Crafting The Perfect Wedding Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide

Making a wedding cake is a challenging but rewarding endeavour. It's a great way to add a personal touch to your special day or that of a friend. In this blog, we'll cover everything from choosing the right supplies and recipes to assembling and decorating your cake. We'll also address some common concerns about making a wedding cake and offer tips on how to manage your time effectively. By following these steps and practising your techniques, you'll be well on your way to creating a beautiful and delicious wedding cake.

Choosing your cake recipe

Choosing the right recipe for your wedding cake is a crucial step in the cake-making process. There are several factors to consider when selecting a recipe, including the size of the cake, the desired flavour, and the level of difficulty. Here are some tips to help you choose the perfect recipe for your wedding cake:

• Consider the size of your wedding: The number of guests you plan to serve will determine the size and number of tiers your cake needs to have. For a small wedding of 30-35 people, a 2-tier cake should be sufficient. However, for a larger wedding, you may need to add an additional tier or make sheet cakes to serve alongside the main cake.
• Choose a flavour that will appeal to a variety of guests: A classic choice is vanilla, as it is a crowd-pleaser and can be paired with a variety of frostings and fillings. Other popular options include carrot cake, red velvet cake, lemon cake, marble cake, and chocolate chip cake.
• Practice baking the cake before the big day: It's a good idea to test out the recipe and get comfortable with the process. This will help you identify any potential issues and perfect your technique.
• Invest in good-quality ingredients: Use high-quality vanilla extract, butter, eggs, and other ingredients to ensure your cake tastes delicious.
• Consider the density and firmness of the cake: The cake should be firm enough to support multiple layers, but not too dense. Adding extra dowels or a centre dowel can help provide additional support if needed.
• Decide on the type of frosting: Buttercream frosting is a popular choice, as it is sturdy and can be used for piping and decorating. However, if you prefer a different flavour or texture, there are many other options available, such as cream cheese frosting or Swiss meringue buttercream.
• Take into account the weather conditions: If you're having an outdoor wedding or if it's a particularly hot day, avoid frostings that are heavy or prone to melting, such as cream cheese frosting or Swiss meringue buttercream.
• Practice assembling and decorating the cake: Icing a wedding cake can be tricky, so it's important to practice this skill beforehand. Watch tutorials and experiment with different techniques to find what works best for you.
• Plan ahead and make the cake in advance: Baking and assembling the cake ahead of time will help reduce stress on the day of the wedding. Cake layers can be baked and frozen up to three months in advance, and frosting can be made and refrigerated overnight.

Preparing the cake layers

Firstly, it is recommended to freeze the cakes before cutting to ensure they are less fragile and easier to handle. Place the cake pan on a turntable and put one or more cake boards inside. Then, place the cake on top of the boards and use a large knife to cut the top layer, ensuring the knife remains level with the pan's top edge.

If you plan to cut more layers, carefully remove the cake, add another cake board, and repeat the cutting process. This ensures that each layer is of the same thickness.

For the next step, you will need a silicone mat, a turntable, and a cardboard cake circle slightly larger than the cake. Place the mat on the turntable, and put the cardboard circle on top, securing it with a tablespoonful of frosting in the centre. Now, place the cake on top and press down to secure it.

Remove any browned top layers with a sharp knife. You can brush the cakes with sugar syrup or orange juice to keep them moist. Spread a layer of cream or frosting over the cake, using a metal spatula or palette knife, and then place the next cake on top, pressing down gently. Repeat this process of brushing and frosting until all the cakes are stacked.

Now, your cake is ready for the crumb coat. Apply a thin and uniform layer of frosting to the cake, using a small amount of frosting and a metal spatula or palette knife. Use a scraper to smooth the sides, and remove any excess frosting. Finally, place the cake in the fridge to chill and set the icing.

Trimming the cake before the crumb coat

Trimming the cake is an important step in achieving a professional-looking finish. It ensures the cake is level and that there are no crumbs in the final layer of frosting.

To trim your cake, first, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. This is called levelling off the cakes. You can then use a pastry brush to brush off any crumbs from the top and sides of each layer.

If you want to be extra careful, you can place a cake board on top of your cake and trim around the edge to ensure a neat finish. This will help you achieve a sharp edge on your final product.

Once you have trimmed your cake, you can begin the crumb coat. This is a thin layer of frosting that will seal in the cake's moisture and provide a stable foundation for the final layer of frosting. It is best to use a simple buttercream for this step, avoiding sticky glazes or royal icing.

Making decorations

Flowers and Nature

Fresh flowers are a classic choice for wedding cake decorations and can be used to add a romantic, rustic, or elegant touch. Consider using flowers such as roses, dahlias, baby's breath, or eucalyptus to decorate your cake. You can also incorporate other natural elements like olive leaves, orange slices, or fresh fruit like apricots, figs, and strawberries. If you want to avoid fresh flowers, sugar flowers are a whimsical alternative that can be matched to the colour of the frosting.

Cake Toppers

A cake topper is a simple way to add a special touch to your wedding cake. You can find a variety of cake toppers online or in wedding shops, or you can even make your own. Some popular options include monogram letters, a simple wreath, or a personalised sculpture representing the couple.

Drip Cake

The drip cake style is a trendy choice that can be adapted to any type of cake, from naked to fully frosted. You can create a drip effect using chocolate or icing, and then decorate with macarons, fresh fruit, or flowers.

Gold Foil and Metallic Accents

For a glamorous touch, consider adding gold foil details or metallic accents to your wedding cake. This can be done by using gold leaf, painting with edible gold paint, or incorporating metallic cake toppers or fresh flowers with gilded edges.

Two-Tone and Semi-Naked Cakes

A two-tone cake can be achieved by using different coloured frostings or by adding food colouring to the batter. Semi-naked cakes, which have a thin layer of frosting, are another popular choice for a simple and rustic look. You can also combine both styles by having a semi-naked cake with two different coloured layers.

Cupcake Wedding Cakes

Instead of a traditional tiered cake, consider having a display of cupcakes. This option is cost-effective and allows for more variety in terms of flavours and decorations. You can decorate each cupcake with a personalised topper, fresh fruit, or edible gold leaf.

Assembling the cake

Step 1: Prepare the Cake Layers

Before you begin assembling, it is recommended to freeze the cakes beforehand to make them less fragile when handling. Place the cake pan on a turntable and put one or more cake boards into the pan. Then, place the cake on top of the cake boards and use a large knife to cut the top layer, ensuring the knife is level with the top edge of the pan. If you plan to cut more layers, carefully remove the cake, add another cake board, and repeat the process.

Step 2: Prepare the Cake for Decoration

Lay a silicone mat on a turntable and place a cardboard cake circle on top, slightly larger than the cake. Put a tablespoon of frosting in the centre of the cake circle to stabilise the cake. Remove the browned top layer with a sharp knife. You can brush the cakes with sugar syrup or orange juice to make them super moist. Then, spread a layer of cream or frosting over the cake, using a metal spatula or palette knife.

Step 3: Stack the Cake Layers

Place the next cake on top and press down until it is secured, ensuring the edges are even. Repeat the brushing and frosting process. When you get to the last cake, gently press it down on top.

Step 4: Apply the Crumb Coat

Using a small amount of frosting, create a thin and uniform layer of frosting on the cake. Drag a scraper along the side of the cake while rotating the turntable to remove excess frosting. Smooth the top by turning the excess on the top edge in towards the centre. Place the cake in the fridge until the icing is chilled and set.

Step 5: Dowelling the Cake

For a sturdy base, tape two or three cake boards together, ensuring they are at least 2 inches in diameter larger than the base cake layer. Cover the taped cake boards and prepare the bottom cake layer by levelling, filling, and stacking it on the covered cake board. Make sure the cake is perfectly level. Cover the cake with icing or fondant as desired. Repeat this process for the remaining cake tiers, using cake boards with the same diameter as the cake.

Step 6: Inserting Dowel Rods

Gently imprint the bottom cake with the next size cake board being stacked. Use this outline to guide the insertion of the dowel rods. Measure the height of each stacked cake, except for the top tier, and cut the dowel rods accordingly. Insert the dowel rods into the cakes, spacing them about 1.5 inches from the edge of the cake board imprint. For larger cakes, insert at least three additional dowel rods towards the centre of the imprint. Ensure the top of all dowel rods are even with the top of the cake. Repeat this process for all cake tiers.

Step 7: Preventing Icing from Sticking

Place cut parchment or sprinkle confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, or coconut in the dowel rod area where the cake board will rest. This prevents the icing on the cake from sticking to the tier above.

Step 8: Stacking the Tiers

Carefully stack the tiers on top of each other. For added support and to avoid shifting, sharpen one end of a bamboo dowel rod and insert it through the centre of all cake tiers and cake boards.

Step 9: Final Decorations

Finish decorating your cake as desired. You can add ornate fondant decorations, hand-piped swirls, fresh flowers, or keep it simple with a rustic look of hand-frosted buttercream.

Frequently asked questions