Rhiannon Hendricks
Wedding cakes are often extravagant, but a life-size wedding dress cake takes things to the next level. This type of cake is a true feat of engineering and design, requiring a significant amount of fondant (up to 132 pounds!) and a careful eye for detail. The process of creating such a cake involves baking and stacking multiple cakes, using dowels for support, and meticulously crafting the dress shape with fondant. The final product is a stunning, edible sculpture that can faithfully recreate the beauty of a real wedding dress.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fondant | 132 pounds |
| Cake pans | 12 cm |
| Filling | Creme, jam, lemon dessert mousse, buttercream, ganache, or funfetti |
| Dowels | 1 or more |
| Height | 6 feet |
| Width | 4 feet |
| Assembly | Beforehand, if possible |
| Transport | Moving boxes from Home Depot |
| Flowers | Sugar, silk, or fresh |
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What You'll Learn
Bake the cake
Baking a life-size wedding dress cake is a challenging task that requires careful planning and execution. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you bake this impressive cake:
Baking a life-size wedding dress cake typically involves creating a 3D cake structure that resembles a dress. Start by deciding on the cake flavour and ensuring you have enough ingredients to bake a large quantity. It is important to consider the number of guests you need to serve and plan accordingly. You will likely need multiple large cake pans to create the different sections of the dress, such as the skirt and the torso.
Bake your cakes according to your chosen recipe, ensuring they are thoroughly cooked. You may need to adjust your oven temperature and baking time to accommodate the larger cake size. Once baked, allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling and decorating.
As you are creating a life-size cake, it is crucial to use a sturdy cake recipe that can hold its shape. Consider using a dense cake base, such as a fruit cake, or adding extra ingredients to reinforce the structure, like lemon mousse filling.
Assemble and decorate
Once your cakes have cooled, it's time to assemble and decorate. Stack the cakes on top of each other, using dowels for support to prevent the cake from collapsing or tumbling. You can use buttercream or ganache to smooth out the surface and create a uniform base for decoration. Refrigerate the cake for a while to allow the filling and buttercream to set.
Roll out fondant, a type of sugar paste, to cover the cake. Fondant is essential in achieving a smooth and elegant finish. You will need a large amount of fondant to cover the entire dress cake. Gently lift and place the fondant over the cake, smoothing it out and trimming any excess.
To create the dress details, you can use various tools and techniques. For example, to make pleats, carefully lift and fold the fondant, creating the desired texture. Use a wheel tool to trim the skirt and give it the desired shape and width. For a more intricate design, consider using a prototype of the innovative dragéekíss cake-decorating tool, as done by Emma Jayne Cake Design, to achieve intricate details.
Remember to plan your transportation method in advance, as moving a life-size cake can be challenging. Use a sturdy cake box and consider the dimensions of the cake when choosing your mode of transport.
Creating a life-size wedding dress cake is a complex and time-consuming process, but with careful planning, attention to detail, and creativity, you can achieve a stunning and impressive cake.
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Use fondant
Fondant is a great way to cover a life-size wedding dress cake, giving it a smooth and professional finish. It can also be used to create intricate details and decorations, such as ruffles, pleats, and patterns.
To begin, you will need a large amount of fondant, depending on the size of your cake. For a life-size cake, you may need over 100 pounds of fondant, as in the case of the Emma Jayne Cake Design's life-size wedding dress cake, which used 132 pounds of fondant.
Before you start, ensure your hands and work surface are perfectly clean, especially when working with white fondant, as it can easily pick up any traces of colour, lint, or other materials. If you want to add colour to your fondant, you can mix in food colouring or use pearl dust to create a sheen.
When covering the cake with fondant, start by rolling out a large piece of fondant to a size larger than the tier you are covering. The fondant should be rolled out to a thickness of about ⅛ of an inch. Carefully transfer the fondant to the cake, drape it over, and smooth it down the sides. Trim off the excess fondant, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Turn the cake tier upside down and press down the overhang to create an even edge.
If you want to create ruffles on your dress cake, use a ball tool to roll over one edge of a fondant strip to thin and flare it out. Be careful not to make it too thin, as it may tear. You can add a sheen to the ruffled edge by using pearl dust mixed with vodka or water. Moisten the back of the ruffle with water and carefully attach it to the cake, using a smoothing tool or your fingers to secure it in place.
Fondant can also be used to create a dress bodice. Roll out a separate piece of fondant and moisten the inside with water to help it adhere to the doll or cake form. Cut out any excess fondant and use a fondant snake to fill in any gaps between the dress and bodice, smoothing it out evenly.
You can further decorate your fondant-covered cake with royal icing, creating designs such as pearls, bows, or extra fondant layers. If you are adding wording or letters to your cake, cut them out of fondant ahead of time so they have a chance to harden.
Keep in mind that fondant-covered cakes do not do well in the fridge, as the moisture can cause the fondant to become soggy. It is best to assemble the cake as close to the event as possible to ensure the fondant remains intact.
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Add decorations
Now for the fun part: decorating your life-size wedding dress cake!
You can decorate your cake in any way you like, but wedding cakes tend to stick to traditional decorations like flowers and piping. If you want to include flowers, you can choose from sugar, silk, or fresh flowers. Silk flowers are artificial and can be purchased from cake or florist stores. They are easy to work with and can be reused, but they may look fake. Fresh flowers will add an instant wow factor and can be matched to the rest of the wedding flowers. However, keep in mind that certain flowers, such as lilies, are poisonous and cannot be used on cakes. If you want to create intricate sugar flowers that look realistic, you can make them yourself using flowerpaste, a pliable sugarpaste that dries hard and brittle. You can manipulate and colour the flowerpaste to create beautiful sugar flowers.
If you want to add some sparkle to your cake, consider using edible glitter or crystals. You can also use a combination of fondant and buttercream or ganache to create a smooth and delicious finish. Fondant can be used to create a life-size dress cake, as seen in Emma Jayne Cake Design's creation, which used 132 pounds of fondant to replicate a real-life wedding dress.
Don't be afraid to get creative and add your personal touch to the decorations. You can also use a prototype of the innovative dragéekíss cake-decorating tool, as Emma Jayne did, to create intricate details. Remember to plan ahead and sketch out your design to help you stay focused during the decorating process.
Lastly, don't forget to consider the size of your cake and the number of servings you'll need. You can bake multiple cakes of different sizes and stack them to create a stunning life-size wedding dress cake.
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Transport and store
Transporting a life-size wedding dress cake is a challenging task. Firstly, it is important to know the weight of the cake, as this will determine how many people are needed to carry it. For instance, a life-size wedding dress cake created by Emma Jayne Cake Design required six people to lift it.
When transporting a life-size wedding cake, it is crucial to use a sturdy base, such as a cake board, to provide support and stability. The cake should also be chilled before transport to help it hold its shape and prevent it from becoming too soft. Securing the tiers with dowels or straws will further ensure the stability of the cake during transport.
A large, sturdy cake box is necessary to protect the cake from damage during transportation. If a suitable cake box is not available, a DIY option is to use a wide and tall cardboard box with one side cut open to create a door for sliding the cake inside. The box should be slightly taller than the cake to ensure it fits comfortably. Secure the cake box with packing tape to ensure it remains closed during transport.
When driving with the cake, exercise extreme caution by avoiding sudden stops, sharp turns, and speed bumps. It is advisable to have someone sit next to the cake and hold on to it during the journey.
For longer distances, consider making a makeshift cooler with a cardboard box and dry ice to keep the cake chilled. Alternatively, ask the baker if it is possible to pick up the cake a day earlier and freeze it for safer transport. Upon arrival, place the frozen cake in a refrigerator to thaw slowly.
Storing a life-size wedding dress cake requires similar considerations. It is essential to get the cake into a refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible after cutting to prevent spoilage. Wrap the cake with plastic wrap, followed by a layer of tin foil, before placing it in the freezer for long-term storage. This traditional method, however, may result in freezer burn and altered flavours. To avoid this, specialised wedding cake freezer containers, such as KeepCake, are available to preserve the cake without freezer burn or flavour changes.
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Assembly and presentation
Assembly:
Firstly, decide on the flavour and ensure you have enough ingredients to make a generous amount of cake. The number of people you are serving will determine the size of your cake pans. For a life-size wedding dress cake, you will likely need multiple large cakes. Bake your cakes and fill them with your chosen filling, such as cream, jam, or mousse. Stack the cakes and use dowels to provide support and prevent them from collapsing. Smooth the cakes with buttercream or ganache, but be mindful that these should be applied as late as possible—the night before at the earliest.
Roll out fondant and place it over the cake, pushing the dowel through the fondant to secure it. Create the desired dress design by adding details such as pleats, trimming the skirt to the desired size and width, and attaching the torso. Use fondant to create the top of the dress, applying it with a small amount of water or edible glue. You can also add decorations such as sugar flowers or crystals to enhance the design.
Presentation:
Transporting a life-size wedding dress cake can be a challenge. Ensure you have a sturdy cake box that can support the weight of the cake. Consider using a moving box, which is cheap and can be easily modified to accommodate the cake. Transporting the cake in an upright position is recommended, as it helps keep it stable.
At the venue, use a spinning cake stand to make any final adjustments and add fresh flowers, if desired. Fresh flowers should be added as late as possible, ideally the morning of the event, to prevent wilting.
Presenting a life-size wedding dress cake is sure to be a show-stopping moment. Consider any final touches to ensure the cake is exactly as you envisioned. Enjoy the reveal and be proud of your extraordinary creation!
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Frequently asked questions
A life-size wedding dress cake typically requires a large amount of fondant, approximately 132 pounds or more, depending on the size and design of the cake.
The size of the cake pans depends on the desired size of the cake and the number of guests you need to serve. For a larger cake, you can use bigger cake pans, such as a 20 cm half bowl cake pan, to create a bigger dress.
To assemble the cake, use dowels to provide support and prevent the different parts of the dress cake from collapsing or tumbling. You can also use a board between the dress cake and the base cake for additional stability.
Yes, fresh flowers can be added to a life-size wedding dress cake. However, it is recommended to add them as close to the event as possible, preferably the morning of the wedding, to ensure they do not wilt.
Transporting a life-size wedding dress cake requires careful planning. Use a sturdy cake box that is large enough to accommodate the cake. Consider the weight of the cake and enlist help to carry and transport it safely.
