Weddings Summer 2013 > Planner

Mark Joseph Cakes

A Culinary Institute of America graduate, Mark Randazzo specializes in flavor pairings: Think raspberry and pistachio fillings combined with rich Valrhona chocolate. His wife, Leslie, can nail any vision, whether it’s an elaborate sculpture or a minimalist buttercream beauty. From $8 per serving.

Michelle Doll Cakes

Before becoming a sugar artist at the French Culinary Institute, Doll worked as a graphic designer—evident in her signature draping and intricate detailing. She is especially renowned for her red velvet, which can arrive crowned with vanilla buttercream frosting and a swirl of Nutella. To top it off, she once beat Bobby Flay in a wedding-cake throwdown on the Food Network. From $9 per serving; $300 minimum.

Momofuku Milk Bar

This foodie favorite uses organic ingredients to make multi-tiered wedding cakes with a just-baked taste. Innovative flavors include pistachio, dulce de leche, chocolate chip, and pretzel. Delivery and setup available on location. From $400 for a three-tier cake; $575 for four tiers. (ecofriendly / good value)

Nine Cakes

Owner Betsy Thorleifson stirs up stunning, handcrafted tiered creations that are covered in fondant and adorned with elegant flowers or graphic prints. Thorleifson and her team will gladly customize flavor pairings (e.g., hazelnut cake with salted caramel and mocha buttercream). From $8 per serving.

Pieces of Cake

Cupcake Café alum Jennifer Chiang specializes in buttercream flowers and fondant-based cakes. Popular flavors include vanilla cake with mocha frosting and her Brooklyn blackout cake, a favorite among chocolate lovers. From $9 per serving.

Ron Ben-Israel Cakes

This French Culinary Institute master chef-instructor deals in cake couture. Realistic sugar blossoms adorn most cakes, which have included replicas of the Plaza hotel and the iconic “Love” sculpture. His cakes and icings feature flavors like crushed vanilla bean and blood orange. Everything, including the floral design and ribbon decoration, is 100 percent natural and edible. From $16 per serving; $500 minimum.

Sarabeth's Bakery

The uptown crowd’s favorite bakery and brunch spot also makes traditional wedding cakes, designed by Sarabeth Levine herself. Her elegant creations often include fresh flowers and white-meringue butter- cream. From $11.50 per serving.

Silk Cakes

French Culinary Institute alum Judy Lai blends Asian, American, and French elements in her cakes. Her multicultural tendencies are evinced by the filling options—buttercreams get hints of exotic flavors like yuzu, green tea, and dulce de leche. Design could involve anything from traditional tiers with ornate flowers to a cake replicating a sports stadium. From $7 per serving; $125 minimum. (good value)

Sugar Couture

Film producer-turned-confectionary artist Penny C.M. Stankiewicz culls most of her inspiration from interior design and antiques. Sugar Couture makes custom wedding cakes and groom’s cakes, but should you develop a sudden interest in the pastry arts, Stankiewicz also teaches classes. Her confections have made cameos on The Real Housewives of New York City. Wedding cakes from $9 per serving; $400 minimum.

Sugar Flower Cake Shop

Amy DeGiulio creates her elegant, sugar-flower-adorned cakes using fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. Her chocolate ganache is insanely rich, thanks to organic cream and milk from Milk Thistle Dairy in upstate New York. From $10 to $14 per serving. DIYers who want to decorate their own cakes can order lifelike sugar flowers (from $5).

Sugar Sweet Sunshine

This cozy bakery is a neighborhood staple for its cupcakes (the pistachio variety will make anyone a regular), which they’ll assemble into trees for a minimal charge. Conventional buttercream-frosted cakes are also available. Cupcakes are $21 per dozen; weeding cakes start at $7 per serving. (good value)

Sweet Element

Pastry chef and French Culinary Institute graduate Jen Roberts works closely with her clients to turn their inspirations into edible art, decorating confections in sequins and roses, and filling them with chocolate-peanut butter and pistachio buttercream. A groom’s cake could take the shape of a Super Nintendo, and chocoholics will love the handmade chocolate favors. Cakes from $8 per serving.

Sylvia Weinstock Cakes

Dubbed the “queen of cakes” by her peers, Weinstock creates elaborate, sugar-flower-studded cakes for the socialite crowd. She uses buttercream instead of fondant, so air-conditioning is a must to ensure your confection won’t melt. Prices upon request

William Greenberg Desserts

Since 1946, this bakery has been providing the Upper East Side with stunning kosher wedding cakes topped with homemade whipped cream, fresh flowers, and delicate icing designs. Greenberg is also up for the less traditional: He once made miniature individual wedding cakes for a client. From $8 per serving.

From the Summer 2013 New York Wedding Guide