get overwhelmed when flipping
the pages of her idea book, so it's a good idea to at least have
a general idea of what you're looking for before visiting her shop.
Are you into fancy bridges and stairways or castles in the air?
Or are plain cakes enhanced with intricate wavy squiggles more your
style?
According to Adair, cakes decorated with fresh flowers have been
fairly popular the past couple of years. "You have to be careful,"
she said. "Some are poisonous and should not touch the cake."
If fresh flowers are a must, consider having them placed by Adair.
She has the means to keep the flowers from touching the cake, and
she's alert to no-nos, such as do not stab flower stems into your
cake!
For edible flowers, choose creations made from buttercream, gum
paste, or marzipan.
When it comes to taste, some people choose a different flavor for
each tier, while others are still into white/white everything. Flavors
that go beyond the pale include fudge, spice, sour cream poppy seed,
and much more. If your mouth waters for a family favorite, Adair
needs to test the recipe first to see if it'll work for building
a wedding cake.
As you consider flavors, remember some people are allergic to nuts.
If you must have a nut cake, be sure to purchase an alternative
to have on the side. Perhaps a groom's cake, which traditionally
represents a hobby or interest of the groom, and/or is perhaps made
in his favorite flavor.
Locally, buttercream is still a favorite icing, but as fondant grows
in popularity in the Lower 48, more and more people are choosing
it in Juneau. Consider a fondant iced cake decorated with tiny candied
dots sprinkled with pearl dust and accompanied by some of Adair's
white chocolate molded seashells. Adair offers other icing choices,
as well.
When it comes to design, stacked cakes are popular in Juneau, as
they are elsewhere in the country. Adair can stack rounds, squares,
ovals, hexagons or hearts.
In addition to choosing flavor(s), icing and decorations, You also
need to decide if you want filling. Raspberry, strawberry and Bavarian
Cream are some common choices, but lemon, cherry or apricot-pineapple
might be more appealing to you. Furthermore, you'll need to select
cake stand(s) and a cake topper.
Before visiting your baker of choice, you need to have a general
idea of the number of guests you'll be serving. "It makes a
difference on what can be done," Adair said. "If someone
knows the number of servings, I can go from there."
When selecting a baker, find out if he or she delivers. Adair delivers
and sets up cakes made up of more than two tiers.
Finally, it's a good idea to book your wedding cake as soon as possible.
Ideally you want to try to make cake arrangements three to four
months in advance, especially in your ceremony will be held in Juneau's
short summer season—the most popular for local weddings.
The Gumdrop House is located at 9077 Hurlock Ave. Adair bakes cakes
for other special occasions, and she also sells a wide range of
candy and cake making equipment. For the do-it-yourselfer, The Gumdrop
House additionally supplies a wide range of wedding accessories,
including invitations, unity candles, garters, baskets, bouquet
holders, and much more.
By Catherine Parmelee
For the Juneau Empire
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