Every bride wishes her wedding day to be memorable for her family and guests. A significant part of that day is the wedding cake. The wedding cake is a reflection of the style and personality of the wedded couple and a celebration of their future. We have all had the traditional white wedding cake with white icing and white decorations and while this is still a popular choice there are many new trends in wedding cake design.

Icing options are as varied as the ideas to make the cake unique to the bride. Buttercream is ahead of the rest due to its creamy texture and pleasant taste but to create the looks found in most magazines you need to use fondant.

Fondant is made of powdered sugar, corn syrup and flavoring. Fondant will give you the matte finish look so popular in the bridal magazines. It is by far the most versatile in terms of custom designed wedding cakes. Under the fondant is a layer of buttercream icing for your guests to enjoy if they do not like the fondant. Do not shy away from the fondant due to taste as most people do not even know they have eaten it. I highly recommend fondant for weddings in June, July, August and September in Iowa. There are no guarantees during these months if you choose to go with buttercream. My fondant is imported from Switzerland and tastes very smooth. You can sample it at your consultation.

Cakes with flavor are in demand. My cakes have two layers and can have either icing or fruit fillings. While a version of white (vanilla or almond) is still the number one choice lemon and strawberry are indeed closing in. There is no flavor list provided by me because I will create just about anything you like. At your consultation you can taste 10 of the most popular flavors.

Non-traditional and themed cakes are popular among couples who want to inject a little fun or whimsy into their wedding. Fondant can imitate the look of fabric and having a cascading train down the cake or a wrap around effect is attainable. The whimsical bride will enjoy the funky crooked cakes in bright colors.

Grooms Cake is a tradition seen strong in the South and on the East Coast. Typically a grooms cake is chocolate and iced in chocolate buttercream or ganache and decorated in luscious fruit and a few flowers to compliment. The most fun grooms cake are the ones the bride presents as a surprise to the groom: a NASCAR, a fishing basket, a hunting portrait, a football jersey, helmet or stadium, anything that is the #1 hobby of the groom. Whether a surprise for him or a planned cake it is always enjoyed by the guests as a lighter side of the reception and a reflection of the groom's taste.

When reserving your cake with your designer of choice, be sure you have explored all of your options. You want to trust and be comfortable in your decision and there are many fine bakers in Des Moines all with different areas of expertise. While many bakeries may be able to accommodate your order on short notice, it's recommended that you reserve your wedding date with custom designers of cakes as soon as possible. Like many cake designers, I accept a limited number of weddings per weekend, and popular months fill up quickly. It's not unusual to reserve the date a year or more in advance- especially April through November.

Gloria Olson is a cake designer that came by her trade purely through chance. Gloria has degrees in choral education and vocal performance and was choral director at Valley High School in West Des Moines for several years. As a teacher with summers off she decided to try something new and took up cakes. When someone asked her to do a wedding cake she decided to give it a shot. The rest, as they say, is history. Gloria found that her cakes referred themselves and after researching wedding cake options she wanted to learn to do the much more complicated and custom design work. Gloria has studied with Mike McCarey in Seattle, Earlene Moore in Lubbock, Texas, Collette Peters and Scott Clark Woolley in New York , and Nicholas Lodge in Atlanta, GA. She has taken classes at the French Culinary Institute and likes to stay at the forefront of cake trends and techniques. Her cakes have been featured in American Cake Decorating, Better Homes and Gardens Scrapbooking, Better Homes and Gardens, The International Cake Exploration Magazine, Mailbox News, The Chicago Sun Times, The Des Moines Register, the Des Moines Business Record, Honolulu Advertiser, The Californian, Clarion-Ledger, Reno Gazette Journal, USA Today, KKCI 8, WHOTV 13, WOI 5 . Whether you choose a traditional tiered cake or a modern display, your cake will be admired and enjoyed by your guests. We work with a limited number of cakes each weekend so it is not uncommon for us to be completely booked from April through November. Call early to inquire about your wedding date.

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Q: Why should I order from you and not another baker?
A: You will be getting the most delicious cake that I am capable of creating. Since my small business consists of me, you are assured of getting the utmost professionalism because I know what I'm doing. Not only that, I'm an honest, fair, and fun person.

Q: How far in advance should I order a cake?
A: We are often booked months ahead of time so the sooner the better to reserve your place on our calendar (deposit required). There's no such thing as ordering too early! Okay, there is, but I will let you know when that happens. My advice is to order as early as possible to guarantee getting a cake for your special day. My workload is determined by the number and complexity of cakes in a given week and some weeks can sell out early...especially during wedding season (April thru November). Weddings are often completely booked 6 months to one year prior to the date. I will create 6 wedding cakes per week. Birthday and specialty orders are taken on a time allowed basis with typically 10 to 15 per week. Last minute ordering? I try to accommodate, but due to the nature of my work, advance planning is a must. I am only one person and I do what I can. However if I can do something for you, believe me, I will.

Q: Do you ship your cakes?
A: No, we are sorry, but as of now we are not shipping our cakes…they are too fragile! We will, however, deliver a cake as far away as you wish...but this service is not free of charge. You can pick up your cake, including your wedding cake for FREE!! Really, people do it every week and it is not that big a deal. I advise a mature adult with an air-conditioned SUV who owes you a favor and offered to “help in any way”.

Q: How much do the wedding cakes cost?
A: We do not have a general price list because each cake is custom designed. Wedding and all tiered cakes are priced per person. Because of the care we give to each order we require a minimum of a 3 tier round cake for weddings serving 95. In general our pricing starts at $3.75 per serving for buttercream and $4.65 for fondant. Pricing is based on the shape of the cake, color, type of icing and complexity of design. The price range for wedding cake is dependant upon the style of cake and the number of guests. Some are lower and some are higher in cost. It's important to know that the cakes I do are very labor intensive, and they take a lot of time.

Q: How much are the other cakes?
A: It depends on what you order. Sheet cakes serve 40 and they are $55 but if the artwork is going to take longer then it will cost more. Yes, I do birthday cakes and I love creating them. Birthday cakes are generally $35-$100. Tiered cakes, even birthday cakes, are priced like wedding cakes. Sculpted cakes start at $150.

Q: Do you have a catalog or brochure?
A: We do not have a brochure other than our web site. Each cake is custom designed, so our website serves as a portfolio for you to see previous work.

Q: Do you make Kosher cakes?
A: Unfortunately, at this time we are not under supervision to create Kosher cakes or desserts.

Q: Do you make individual cakes, cupcakes, and decorated cookies?
A: Yes we do, however, they are not cost the most cost effective. Individual cakes on the table will cost $50 per table. Individual cakes per person will cost $25-$40 per cake. Cupcakes start at $2.00 per cupcake and are ordered by the 2 dozen quantity only. Cut-out sugar cookies are generally $4.50 per cookie for the large wedding favor cookies, wrapped and tied with a pretty ribbon.

Q: Do you offer tastings? When may I come for one?
A: I only do consultations for wedding clients or very large birthday/anniversary/graduation parties ordering a tiered cake serving 100 or more. If I met with every small wedding and birthday serving 20 people I could no longer bake the cakes ordered because all of the hours in the week would have been spent chatting. Due to the busy lives of our clients and the time constraints and deadlines we face, we prefer appointments are made during the day, Monday through Wednesday (just like the dentist, doctor and banks). April through November are the busy wedding months and on Friday and Saturday we are busy finishing and delivering the cakes for the weekend events. Saturday appointments are best January through March. During the summer, I will take more evening appointments Tuesday and Wednesday. We try to accommodate everyone's schedule, so please contact us and we will make every effort to work within your schedule. If I have no weddings or the week is light, then I would love to meet a time that is not typical for me. Understand that the weekend of your wedding you will want all of our attention on your cake and every bride deserves our complete attention.

Q: Do you make groom’s cakes?
A: Of course! I will only create the groom’s cake (or any cake for that matter) if am doing ALL of the wedding cake served. I have worked hard to build a reputation on the taste and design of my cakes. Your guests do not need to taste cakes from multiple sources...it is confusing! If your baker cannot create a fabulous groom’s cake for you then you should have booked with me ;)

Q: Can you do only my bridal cake? I am getting sheet cakes elsewhere!
A: Mmmmm…no. See above answer. No one makes a general announcement that the tiered cake was created by Glorious Desserts and the sheet cakes by your Aunt Becky. I am sure she is fabulous, but truly it is a liability issue and a rule I never break. I am happy to bake all of your cakes!!
Q: Can you copy a cake by another Des Moines designer?
A: Of course I can but I won’t and I hope they don’t copy my work either…it’s just not right...we all know and respect each other and can recognize each others’ work. I am happy create your own unique cake based on your taste and my skills.

Q: Outdoor weddings with buttercream iced cake?
A: No. Duh...you live in IOWA and it is hot with a lot of bugs. When it is 90 plus degrees people do not do well and neither does cake…the bugs will appreciate the gesture! And your lovely white cake will be a dingy shade of dirt if there is even the slightest breeze.

Q: I am not sure, you seem kind of blunt?
A: I prefer to call it honesty. And my clients appreciate that. It is my job as your baker to tell what will work and what will not work. I have learned everything the hard way, and my experience guides me to never have a disappointed bride. I want you to be able to order with confidence that the cake you will see on your big day is exactly what you had envisioned. Anyone can promise you the world and tell you your ideas are brilliant…but I can tell you when they are not. And we will find the answer to create a cake even better than what you thought you could have. And that is a promise.