Fancy That Croquembouche Wedding Cakes

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	Croquembouche	Pricing Options
	A croquembouche or "pièce montée" is a traditional French wedding cake, made from filled choux buns held together with caramel in an impressive pyramid. A very popular choice if there is a French connection within your bridal party and equally popular with the many other couples looking for an unusual, elegant and more interesting option to a traditional British wedding cake. This simple design with spun sugar, holly and berries was perfect for a December wedding at Blenheim Palace.

	Gloriosa Croquembouche	Pricing Options
	All of our croquembouche are built freehand, and have profiteroles throughout - they don't have a hollow cone inside (unless you specify that you would like a hollow one for "show" and the additional pieces for your caterers to serve). The more profiteroles inside the cake, the taller and more impressive it will be, and we will make it as tall as possible while ensuring that there is no risk at all of it collapsing. This croquembouche contains around 300 pieces and was drizzled with chocolate sauce immediately before serving.

	Cake and Croquembouche	Pricing Options
	Can't decide between a croquembocuhe and a cake? This couple chose a 12" rich chocolate cake decorated with white Belgian chocolate curls, and we topped it with a thick band of fresh ivory roses and a 150 piece croquembouche. A rather untraditional chocolate penguin "bride and groom" topped it off.

	Fillings	Pricing Options
	The traditional and most popular filling is creme patissiere - a light vanilla pastry cream. The flavour works well on its own, beautifully complimenting the delicate taste of the choux pastry and the distinctive flavour of the caramel, and can be further complimented by serving the croquembouche with a chocolate sauce or a fruit coulis. If you prefer, the creme patissiere can be flavoured with your favourite liqueur, or replaced with a chocolate or coffee mousse, however we have found that most guests really enjoy the pure vanilla flavours of the creme patissiere. Fresh cream is not suitable for use in a croquembouche; it becomes too warm with the caramel, and the entire structure will become unstable.

	How big are they?	Pricing Options
	Shown here next to a 4 tier (12" 10" 8" 6") stacked wedding cake this 400 piece croquembouche demonstrates the impact of your centrepiece. If you are serving it as wedding cake, allow 1 piece per person plus an extra 20% or so, and for dessert allow 3 pieces per person. If people are serving themselves (a popular option for an evening reception) they will generally take a couple of pieces initially, but may keep coming back for more! Many couples choose the size to match the impact they would like to achieve - spare pieces can be supplied in boxes. The impact of the smallest size is similar to a traditional two tier cake. More than 700 pieces becomes very difficult to handle, and simply looks too big when you stand next to it. Individual croquembouches can be supplied so that you have a small one on each table, enabling guests to serve themselves.

	Decoration	Pricing Options
	The most popular decoration is spun sugar - a delicate cobweb of caramel wrapped around the outside of the pyramid. As caramel is Hygroscopic, and absorbs water from the surrounding air, the effect of the spun sugar will be different on each croquembouche, but be assured that the spun sugar does not form part of the structure or stability of the croquembouche! Fresh flowers look great around the base of the croquembouche - either just a few to compliment your colour scheme, or a thick band of flowers and greenery all around the base. Chocolate or sugar roses can be used within the croquembouche for a great effect, replacing some of the choux balls. Sugared almonds give a pretty effect, either scattered amounsst the choux pieces or as more formal flower shapes, and these are the most traditional, although perhaps the least popular, option.

	Croquembouche Toppers	Pricing Options
	Although the top of a croquembouche usually comes to a peak, we can add fun sugar figures, fresh flowers or even bride and grrom figurines to the top if you prefer.

	Chocolate drizzle	Pricing Options
	Chocolate works very well with croquembouche, and we can supply chocolate sauce to be drizzled over the top of the croquembouche immediately before it is cut, or as part of the cake cutting ceremony. The chocolate also helps to soften the caramel, making serving even easier. The sauce is made from dark Belgian chocolate with fresh cream - with nothing else added. For the ultimate indulgence we can supply a chocolate fountain for your guests to dip their pieces of choux in to.

	What keeps a croquembouche up?	Pricing Options
	We hand build each croquembouche from the bottom up, rather than forming it in a mould or around a cone. This ensures much greater stability, as we can accurately judge how much caramel each piece of choux will need to hold it firmly in place as the croquembouche grows. It also enables us to build the croquembouche to any height and shape. Each choux ball is fitted snugly to the next, and secured in place with caramel. It is almost impossible for a professionally made croquembouche to collapse or fall over - indeed it is far more stable than a traditional cake. It must, however, be correctly handled, and this includes displaying it on an level table, and keeping it dry. It should not be refridgerated (it will attract condensation as it comes out of the fridge), and special care must be taken for marquee weddings, as marquees can be very humid. I would usually advise having the cake cutting ceremony as soon as you come into the marquee or reception room, so that the photos show it looking at its very best. This also gives the caterers plenty of time to break it up before serving, and means that your guests are not eating their savoury courses while sitting next to a sweet smelling croquembouche.

	How do you cut and serve your croquembouche?	Pricing Options
	Traditionally, the top of the croquembouche would be hit with a sword, silver mallet or even a champagne bottle, cracking the top off while the bridesmaids hold up the corners of the table cloth to catch the pieces. If you are planning to do this we can supply the croquembouche with empty pieces of choux at the top, and with extra caramel for a more satisfying "crack". We have a range of different swords available to hire. However, most couples simply push a knife or sword into the side of the croquembouche, much as you would with a traditional cake. The croquembouche is then taken away to be broken up, or left for guests to help themselves - we have found that silver salad tongs are an effective serving tool, but for less formal weddings you will find that your guests are happy just to get stuck in with their fingers!

	Delivery	Pricing Options
	The croquembouche is made fresh on the day of the wedding and delivered to your venue. Delivery is an important factor when deciding on your budget - your croquembouche needs to be delivered as soon as it is ready, straight to your venue - the equivalent of a taxi service for cakes. Price is based on £1 per mile round trip (a little more for local or city centre deliveries) so may account for up to half the price of the croquembouche, depending on distance. We deliver throughout London, Essex, Kent, Herts, Beds, Bucks, Oxon, Northants, Warwickshire, Worcs, Glos, Wilts, SE Wales, Somerset, Dorset and Hants. You are very welcome to arrange for someone to collect your croquembouche from our kitchens if you prefer.

	Can we try a sample?	Pricing Options
	It is important that your croquembouche tastes as good as it looks. You are very welcome to come for a tasting on any day that we are making a croquembouche - simply call for upcoming dates. As it needs to be made fresh on the day we are unable to post samples. Alternatively we would be delighted to put you in touch with other satisfied customers, or you may wish to read the customer review section.

	How much does a croquembouche cost?	Pricing Options
	The larger the croquembouche, the lower the price per person; as an example a 500 piece croquembouche works out at around £3 per guest for dessert sized portions. Served as dessert, a croquembouche is often less expensive than using a dessert supplied by your venue or caterers, but remember to factor in delivery charges, which form a large part of the cost of having a croquembouche, and plating charges (charged by your venue or caterers to cover the costs of the cutlery, crockery and staff to serve the croquembouche).

Please note that in addition to our Oxfordshire base, we offer croquembouche from our new base in Battersea, London.

As there are so few croquembouche suppliers in the UK we have developed a way to build and transport your croquembouche safely and reliably. However, as the croquembouche must be made on the day it is to be eaten we do not recommend transport times of more than 4 hours. Your croquembouche will be delivered to your venue just before the time you need it, by a specially trained courier.

For transport times of more than 4 hours we can arrange for a chef to come to you to make the croquembouche on site. Please call or email for a quote, which will include costs and time for travelling. Depending on availability we are happy to travel overseas.

Always made on the day of the wedding, by a trained pastry chef, the croquembouche relies on the correct balance of caramel to hold it together yet allow it to be dismantled. As it is freshly made, refrigeration is not required but it must be kept away from humidity or steam. Left overs, if any, should be eaten!

High humidity softens the caramel making the croquembouche easy to pull apart. This occurs naturally in marquees, but otherwise a steamy kitchen is ideal. Serve three choux balls per guest as dessert, with a chocolate or caramel sauce, or one choux ball as wedding cake.

Fancy That Wedding Cakes
Larkhill Farm, Larkhill, Wantage, Oxfordshire OX12 8PJ
Tel: 01235 770700 office hours | Tel: 01235 770066 evenings | Fax: 01235 770778 | Mob: 07074 770078
alison@wedding-cakes.co.uk