Creating A 3-Tier Wedding Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide

Making a 3-tier wedding cake is a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. Here are the steps to create a beautiful and delicious wedding cake:

Firstly, gather the necessary ingredients and tools, including cake pans in varying sizes (10-inch, 8-inch, and 6-inch), cake boards, a rotating cake turntable, a serrated cake knife, pastry bags, and cake smoothers/scrapers. The recipe for the cake should be specifically designed for a wedding cake to ensure it is sturdy and yields the right amount of batter and icing.

Next, prepare the cake pans by spraying them with cooking spray and lining them with wax or parchment paper. This will ensure that the cakes don't stick. Then, bake the cakes according to the recipe, allowing for different baking times based on the size of each layer.

Once the cakes are baked, let them cool before levelling them with a serrated knife to ensure flat surfaces. You can then assemble each tier by spreading a layer of buttercream or frosting and stacking the layers together.

To add stability to the cake, use cake dowels or straws inserted into each tier. Mark the placement of the dowels by centering the next smaller tier on top and gently pressing down to leave a mark. Insert the dowels just inside these marks and trim them to the height of the tier.

Finally, decorate the cake with a crumb coat, a thin layer of frosting that will catch any crumbs, and then apply the final coat of frosting. You can use a palette knife or an icing smoother for a sharp finish. Add any desired decorations, such as fresh flowers, sprinkles, or edible decorations, and your 3-tier wedding cake is complete!

Baking the cakes

To make a 3-tier wedding cake, you'll need to bake six cakes in total: two 6-inch cakes, two 8-inch cakes, and two 10-inch cakes. Each tier will consist of two layers, so you'll need to bake two cakes for each tier. Here's a detailed guide on baking the cakes for a 3-tier wedding cake:

Before you start baking, preheat your oven to 350°F. You'll need round cake pans in three different sizes: 6-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch. It's recommended to use pans that are three inches deep. While the cakes themselves will be about two inches tall, the extra depth helps prevent batter overflow.

Prepare your cake pans by spraying them with cooking spray. Then, cut wax paper rounds to fit the bottom of each pan. Place the wax paper rounds inside the pans and respray. This extra step will ensure that your cakes don't stick to the pans.

The amount of cake batter you'll need will depend on the size of each tier. For a 3-tier cake with a 10-inch bottom tier, an 8-inch middle tier, and a 6-inch top tier, you'll need a total of 24 cups of cake batter:

• Bottom tier: 12 cups
• Middle tier: 7 to 8 cups
• Top tier: 4 cups

Baking times will vary depending on the size of the cakes. As a guideline, here are the approximate baking times for each tier at 350°F:

• 6-inch cakes: 25 to 30 minutes
• 8-inch cakes: 35 to 40 minutes
• 10-inch cakes: 55 to 60 minutes

However, these times may vary depending on your oven. It's a good idea to use an oven thermometer to ensure that your oven is at the correct temperature. To test if your cakes are done, insert a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If it comes out dry, and the cake is golden brown, its edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan, and it springs back when touched, it's ready.

Once your cakes are baked, let them cool for about 10 minutes. Then, loosen the cakes from the pans with a knife and turn them out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

If you're baking your cakes in advance, it's best to freeze them before levelling or splitting the layers. Wrap the cooled cakes tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer for up to a week. Frozen cakes are easier to work with as they're less prone to crumbling, and the crumb coat will go on more smoothly.

Tips for Success

• It's important to note that the baking times provided are guidelines, and the actual baking time may vary depending on your oven. Always keep an eye on your cakes to avoid over or under-baking.
• To ensure even baking, it's recommended to bake one cake at a time, especially if you have limited oven space.
• To make your life easier, you can bake the cakes in advance and freeze them. This will help you manage your time and break down the cake-making process into smaller, more manageable steps.
• When testing for doneness, look for multiple signs: a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean, the cakes should be golden brown, their edges should pull away from the pan, and they should spring back when touched.

Making the buttercream

Ingredients:

• Egg whites
• Sugar
• Butter (cool and cubed)
• Vanilla beans (scraped)

Method:

• Heating the egg whites and sugar: In a heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Place this bowl over a pot of simmering water, creating a double boiler. Heat this mixture, stirring constantly, until the temperature reaches 70°C/160°F. This step is crucial to ensure the sugar is completely dissolved, creating a smooth base for your buttercream.
• Beating the mixture: Transfer the heated mixture to a stand mixer or use a hand mixer. Gradually increase the speed and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. Continue beating until the meringue and bowl have cooled to room temperature. This step is important to ensure the buttercream has a stable base.
• Adding butter and vanilla: With the mixer running, gradually add the cubed butter to the mixture. Continue adding butter until all of it is incorporated. Then, add the vanilla to enhance the flavour. This process may take some time, so be patient and keep beating until the buttercream comes together smoothly.
• Consistency and storage: The buttercream should now have a light and smooth texture. If it seems too thin, you can add a little more confectioners' sugar. Conversely, if it's too thick, you can adjust by adding a small amount of milk or heavy cream. Store the buttercream in an airtight container if not using immediately, though fresh buttercream is best for decorating.

Tips and Tricks:

• Make sure you have enough buttercream: For a 3-tier wedding cake, you will need a generous amount of buttercream for filling, crumb coating, and final decoration. A basic buttercream frosting recipe typically yields around 6 cups, so you may need to double or triple the recipe.
• Practice and planning: If you're decorating your cake with buttercream, it's a good idea to practice piping or icing techniques in advance. You can make extra buttercream and practice on test cakes or silicone mats to refine your skills before decorating the actual cake.
• Colour and flavour variations: Feel free to experiment with different colours and flavours in your buttercream. You can add food colouring to create pastel shades or bolder hues. Additionally, you can infuse flavours such as almond, lemon, orange, or coconut by adding extracts to the frosting. Always start with a small amount, taste, and adjust as needed.

Assembling the tiers

Now that you have your three tiers assembled and situated on either cardboard or foam core rounds, or a cake drum in the case of the bottom tier, it's time to stack them. Note that the cake drum is wider than the diameter of the bottom tier, so you can get your fingers under it for lifting.

Before stacking, you'll want to add some support to the cake. There are a lot of different ways to use cake supports, but what they all come down to is inserting vertical dowels into the cake to help bear the weight of the tiers above it. You're not fastening the tiers together, just adding support. Wooden cake dowels, plastic ones, or even plastic drinking straws can be used.

Whichever kind of supports you use, cut them to the height of each tier and drive them all the way through the cake so that their tops are flush with the cake. A triangle formation (three dowels per tier) should be enough support. Do the bottom tier first. Once the dowels are in place, lay a wax paper round the size of the next layer over the top, then position the next layer and repeat the dowel process for the middle and upper tiers.

Some bakers like to sharpen a long dowel and drive it all the way through the whole cake from top to bottom for extra support. (Foam core boards make this easier than cardboard.)

Now, it's time to stack the tiers. Place a tablespoon of buttercream onto the cake board and centre the next tier on top. Repeat with the remaining tiers.

To finish the cake, use a piping bag to fill the seams between tiers either with tiny dots to resemble pearls or a star tip to create a ribbon around the cake.

Applying the crumb coat

To apply the crumb coat to your 3-tier wedding cake, follow these steps:

• Place your filled and stacked cake on a turntable. This will make it easier to frost the cake evenly.
• Start by adding about one cup of frosting to a small bowl. This is what you'll use for the crumb coat. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting over the top of your cake, smoothing it down as you go.
• Next, add a thin layer of frosting to the sides of the cake, using an icing smoother to get a smooth and level finish. Hold the icing smoother at a 45-degree angle towards you while you rotate the turntable. Scrape off any excess frosting onto the edge of your bowl.
• Fill in any patchy areas with more frosting and repeat the process of smoothing and scraping until you have a thin, level crumb coat.
• Using a clean angled spatula, swipe the edges of the cake towards the centre to create sharp edges.
• Once your cake is covered in a nice, thin crumb coat, place the whole turntable into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the cake will firm up the buttercream, gluing down any crumbs and creating a stable foundation for your final layer of frosting.

Remember, it's important that your cake is completely cooled before applying the crumb coat, as a hot cake will melt it. Also, if you're planning to fill your cake, you should do this before applying the crumb coat.

Final decorations

Once your cake is frosted and stacked, it's time for the final decorations! You can pipe some decorative touches around the edges, or use ribbon, sprinkles, and edible decorations such as fresh berries or flowers for an elegant finishing touch.

If you're looking for a simple cake style, texturing your buttercream with an offset spatula works beautifully. You can also pipe dots of frosting with a round piping tip between the tiers to resemble pretty pearls. To smooth any peaks on these "pearls," moisten your fingertip with water and gently press down on the peak.

If you're feeling more adventurous, you can try a naked cake style with flowers and berries or a two-toned frosting rose design. You can also add any decorative pieces, such as artificial flowers, to finish off your cake.

Frequently asked questions