The groom’s cake is usually fun and whimsical.  It usually represents the groom’s hobbies, business, or interests.  At the same time it can be beautiful and elegant without becoming an eye sore at the wedding reception.  To help make this happen you need to plan the cake.  Talk with the groom and get some ideas on what he would like the theme to be.  Once you come up with the theme you can start working on ideas on making a beautiful cake out of his ideas.  Below is a list of ways to help make your cake.

WARNING: There is one important thing that you need to keep in mind when choosing how to decorate your cake.  What is the material made of?  You do not want to poison your guest, so keep this in mind.  For example, if you use any kind or ribbon or fabric then you need to make certain that the dye used to color the material is non-toxic.  Floral cake tubes should also be used to insert flowers or other items into your cake.

• Black or Red shoestring licorice makes a swirl pattern or design easy.  It also makes great netting for fishing or basketball nets.  You could also use it to write the groom’s initials.

• If you are thinking about a beach themed cake Graham crackers make excellent sand.  You could cover the top of the cake with graham cracker crumbs and place two toy Adirondack chairs on top with a plastic palm tree and a toy umbrella. 

◦ Tip: Just make sure that the icing has set up first or the graham cracker crumbs will get soggy.

◦ Tip: If your icing will not work with the graham crackers, try a mixture of brown sugar, white sugar, and Grape Nuts cereal.  This will also give a different texture.

• A simple decoration is drizzling chocolate over the cake.  If you have a tiered cake pouring chocolate onto it and allowing it to run down the tiers looks beautiful.  By dyeing white chocolate red and orange you can make lava or blue will make perfect water.

◦ Tip: While pouring the chocolate you need to move the bowl so that the chocolate pours down the cake in the locations that you want it to.

• Using chocolate covered fruit is always beautiful and pleases the crowd.  Try using cherries, strawberries, or oranges. 

• You could also sugar coat the fruit to give it a frosted look.  Small bunches of grapes look beautiful frosted and placed on a chocolate cake.

◦ Tip: To give the frosted look to you fruit beat 2 egg whites until frothy, but not peaking.  Add 2 drops of vodka to the egg whites.  Brush mixture onto the fruit and then sprinkle with superfine granulated sugar.  You should use powered egg whites if you are concerned about salmonella.  Allow fruit to dry before placing them on the cake.  This method can also be used on fresh flowers.

• Using chocolate shavings, large chocolate pieces or chunks of chocolate is easy and can make a beautiful cake. 

◦ Tip: Pour chocolate into large sheets, allow it to cool and break it into organic shaped pieces or triangles.  Place the pieces along the sides of the cake to create a stone look or animal print.  The triangles could be placed vertically in the top of the cake to make jagged peaks.

•Many guys are addicted to sports, why not make his cake’s theme about his favorite sports team.  You could dye the icing the team’s colors, and use plastic decals to represent his team.  For example, a plastic Dallas Cowboys helmet or football could be placed on top of a simple blue and white iced sheet cake.

• If you are going with a simple chocolate cake try using chocolate covered malt balls as bunches of grapes.  You can stack them to create the look of a bunch of grapes.  If you add chocolate leaves to the cake with the malt balls, it will help with the illusion.  For all of the Buckeye fans, try dipping one side of the malt balls in a small amount of peanut butter.

◦ Tip:  Use a stiff chocolate icing to hold the candy in place.  Thin icing will melt too quickly.

• A rough masculine texture to the cake may be all that you need.  Try using chocolate candy pieces, pour a bag into a food processor and give them a rough chop.  Then using your hand, push them in to the icing halfway up the sides of the cake.  If you are concerned about the multiple colors showing you should try ordering them online, so that you can get a bag containing only one or two colors. (http://www.mymms.com/)

•Consider using the same metallic candied almonds that you will be putting on the tables.  Almonds have a wonderful teardrop shape and look exquisite on a cake. 

◦ Tip: Lay the almonds on a piece of paper first that way you can create your layout, this will help you when you are placing them.

◦ Tip: Use tweezers to help you place them on the cake.  This will prevent fingerprints from getting into your icing.

• For a bright and vibrant look try using fresh fruit.  Use a mixture of fruit to give texture or one single fruit to match your theme.  Take a simple cake, cover in icing and top with the fruit.

◦ Tip: Cut the fruit and toss them with 1/2 cup of sugar and the juice of one lime or lemon.  This will help them to keep their color.

◦ Tip: Mint leaves add a finishing touch when tucked into the fruit.

• Pie fillings are a quick and easy way to make a cake flavorful and beautiful.  Take a simple chocolate sheet cake and cover it in icing.  Make a border around the top edge of the cake to hold the pie filling on top, or allow it to drip over the edge by leaving off the border.  Pour the pie filling on top. Cherry pie filling make a beautiful contrast to both white and chocolate frosting.

◦ Tip: When you are purchasing the pie filling make sure that you are buying pie filling and not canned cherries or blueberries.  These two things are completely different.

• A rectangular cake could be made into a simple wooden chest buy coating it in chocolate frosting and using black licorice to make the lines in the wood.  Top the cake with chocolate gold coins, and candy jewelry.

• If you are going to decorate the groom’s cake with real alcohol bottles, try using the mini bottles because they are smaller and lighter.  You do not want to crush the cake with full sized bottle.

• If you groom likes airplanes, here is an airplane themed idea.  Take a simple cake any shape and cover it in light blue icing.  Then spoon small amounts of white icing in a few places on the top and sides of the cake.  Use the back of the spoon to gently smudge the edges of the white icing into the blue to make clouds.  Place your toy plane on top.  If you are good at piping icing you could pipe the couple’s names on the cake in the white icing to make it look like it came from the plane.  You could also try a green cake with a black landing strip, but this is more challenging. 

To same money some couples only purchase the bride’s cake and make do without a groom’s cake.  If you must get the chocolate cake into the wedding you can alternate layers on the bride’s cake so that every other layer is chocolate.  Another way to save money is to purchase a bride’s cake and make the groom’s cake.