We were delighted with the turnout for our 2nd Annual Spring Cake Tasting on March 15th at The Empress Estate! A number of couples and their families "braved" the crazy wind storm and ventured up to The Empress to sample some of the wonderful new flavors that Chef Michael Truman is introducing to The Empress Estate's wedding cake selections.
New cake flavors were introduced, and we asked our guests to rate their favorites. The new flavors include Grand Marnier, Empress Rose, Earl Grey and Royal Blossom, all made from exclusive Empress-created recipes. Some of the new filling flavors are Lavender Essence Butter Cream, Empress Rose Butter Cream, Lemon Custard, Royal Blossom Cream Cheese and Spring Mint.
"The Earl Grey cake was certainly the one with the most accolades! It is an amazingly moist cake, created by Chef Michael, with a subtle but unique flavor, and pairs wonderfully with the Lavender Essence filling. A handful of our couples decided on that immediately!
The Empress Rose cake was the second runner-up. This recipe was developed by Creative Director, Stevie Saleem. She describes it as being reminiscent of traditional Mediterranean pastries, with an exotic floral hint...a nod to her husband and co-owner Zoe Saleem, with his Mediterranean roots."
There were a number of sample cake designs on display, each with a very unique theme, co-created by Chef Michael and Stevie. The main showcase cake was in the Rotunda Foyer, where our resident designer, Lydia Perensovich, (aka, “The Palace Fairie”), decorated the foyer with an amazing Woodland Forest theme using ferns and wood rounds and forest greenery encircling the grand staircase. Michael and Stevie created a cake for the theme, reminiscent of stacked birch logs, draped with woodland flowers.
In the Pool Room, the main display cake looked like something Marie Antoinette might order...a huge 4 tier blush pearl cake, adorned with white roses, pink hydrangea and pearls...very fitting for The Empress' Ballroom with it's seven crystal chandeliers.
The other amazing cake showcased by Chef Michael was one that the guests actually got to sample, instead of just admire. In the Empress exclusive Royal Blossom flavor, he created an 8 layer Ombre' Cake in shades of our favorite aqua color. To get the full effect of this cake, it had to be cut into, to reveal the actual shading of the cake itself, to match the frosting work on the outside. Quite a treat for the eyes and the palette!
If you are considering hosting your wedding at The Empress Estate, you will be pleased to discover that several of our Wedding Packages have your custom wedding cake included! And, if you missed our Cake Tasting event, have no fear...we are happy to provide a private tasting. For our other packages, our couples find that the cost and convenience of having their cake done by The Empress Cake Artist is a wonderful option. To see more of our wonderful Empress Cakes, we invite you to check out our gallery of photos on our website.