Vendor Spotlight || Creme De La Creme Cake Company
The cake tasting — easily the sweetest part of your wedding planning — can also give way to one of the most creative parts of your reception. Jamie Holder, owner of Creme De La Creme Cake Company, has baked over 6,000 wedding cakes, creating every design imaginable from textured buttercream cakes to a life-sized wedding dress cake.
Jamie was kind enough to share her expert thoughts about how cake trends have evolved over the years, what the most popular cake flavors are, and her secret to staying in the cake business despite today’s Pinterest, do-it-yourself world. Enjoy!
The Laurel: How did Creme De La Creme Cake Company get started?
Jamie Holder: I started my company when I was in college with a group of friends. I always loved making desserts and it just started very organically and slowly.
TL: How have wedding cakes evolved over the years?
JH: Wedding cakes have definitely changed drastically over the years. When I started 21 years ago, the ONLY magazine was Martha Stewart Weddings. There was no Google, YouTube, Pinterest or Facebook. You had time to make mistakes, learn lessons and figure things out by trial and error. I honestly think — to this day — this is one reason I have been able to stay in business all these years. This job is 90% problem solving and 10% talent.
When I started, it was small, textured buttercream cakes with fresh flowers. Over the years it has become over-the-top show stoppers, faux cakes, metallics and sugar flowers. It's coming back around now to beautiful textured buttercream cakes.
TL: What are the current trends you are seeing among wedding cakes?
JH: The current trend is there are no trends anymore. I have so many clients that are all so completely different in what they're wanting their cake to express. Some of them are very traditional with buttercream scroll, others are all metallic and geometric shapes, or a cake covered in sugar flowers. I even have a client who is doing a comic book-themed wedding cake.
TL: What are Creme De La Creme’s most popular flavors?
JH: Our most popular flavor is definitely our white cake with blackberry and cream cheese filling. Also, our chocolate cake with salted caramel or an almond cake with a black cherry and chocolate truffle buttercream filling.
TL: What other sweets does Creme De La Creme make for weddings?
JH: We have a full service bakery which serves many other sweet treat items. We offer 9 different types of individual pies, cake balls, brownies, cookies, tiramisu jars, s’mores jars and banana cream pudding jars.
TL: What is the hardest part about making a wedding cake — and the most rewarding part?
JH: The hardest part is typically the time constraints. You can't work too far ahead because it’s cake — you want it to be as fresh as possible, but it still has to have time to set up, decorate, and detail it all out and then, of course, be delivered during our 100 plus degree weather.
The most rewarding aspect is a happy bride. I know that sounds corny but truly that’s always my goal! It's the best feeling in the world.
TL: What's the most unique cake you've ever made?
J: I think the craziest and most difficult has been the life-sized dress cake that we delivered to Oklahoma! It was so much fun but so crazy, too.
TL: Any advice you could offer newly engaged couples as they start their wedding planning?
JH: My advice for any newly engaged couples is to have FUN with this process. It's an exciting time, don't get too overwhelmed with all the small things. Hire really good vendors with a long track record and use referrals from friends and your venue.
Thank you so much, Jamie. Sure makes us want to go have a delicious slice of your almond cake right now! To learn more about Creme De La Creme Cake Company, click here.
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