Last-minute Wedding Cake with a Budget

[Mspanda]

So like I've said it was a last minute decision for my brother and a surprise wedding for my future sis-in-law. So depending whether or not I would be able to book a reception hall today, it's time to look at wedding cake.

We would need a wedding cake that feed about 150 guests. I want an affordable and good to eat wedding cake that in a 300$-400$ price range. None of the cake shop website I check has listed their price. I don't want to call them one by one to be told that you need an testing appointment to get the price.

Wedding date is in 5 weeks, last weekend of november.

Any recommendations?

[bakersdelight]

wow, that sounds expensive, $900.
I know a lady who does beautiful work. It's kosher parve though, which means she doesn't use any dairy products:
http://www.esbcreations.com/home.htm

[Mspanda]

If it was my wedding cake we are talking about, I will definitely do cupcakes. I love CL's cupcakes. But the couple is in their mid 30's would much prefer a traditional wedding cake to avoid the blah blah from the adults/community.

I know that some Asian cake shop would definitely accommodate you, however I'm not so sure about the quality of their product. So I rather take a chance with a good cake shop. I will just call them one by one and see who is willing to take up on my order. It's low season anyways, fingers crossed.

[celfie]

Pattiserie Harmony is very much a reputable cake shop and offer the same services as other similar patisseries. your comment is quite presumptuous. I don't see why you would view CL as having a higher quality than Harmonie other than the prefixed epithet

[SourberryLily]

I'll second that. Pastry making talents aren't reserved to the french or the italians nowadays. Even if being in chinatown, Harmonies goods are always delicious, moist and their creams are made with real butter, not crisco.

If you still don't want to try them, you can call:
-Marius & Fanny who makes the most amazing cakes ever, but probably expensive.
-Ambrosia which is in Laval, and makes fabulous cakes as well
-Pagel in laval is great, but they have other locations through Montreal.

These three places are of very high quality but i am not sure about your price range, you'll just have to pick up the phone and go through a calling marathon. Sorry and good luck!

[Mspanda]

If I want cupcake I go to CL. If I want Chinese buns, I run to Harmonie. I've tried their birthday cake several times, and they are all very yummy.

It's more about preference. I like the clean western style of wedding cake, not the flowery asian style.

I'll definitely call those places to get an estimation. One of the place I called estimate my cakes at 900$ ...:S

[Erica2125]

Just stumbled on this one looking for bakery ideas. Just my two cents, but I find Ambrosia cakes are more or less inedible even though the place is always packed. We have family members who swear by them, but I find the buttercream frosting is way too sugary, and the cake tastes dry and flavorless. It may be called sponge cake, but it shouldn't taste like an actual sponge. I tried their baklava once, and it was a soggy mess. On the same trip where i grabbed the baklava, the counter help dissauded me from ordering a different pastry by saying they weren't fresh. I will admit their spinach pie is prety good though.

[nelya]

Best place to get a wedding cake from, no matter how last minute:
Gourmandises de L'Arlequin
514-890-1935
2359, boul de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC H2K 2E6

Ask to speak to Jean-Michel or Béatrice.

We had ours done here, it was amazing! We had a rasberry mousseline & lemon cake. For 125 people, less than $400. They will also give you a free tasting of one or two different flavours if you ask.

[celfie]

patisserie harmonie does wedding cakes and i'll bet you anything they'd be able to accomodate you - afterall, they;'re in the metro!
http://www.patisserieharmonie.com/gen...

[eoj]

My advice is not to look for a "wedding" cake, It will be more expensive and wedding cake makers probably tend to expect more than 5 weeks notice, but for other special events, that seems like plenty of lead time. So unless your brother/sis-in-law-to-be are set on a very wedding-y cake, I'd say just start calling the cake shops and ask over the phone. Often businesses will give out the prices over the phone, especially if you tell them your budget, but they won't want to put it in writing on their website.

You could also go a non-traditional route with cupcakes from Cocoa Locale or something similar.

[SourberryLily]

Cupcakes are a good idea actually!

Cocoa locale makes awesome ones, but for the sake of giving you choices: Les Glaceurs or Petits Gateaux boutique cupcake. I've had at both, and they make great cupcakes. Petits Gateaux's decorations are better though.

http://www.petitsgateaux.ca/fr/index.php

As for a traditional cake, do you have an idea of where the wedding will be held? North Shore, South shore, on the island? You will need to pick up that phone because cakes are custom and the prices change, a baker will never put up the prices online.

[Peaches to Poutine]

I did cupcakes for my wedding and despite the trendy truth, it was the best way to go. My husband and I chose 5 different flavors so we could cover all the bases with wedding guests. So yeah, I think cupcakes are mucho better than an actual cake. But if a cake is the way you want to go (and who can blame you? Cake is awesome in all forms), I second eoj's suggestion.

[eoj]

I also did cupcakes and it was very easy (no slicing a bunch of slices), pretty, and delicious.