ROCHESTER, NY – It’s the season for summer celebrations. Graduation parties. Family reunions. Baby and bridal showers. League championship parties. Milestone birthday and anniversary gatherings. So here’s an idea: serve a one-of-a-kind celebration photo cake and listen to the “oohs” and “ahhs” rise from the crowd. All it takes to get started is a visit or phone call to the bakery at your nearest Wegmans Food Market and the cake can be ready 24 hours later.
Imagine grandma and grandpa on their 50th wedding anniversary seeing a vintage picture of themselves on the cake exchanging their “I do” vows in the church. Picture your fashionista cousin who’s turning 40 seeing an image on the cake from 35 years ago, when she was a little girl in mom’s high heels. Or how about a congratulations cake for the new graduate, with a cap-and-gown image of him holding his diploma?
You can use artwork instead of pictures, if you like. How much would daddy love a birthday cake that looks just like the stick-figure drawing his youngest made for him?
Don’t worry – the actual photo or artwork you choose is safe. Wegmans bakery staffers copy the photo or art into their decorating equipment and return it unharmed. The bakery also accepts digital photos on electronic media or by email – the bakery employees work with the customer to choose the best delivery method.
The secret behind this bit of magic that transfers your favorite image onto a beautifully decorated cake involves some special equipment and supplies. Here’s how it works:
1. The cake is frosted. The top of the cake must be white (vanilla buttercreme or whipped cream frosting) to show the photo’s true colors.
2. Using a computer linked to a special printer whose “ink” is actually food coloring, the customer’s picture is ‘printed’ onto a thin sheet of rolled fondant. Rolled fondant is the satiny, super-smooth icing used on many wedding cakes.
3. The fondant is placed on top of the frosted cake. The moisture from the frosting softly melts the fondant, leaving only the photo image behind.
4. Other decorations are applied to finish, like inscriptions, flowers, or fancy borders.
“Right now is our peak season for photo cakes,” says Sheila Volta, category merchant for bakery at Wegmans. “The pace reminds us of other departments around the holidays, but we love it. Birthdays and anniversaries happen all year long, but many of the celebrations that make perfect occasions for photo cakes happen in late spring and summer – parties for a first communion or bar or bat mitzvah; for a graduation, for Mother’s or Father’s Day, and so on.”
A quarter-sheet cake that serves 15 to 18 people is large enough for one photo. A full-sheet cake for 60 or more people is large enough for four photos. For details on sizes and prices, check with the bakery at your nearest Wegmans.
“We think photo cakes are in a category all by themselves,” Volta says. “We have so many fun decorating options for customers to choose from, but a personal photo or drawing makes any celebration extra special. Party guests can’t stop talking about the cake!”
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is an 80-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is recognized as an industry leader and innovator. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for fifteen consecutive years. In 2012, Wegmans ranked #4 on the list.
Source: Wegmans Food Markets, Inc
