Expert Advice on Destination Wedding Cakes, Custom Cakes | Destination Weddings and Honeymoons

Not only is the wedding cake a time-honored tradition, but it's also a focal point of your reception and the final taste your guests will experience. To ensure that yours is a sweet success, we looked to three veteran pastry chefs for their expert advice on common cake concerns, from the look to the logistics.
THE EXPERTS
Ben-Israel, chef/owner of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes in New York City, works regularly with hotel brands such as Waldorf=Astoria and Mandarin Oriental and has been featured in a number of books, TV shows (including Oprah) and magazines like Town & Country, In Style and Vogue, which named him number-one best baker in 2004. He also serves as master pastry instructor at the French Culinary Institute in NYC.
After holding positions at Café Boulud, Restaurant Daniel and the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, Fünfrock joined the team at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs as executive restaurant pastry chef. He has appeared in TV shows including Food Network's Sugar Rush and publications like Martha Stewart Living.
Karasek began her career as a pastry-chef specialist at Walt Disney World, where she performed at Epcot International Food & Wine Festivals alongside celebrity chefs such as Julia Child. She joined The Ritz-Carlton staff in 2005 after teaching for three years at the Orlando Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, and currently serves as pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. She has participated in numerous competitions and has earned several medals from the American Culinary Federation.
Q. What are the best ways to find a pastry chef at a remote location?
There are a lot of wonderful pastry chefs around, especially in resorts -- that's where I'd start looking. Find out what they've done and ask to see photographs. I would look for what original material they've produced as opposed to variations on someone else's work. Check with the hotel where the wedding is taking place to find out if there's a pastry chef onsite or if the hotel recommends any in the area. Then search the Web for reviews. The most stress-free way is to use a wedding coordinator. At our hotel, I work closely with the coordinators and couples during the process so we can make a cake uniquely their own.
Q. Where should a couple look for inspiration for their cake design?
You can research magazines, books, TV shows and websites to get ideas about styles and possibilities. You gather ideas, but ultimately, I want each couple to have their own cake. We don't do the same cake twice, ever. Many magazines offer inspiration, and most pastry chefs have a catalog. Couples can also look for ideas with a Google image search. For the flavor, I always suggest the couple take inspiration from their favorite dessert. Whether it's simple chocolate, a creamy cheesecake or a dense rum cake, the flavor is hugely important and essentially the final taste guests are left with. In terms of design, it's totally a clean slate. We find most of our destination-wedding couples get inspired by the island's atmosphere and tropical surroundings.
Q. What factors should brides keep in mind when making decisions about their cake designs?
First of all you have to pay for it; then you have to find somebody who can do it; and you have to be realistic in terms of size. A good pastry chef should be able to guide brides and present them with options. You also have to be aware of the conditions. I've traveled with cakes to Mexico, and they required changing my formulas because of the moisture in the air. First they should consider chef capabilities; if the pastry chef doesn't have much experience, it will show on the cake itself. Also think about which kind of cake goes best with the weather at the location. For example, it's hard to manage a whipped-cream frosting on a cake that will be displayed outside on a sunny day in Florida. One of the biggest factors is the location of the reception -- is it outdoors on the beach, or inside in a ballroom or restaurant? While we make every effort to ensure the cake is displayed flawlessly, direct sunlight and heat can pose a problem for particular ingredients and adornments. Also consider the size of the cake in relation to the number of guests attending. A cake should make a statement to the guests and be a welcoming focal point at the reception. An overpowering seven-tier cake at an intimate gathering of 20 guests can look out of place.