Baking A Wedding Fruit Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide

Wedding fruit cakes are a popular choice for couples celebrating their big day. This type of cake can be baked in advance and decorated with fresh flowers, fruit, or a cake topper. The tiers of the cake are built up using a template and secured with royal icing. The smallest tier should take 2 1/2 hours to bake, the middle tier 4 hours, and the largest tier will bake for 6 hours.

How to prepare the tin and mixture

To prepare the tin and mixture for a wedding fruit cake, you'll need to follow a few simple steps. First, make sure your work surface is dusted with icing sugar. This will create a non-stick surface for you to work on. Next, you'll want to prepare your tin. Cut out a template the same size as your second layer and sit it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle. Push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark the dowel with a pencil to indicate where it comes out of the cake. Remove the dowels and trim them about 1-2mm above the mark, then stick them back into the cake.

Now it's time to prepare your mixture. In a large bowl, combine the flour and spice mix until well combined. Add the soaked fruits along with any remaining liquid in the bowl. Fold until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Once your mixture is ready, spoon it into your prepared tin and spread it evenly. Tap the tin on your work surface a few times to get rid of any air pockets. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, making a light dip in the middle of the cake.

Your tin and mixture are now ready for baking!

How long to bake each tier

The baking time for each tier of a wedding fruit cake depends on its size. The smallest tier should take 2 1/2 hours, the middle tier 4 hours and the largest tier will bake for 6 hours.

To build up the tiers, cut out a template the same size as the second layer and sit it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle. Push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark with a pencil where it comes out of the cake. Lift out the dowels and trim them about 1-2mm above the mark, then stick them back into the cake. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier. Carefully place the second tier onto the bottom one. Repeat this process with each tier.

The cake can be baked well in advance, similar to a Christmas cake. To keep it moist, feed it with fruit juice or alcohol. Test the cake about 15 minutes before the end of the recommended time by inserting a skewer into the centre. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is cooked. If not, return it to the oven and re-test in 15 minutes.

How to test if the cake is cooked

To test if your wedding fruit cake is cooked, insert a skewer into the centre of the cake about 15 minutes before the end of the recommended baking time. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is cooked. If not, return the cake to the oven and re-test after another 15 minutes.

The recommended baking time will depend on the size of your cake. For a three-tiered cake, the smallest tier should take 2 1/2 hours, the middle tier 4 hours, and the largest tier 6 hours.

How to decorate the cake

Once you have baked your wedding fruit cake, you can decorate it in a number of ways. Firstly, dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out some marzipan until it is large enough to cover the top and sides of the cake. Carefully lift the marzipan onto the cake and smooth it on with your hands, trimming off any excess. Paint the cake with cooled, boiled water. Next, knead and roll out some white icing until it is 5mm thick and large enough to cover the cake. If you are making a multi-tiered cake, you will need to cut out a template the same size as the second layer and sit it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle and push a plastic dowel into the cake, marking where it comes out with a pencil. Lift out the dowels and trim them about 1-2mm above the mark, then stick them back into the cake. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier, then carefully place the second tier on top. Finally, decorate the cake with fresh flowers, fruit and/or a special cake topper.

How to stack the tiers

To stack the tiers of your wedding fruit cake, first cut out a template the same size as the second layer and place it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle. Push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark the dowel with a pencil to indicate where it comes out of the cake. Lift out the dowels and trim them about 1-2mm above the mark, then stick them back into the cake. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier. Carefully place the second tier onto the bottom one. Repeat this process with each tier. Once stacked, decorate the cake with fresh flowers, fruit and/or a special cake topper.

Frequently asked questions