Your guide to what all those wedding cake terms really mean!

'American Style'
No pillars are used. Each tier sits directly on top of the other. Normally the tiers decrease in size. See example to the right.

'Brush Embroidery'
A technique used in icing to create a textured, realistic appearance for the sides of a cake.

'Cappuccino Cake'
Three different favours in layers creating one tier. Layers consist of white chocolate cake on the top, coffee cake and dark chocolate mud on the bottom.

'Centred'
Different sized cakes are positioned on top of each other. See example to the right.

'Chococcino Cake'
Three different favours in layers creating one tier. Layers consist of white chocolate cake on the top , milk chocolate cake and dark chocolate mud on the bottom.

'Double Tiers'
Where two tiers of the same size are decorated in such a way as to create one “high” tier.

'Extension Work'
Royal icing is piped in layers to create a "swag" effect around the cakes and then icing is finely piped to create a lattice effect.

'Filler Flowers'
Small iced flowers are used to complement larger style of blooms and soften the overall design.

'Ganache'
A confection of cream and melted chocolate used as a filling between different layers in a tier.

'Off Set'
Where tiers may be placed at an angle or off centre to the other tiers. "Cascade Rose and Butterflies" is an example. See example to the right.

'Pillars'
These support and elevate the different tiers in a more traditional style of design.

'Quilting'
A technical design creating the effect of quilting over and around a cake as on the bottom tier of "Peach and Ivory". See example to the right.

'Rolled Fondant'
Sugar confection, normally used in Australia, to cover wedding cakes and create a soft, rounded edge to the completed design.

'Royal Icing'
Confection of egg white and icing sugar. Used for piping work or in some instances to completely cover a cake. See example to the right.

'Stack Cake'
As per the "American’ style, but each tier is the same size. See example to the right.

'Stands'
Usually made of Perspex and allow the different tiers to be positioned in any way to complement the overall design rather than directly above each other. See example to the right.

'Swag Effect'
A design, normally around the sides of the cake, representing a drape of fabric in icing. See example to the right.

'Tiers'
A completed cake which forms part of the total design. This can be one flavour or divided into layers as with the Cappuccino of Chococcino cakes.

'Wrap Around'
A style of stack cake around which the icing is wrapped to create a soft "material drape" effect. See example to the right.