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Registry Essentials for the Cake Lover, According to Marissa Lopez

next-great-baker.jpg Photo: Marcus Nilsson

New Jersey native Marissa Lopez hit the sweet spot when she won TLC's Next Great Baker. Not only did she land a cool $10,000 and an apprenticeship at Carlo's Bakery, which is owned and run by Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro, but she also scored a spread in the June issue of Brides. In it she discusses life post-Next Great Baker, how to ace your wedding cake tasting, and her all-time favorite flavors.

We caught up with the 24-year old to talk wedding registry. We were dying to know what her must-have baking items would be for the newly wed kitchen. Here are her top five picks:

1. A Stand Alone Mixer. "Kitchen Aid is my favorite brand. All of the models are amazing, so you can't really go wrong. I just love them."

2. Aluminum Mixing Bowls. "I like aluminum because they don't break or burn, and they come in a million different sizes. They're very versatile and won't really break the bank either!"

3. Good Measuring Cups. "Be sure to get both liquid and dry versions. Most people don't know this, but they're night and day different! I prefer the simple metal when it comes to dry measuring cups. Also, when I first started out I totally used those measuring spoons that tell you what a 'smidge' and a 'pinch' should be. I'm telling you they seriously helped."

4. Serrated Knife. "I couldn't do a thing without my good 12" knife. For cutting up baked goods (especially cakes), it's gotta be serrated."

5. Cake Pans. "My favorite brand for consistent cake pans is Fat Daddio's. They're cheap online and come in different sizes and depths. I use them every single time I cook. Period."

Be sure to pick up the June issue of Brides to find Marissa's spread on page 176 called 'A Cut Above'.

—Gray MacDonald

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Repin of the Day:
DIY Wedding Cake Topper

diy-wedding-cake-topper.jpg

Source: etsy.com via BRIDES on Pinterest

Photo: Kitiya Palaskas

If you haven't already noticed, we're big fans of cake toppers. They gives your wedding cake a personalized touch that can't always be achieved with gum paste or piping. Leave it to Etsy to find a few do-it-yourself options to pep up the top of your cake like these glamorous sparkle letters. Cool, no?

Like it? Pin it! Be sure to scour our Pinterest boards for stunning inspiration on everything from your wedding hair and bouquet to easy DIY details and cool guest favors.

—Gray MacDonald

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Next Great Baker Marissa Lopez's Top 7 Wedding Cake Flavors

baking-essentials.jpg Photo: Marcus Nilsson

At just 24 years old, TLC's Next Great Baker winner Marissa Lopez has perfected the recipe for wedding cakes. Here are her favorite flavors of all time:

1. THE NEW CLASSIC: Red Velvet + Cream Cheese Frosting. "This is a good in-between option—more adventurous than basic vanilla or chocolate but still a hit with the guests."

2. THE CHOCOHOLIC'S DREAM: Devil's Food Cake + Chocolate Ganache. "It's the ultimate chocolate cake—I'd want to eat this cake at my own wedding!"

3. THE CITRUS TWIST: Lemon Cake + Lemon Buttercream + Lemon Curd."I suggest this for summer weddings—it's refreshing, and you can easily add fruit, like fresh blueberries, to the filling."

4. THE SHOWSTOPPER: Pink Champagne Cake + Raspberry Mousse + Vanilla Buttercream. "Girly brides—and husbands who don't mind a bright pink cake—love this. Instead of adding water to the batter, I use champagne."

5. THE HARVEST PICK: Apple Spice Cake + Caramel Buttercream + Brown-Sugar Mousse. "My take on the caramel apple. I can see these flavors working for an autumn wedding in a rustic venue, like a barn."

6. THE NOSTALGIC FAVORITE: Chocolate and Vanilla Cakes + Chocolate Buttercream + Mocha Mousse."Everyone loves chocolate and vanilla, and this combination is the best of both worlds. The mocha mousse gives it a grown-up twist."

7. THE PEOPLE PLEASER: Sponge Cake + Vanilla Buttercream Topped with Coconut + Bavarian Cream with Fruit."I recommend this to a lot of my couples. It's a basic cake with a nice, light cream filling, and you can add any in-season fruit you like. A guaranteed hit."

—Heather Lee

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Watch: Behind-the-Scenes
of our May Issue

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Photo: John Lawton

It took cake king Ron Ben-Israel 36 hours to create the towering confection featured in our May issue. Watch the video below for an inside look on how this 42-inch-tall masterpiece was made.

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Ron Ben-Israel Bakes a Cake to Celebrate the New Issue of Brides

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Photo: Courtesy of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes

The offices at Condé Nast were all abuzz today as Brides unveiled our new May cover! To celebrate, our friend Ron Ben-Israel of Ron Ben Israel Cakes whipped up a masterpiece creation complete with a life-like pair pearl studded Christian Louboutins, atop of shoe boxes from the likes of Carolina Herrera, Alexander McQueen's Snake Skin Knuckle Box Clutch, even a sparkly engagement ring, all resting on stacks of the brand-new May issue.

Dotting the creation was the May cover's featured flower: a Magnolia Blossom. It's simply stunning and was hard to imagine digging a fork into...until we were told what was inside: alternating vanilla and chocolate cake with Grand Marnier raspberry and dulce de leche buttercream.

Get the scoop on the beautiful changes to the new May issue of Brides.

—Gray MacDonald


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Wedding Cake of the Day:
Purple Glamour

glamorous-wedding-cake.jpg
Photo: Mark Davidson

This beautiful wedding cake by New Hampshire-based Wild Orchid Baking Company came to us via the blog (email me to submit your own!). I love the gilded doily pattern, it somehow resembles henna to me and would look right at home at a glamorous wedding like Nitya and Neal's. And aren't those deep-purple sugar flowers gorgeous? They look incredibly realistic, I nearly thought they were fresh blooms.

For more wedding cake ideas, visit our Wedding Cakes Gallery.

If you have a wedding cake you'd like to submit for the blog, please email photos and a brief description to Heather Lee at contact@brides.com.

—Heather Lee

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Wedding Cake of the Day:
Rustic Fall

Here's another beautiful "inside-out" wedding cake, this time by Carried Away Cuisine: Alternating layers of apple cake and cream-cheese filling are stacked high and left unfrosted for a rustic, homemade look. The finished confection is brushed with a citrus glaze and adorned with fresh apples, leaves, and a dusting of powdered sugar. For more fall-themed wedding cakes, visit our Wedding Cakes Gallery.

If you have a wedding cake you'd like to submit for the blog, please email photos and a brief description to Heather Lee at contact@brides.com.

—Heather Lee


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Wedding Cake of the Day:
Copper Sunbursts

glamorous-art-deco-wedding-cake-3.jpg
Photo: C Studios

We're on a bit of an Art Deco kick lately, so I just had to share this gorgeous cake by Jan Kish of La Petite Fleur. The shimmery sunbursts were sculpted from fondant and painted a gleaming copper hue.

If you have a wedding cake you'd like to submit for the blog, please email photos and a brief description to Heather Lee at contact@brides.com.

—Heather Lee


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Wedding Cake of the Day:
Modern Beach

If you're hosting a beach wedding, I love this modern cake by Superfine Bakery in California. The chartreuse color is fresh and unexpected, and the sugar paste orchids and piped coral designs add an elegant, sculptural touch.

If you have a wedding cake you'd like to submit for the blog, please email photos and a brief description to Heather Lee at contact@brides.com.

—Heather Lee

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Wedding Cake of the Day:
Modern Color

For modern weddings with a vibrant color palette, I love this cake design by Brooklyn-based Nine Cakes. The buttercream-frosted tiers are covered in stripes arranged in a very subtle gradient pattern; here, bright red transitions to very pale pink, but I could see this idea working for other bold hues, like orange, blue, or even purple.

If you have a wedding cake you'd like to submit for the blog, please email photos and a brief description to Heather Lee at contact@brides.com.

—Heather Lee

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Wedding Cake of the Day:
Glamorous Art Deco

glamorous-art-deco-wedding-cake.jpg
Photo: Luna Photo

Art Deco is a perennially popular wedding theme—and who else is excited for Baz Luhrman's film adaptation of The Great Gatsby this December?! If you're planning a glamorous Art Deco-style celebration, I'm completely in love with this amazing wedding cake shot by Southern California photographer Luna Photo—the square cake tiers are stacked in varying heights and are embellished with graphic geometric patterns cut from fondant.

If you have a wedding cake you'd like to submit for the blog, please email photos and a brief description to Heather Lee at contact@brides.com.

—Heather Lee

Cakes

Wedding Cake of the Day:
Origami Cranes

origami-crane-wedding-cake.jpg
Photo: SOTA Dzine

Japanese origami cranes symbolize longevity and good health, so it's no wonder they're often incorporated into a couple's wedding décor. They're also a fresh and modern way to decorate a wedding cake, as this confection demonstrates (which was baked by a friend of the bride). Each hexagon-shaped cake tier is studded with several origami cranes and topped with a pair fashioned from metallic paper.

If you have a wedding cake you'd like to submit for the blog, please email photos and a brief description to Heather Lee at contact@brides.com.

—Heather Lee

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Wedding Cake of the Day:
Eiffel Tower

eiffel-tower-wedding-cake.jpg
Pin It Photo: Courtesy of Cake Central

If you're incorporating a Parisian theme into your nuptials, pay homage to the City of Light with an Eiffel Tower-inspired wedding cake. This confection, featured in Cake Central magazine, features the tower cut from blue toille (that has been printed on rolled fondant using edible ink). The design is finished with sugared swags of lace and fleurs-de-lis.

If you have a wedding cake you'd like to submit for the blog, please email photos and a brief description to Heather Lee at contact@brides.com.

—Heather Lee

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Wedding Cake of the Day:
St. Patrick's Day

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Pin It Photo: Ann Stratton

In honor of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, we're celebrating with this sweet wedding cake by Jan Kish for La Petite Fleur. The square tiers are covered with rolled fondant and handpainted with four-leaf covers, then topped with a cluster of clovers sculpted from sugarpaste.

If you have a wedding cake you'd like to submit for the blog, please email photos and a brief description to Heather Lee at contact@brides.com.

—Heather Lee

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Wedding Cake of the Day:
Decorated with Ribbon

Decorating your cake tiers with ribbon is an easy and affordable way to embellish a simple wedding cake. Wide grosgrain or satin ribbon look clean and modern wrapped around the base of each tier, while thinner, more delicate lengths of ribbon, as seen on this cake design, add a sweet and whimsical touch.

If you have a wedding cake you'd like to submit for the blog, please email photos and a brief description to Heather Lee at contact@brides.com.

—Heather Lee

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