Diy Wedding Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide To Baking Yours

Making your own wedding cake is a fun and budget-friendly option for your big day. It's a great way to save money and add a personal touch to your celebration. However, it's important to consider the time and effort required to create a wedding cake. Here are some tips to help you get started:

- Plan ahead: Calculate the number of guests and decide on the size and design of your cake. This will help you determine the amount of batter and frosting you need.

- Make your cake layers and frosting in advance: Properly wrapped cake layers can be frozen and taste more moist. You can also make your frosting ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator.

- Use the right tools: Invest in cake pans, parchment paper, cooling racks, piping bags, and other equipment to ensure a smooth process.

- Practice: Baking and decorating a wedding cake can be challenging, so it's a good idea to practice beforehand. You can use styrofoam cake rounds or real cake layers to perfect your skills.

- Transporting the cake: Consider assembling the cake before transportation to reduce stress. Use a sturdy cake box and transport the cake carefully, preferably in your lap, to avoid damage.

- Fresh flowers: Add fresh flowers to your cake on the morning of the wedding to avoid wilting. Wrap the stems with floral tape to prevent any fluid from leaching into the cake.

Research what professional wedding cake bakers do

Researching what professional wedding cake bakers do is a crucial step in creating a wedding cake. Here are some insights and tips gathered from professional wedding cake bakers:

• Professional wedding cake bakers usually have a cake order form that serves as a great starting point for customisation. It includes details such as the wedding date, cake size, flavour, design, and delivery information.
• It is important to advise the couple on the appropriate cake size, taking into account that wedding cake slices are smaller than those at a birthday party, and not all guests may want a slice.
• Professional bakers consider the cost per slice, the intricacy of decorations, and other factors when pricing wedding cakes.
• They also use various tools and equipment to create stable and beautiful cakes, such as cake pans, parchment paper rounds, cooling racks, piping bags, gel food colouring, piping tips, offset and straight spatulas, cake decorating stands, cardboard cake rounds, cake boxes, levels, dowels, and hacksaws for cutting dowels.
• Practising cake-making and decorating techniques is essential. Professional bakers often have a portfolio of past creations to showcase their skills and provide inspiration.
• When constructing a cake, professional bakers use cardboard cake rounds for each layer, trimming them to fit inside the cake pans. They stabilise the layers with dowels and use a parchment round to separate the layers before stacking them.
• Professional bakers also consider the delivery process, ensuring they have the necessary equipment and assistance to transport the cake safely.
• It is important to have a signed contract with the couple, outlining the agreed-upon details such as cake design, pricing, and delivery. A deposit is typically required to reserve the baker's services.

Get an accurate estimate of your costs

It's important to get an accurate estimate of your costs before you start making your wedding cake. Even if you're baking the cake as a gift to the couple, you'll want to know how much it's costing you.

Call local bakeries to find out the cost per slice and if there are any additional delivery or other fees. Make a list of all the tools you'll need to make and deliver the cake, factoring in the cost of purchasing anything you don't already own. This includes everything from parchment paper and cake pans to cake boxes and piping bags.

Finally, estimate how many hours you expect to spend testing recipes, baking, decorating, travelling, and setting up the cake. Remember, it might not be cheaper for the wedding couple to choose you over an established bakery that can bulk-buy ingredients and already has the necessary equipment.

Order supplies early

Ordering your supplies early is a crucial step in making a DIY wedding cake. The last thing you want is to be ordering pans, cake boxes, or piping bags the week before the wedding. Purchase your supplies early and store them in a single bin for easy access.

In addition to baking basics like a stand mixer and large mixing bowls, you will need equipment such as:

• Two pans of each size
• Parchment paper rounds (pre-cut or cut yourself from parchment sheets)
• Cooling racks
• Pastry bags
• Gel food colouring
• Piping tips
• Mini and full-size offset and straight spatulas
• Cake decorating stand
• Cardboard cake rounds
• Cake boxes
• A level
• Dowels
• Hacksaw for cutting dowels

Practise making the cakes ahead of time

Practising making the cakes ahead of time is a great way to ensure your wedding cake turns out perfectly. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you:

Plan and Practise:

Before you begin, it's important to have a clear idea of what you want your wedding cake to look and taste like. Practise making the cake layers and frosting in advance, so you can perfect your recipe and technique. This will also give you an idea of how much time and effort is required, helping you decide if DIY-ing your wedding cake is the right choice for you.

Make a Timeline:

Creating a timeline will ensure you're not overwhelmed as your wedding day approaches. Plan to bake and decorate your cake a few days before the wedding. Frozen cake layers can be made weeks in advance and properly wrapped cakes can be frozen for up to three months. You can also make your frosting ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Choose Your Cake Flavour:

Opt for a flavour that you and your partner love. Funfetti, vanilla, carrot cake, red velvet, lemon, marble, and chocolate chip are all popular choices. You can even add your own twist with unique flavour combinations.

Calculate the Amount:

Use a cake portion guide to determine how much cake you'll need based on the number of guests. This will help you calculate the number of cake layers and the amount of batter and frosting required.

Gather the Right Tools:

Ensure you have the right tools and equipment for baking and decorating. This includes cake pans, parchment paper, cooling racks, piping bags, food colouring, spatulas, cake boards, cake boxes, and a cake stand or turntable.

Master the Techniques:

Practise assembling and decorating your cake. Learn how to fill and frost your cake layers, create a crumb coat, and add final decorations. If you plan to use fresh flowers, practise arranging them on a dummy cake or a real cake layer.

Transport and Store:

Transporting your cake to the venue can be a daunting task. Consider assembling the cake before transportation to reduce stress. Use a sturdy cake box and carefully carry the cake, preferably in your lap, to avoid any damage during the trip. If you need to transport the cake in layers, add supports like bubble tea straws or wooden dowels to each tier to ensure stability.

Remember, the key to a successful DIY wedding cake is planning and practising. By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to creating a beautiful and delicious wedding cake.

If making a traditional white cake, freeze your egg whites

If you're making a traditional white cake, freezing your egg whites is a great idea. Egg whites freeze beautifully, so in the year running up to the wedding, save your egg whites any time a recipe calls for just a yolk. Measure your egg whites by weight for the Swiss meringue buttercream, so there's no need to freeze them individually. You can simply put them in a food storage container and stash them in the freezer.

When you're ready to make your cake, separate your whites and yolks in a separate bowl first. That way, if a small bit of yolk escapes, you don't have to start over. Even the smallest bit of grease or yolk can ruin your egg whites and keep them from reaching stiff peaks.

To reach stiff peaks, you'll need to beat your egg whites for several minutes. You'll know they're ready when the whites have increased in volume and, if you pull a beater straight out of the mixture, a peak forms that does not recede back into itself. Once you reach this point, stop beating, as it is possible to over-beat your egg whites.

Gently fold your egg whites into the rest of your white cake batter by hand. Make sure that you stir enough so that the egg whites are well-incorporated into the batter, but use a light hand so that you don't deflate the egg whites, or you'll end up with a dense cake.

Frequently asked questions