The Green Wedding Series: Cake
Eco- friendly Wedding Cakes
Unlike some other elements of a wedding which can require more compromise, an eco-friendly cake is a relatively easy thing to achieve. Choose the right supplier, ingredients and presentation and you’ve got yourself a guilt-free cake. Well, guilt-free in the green sense, we can’t get rid of the calories.
The Suppliers
You’re probably sensing a theme to this now - go local. Pick a supplier who is based near your venue. It cuts down transport emissions, plus who wants to eat a cake that’s been in the back of a van for 3 hours.
Most cake makers are happy to send out tasting boxes rather than do a sit down tasting, which means if you’re not based near your venue, you don’t have to travel to get to them. You’ll also receive cake in the post, which can only be a good thing in our books.
We spoke to Marianna Vaki from Whisk and Drizzle about picking an eco friendly supplier she suggested you “ask your cake maker about their ingredients, materials and brands they use – a lot of the time you can see if they are going for cheaper options which may not be ethically sourced or may contain ingredients that are bad for the environment such as palm oil.”
It’s harder to source ingredients directly from farmers or growers than it is for caterers, but a cake maker who shares your values should know the reputable brands, and buying organic and/or fair-trade where possible. Although we would like to add a caveat that the cake makers are relying on the brands they buy to be honest with them and have to accept imperfections in their quest to be sustainable, for example using fair-trade chocolate from a parent company doesn’t subscribe to that for every brand they own.
Look for a supplier who considers what happens to any wastage, this can be more difficult for home bakers as they don’t have a storefront to turn their leftovers into something that can be sold but they can freeze or donate leftovers and of course you can always offer to take it off their hands and make sure it gets eaten!
And don’t forget about how your cake is packaged on delivery, things like compostable cellophane and recyclable cardboard boxes are what an eco baker should be using. Make your venue/caterers aware of this so they dispose of it correctly.
The Ingredients
Again, I think it’s fairly obvious what we’re about to say here - go Vegan! Honestly, if you’ve never had vegan cake, try some and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. We think you’ll struggle to tell the difference, so if you have guests that might turn their nose up at vegan food (and they are out there), they never even have to know.
Vegan ingredients are more widely available than ever before but can be more expensive so its worth factoring that into your budget, however prices should drop as Veganism continues to grow and becomes more mainstream.
The Presentation
It’s Not Just Cake / Steve Bridgwood Photography
If you’ve gone to the trouble of finding an ethical supplier who’s making a vegan cake, then it’s time to score the clear conscience hat trick with your presentation. Make sure any garnishes like fruit or flowers are edible, seasonal and locally sourced. These are generally provided by your cake maker and/or florist anyway, but if you’re keen to kit your cake out try foraging or growing your own goodies.
Cake toppers can add a really fun and personal touch but avoid plastic, we all know how well that goes for the planet. And tell your caterers you want to keep it otherwise it’s likely to get thrown out at the end of the day. It can be a keepsake or you might be able to donate or sell it on to another couple.
A cake stand sets the tone for the style of cake, chances are your cake maker will have a number of options you can hire but if you want a different look then think about a stand you’ll reuse in your own home or can sell on after the wedding.
And of course, you can always ditch the cake completely and not have to worry about any of the above.
