Creating A Fondant-Free Wedding Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide

Making a wedding cake can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it's important to plan and manage expectations. While fondant is a popular choice for wedding cakes, it's not the only option. Here's an introduction to creating a beautiful and delicious wedding cake without fondant.

Fondant is often associated with decorative and elaborate wedding cakes, but it's worth noting that it's usually left uneaten on the plate. For a more casual and rustic look, many brides are now opting for unfrosted cakes, where the visual appeal comes from layers of buttercream and cake. This approach not only tastes better but also allows for a more relaxed and natural style.

Creating a wedding cake without fondant offers several benefits. Firstly, it can be more cost-effective, as fondant requires less time and decoration. Secondly, it appeals to those who prefer a less sweet option, as fondant can be overly sugary. Lastly, unfrosted cakes hold up better in warm weather, making them ideal for summer weddings.

When making a wedding cake without fondant, consider using buttercream or fresh flowers as decoration. You can also play with different cake flavors, such as carrot, red velvet, or lemon, to create a unique and personalized dessert. Remember to plan ahead, practice, and allow for ample preparation time to ensure a stress-free and enjoyable experience.

Use buttercream instead of fondant

If you're looking for a more casual, rustic, or laid-back look for your wedding cake, buttercream is a great alternative to fondant. Buttercream, sometimes called frosting, is a combination of butter and sugar whipped together to create a smooth and spreadable texture. It's a popular choice for those who want a softer, less intense look for their cake. It provides a lovely silky backdrop to other decorations and is much easier to mix and blend colours with. It's also a good option if you want to complement your cake with different flavours. From light citrus to tangy cream cheese, there are lots of options to add flavour and enhance the cake.

Buttercream has a much lighter texture than fondant, making it easier to cut or bite into. It also has a creamier texture that complements the crumb of the cake. While it doesn't have the same structural properties as fondant, this can be a good thing when it comes to individual slices, as it won't be too heavy. You can spread buttercream thickly and layer it up without compromising the cake's texture.

Another advantage of buttercream is its taste. Fondant is known for being super sweet and intense, and when paired with buttercream or ganache underneath, it can be overwhelming. Buttercream, on the other hand, is less sugary and can be made with a Swiss meringue buttercream recipe, which has 50% less sugar than normal buttercream.

When it comes to decorating, buttercream can be loaded into a piping bag to create flowers, designs, and piped edges. Piping buttercream with different tools and heads can add a variety of patterns and decorations to your cake. However, if you're looking for sharp edges and a smooth finish, you'll need a steady hand and some practice. For a more rustic finish, buttercream can be applied with a little less practice, but it still requires time and care.

One challenge with buttercream is its sensitivity to heat. It melts in high heat and humidity, so it may not hold its shape well in warm climates or on hot days. This can also make transportation tricky, as it may slide or dent during transport. To counteract this, ensure that your cake is stored in a cool, dark, dry space. If it needs to be refrigerated, keep it in a box to prevent it from absorbing any strong smells from the fridge.

Make a naked cake

Naked cakes are a beautiful addition to any celebration and are perfect for weddings. They are layer cakes with bare or almost bare sides, exposing the cake layers and filling. This style of cake was popularised by Christina Tosi of Momofuku's Milk Bar around 2010.

There are two types of naked cakes. The first has frosting between the layers and a very thin, transparent layer of frosting on the sides of the cake, also known as a crumb coat. The second type has frosting between the layers only.

Step 1: Prep Your Cake Layers

Start by torting your cake layers to an even, level height to get rid of any domed cake tops. This step will help ensure your entire cake is super level and sharp. Once your layers are perfectly even and level, fill them and start stacking them. A tip when stacking your cake layers is to very slightly offset the middle layer so that the edge sticks out a little further in some areas. This will help create more varying depth with your semi-naked finish.

Step 2: Frost and Smooth the Top of the Cake

Begin frosting the top of the cake by placing a bit of buttercream on the top and smoothing it with an offset spatula, turning the cake on your turntable as you smooth. You should have enough frosting on the top of the cake that it extends about 1/4 inch beyond the top edges.

Step 3: Frost and Smooth the Sides of the Cake

Using that same offset spatula, apply buttercream to the sides of the cake, starting at the bottom and working your way up. As the semi-naked look involves buttercream that looks barely there, try to apply a pretty thin layer. When you've got the sides covered, take your bench scraper and smooth the sides of the cake until they're straight and you have some nice areas of cake peeking through. If you have areas that need more buttercream, simply apply more buttercream and keep smoothing until you're happy with the result. Try not to press too hard when you're smoothing the more "naked" areas, as you could puncture the cake layers and cause them to crumble. If this happens, just smooth it over with more buttercream.

Step 4: Smooth the Top Edges

By now, your sides should be looking rustic and beautiful, and you'll probably notice a little buttercream crown that has formed around the top edge of your cake. This is a good sign, as it means you're going to have a nice, sharp top edge when you're done smoothing it. Using your offset spatula, smooth the buttercream crown inward, moving the buttercream toward the middle of the cake. The goal here is to create level, sharp edges by swiping through the buttercream crown and moving the excess buttercream across the top of the cake. Smooth the top of the cake until it's level, and you don't have a dome in the middle from moving the buttercream crown inward.

Step 5: Decorate the Cake

Now it's time to dress up your cake! You can incorporate some fresh flowers (made food-safe) to decorate, do a ganache drip, or keep the design rustic with some greenery like fresh herbs or eucalyptus.

Tips for Making a Naked Cake:

• Use boxed cake mix to make this recipe even easier.
• To get cake layers of the exact same size, weigh the batter on a kitchen scale, then divide that by three. Place the cake pans on the scale to measure out the perfect amount of batter.
• If you added too much frosting at first, firmly scrape away the excess frosting while smoothing it out at the same time using a metal bench scraper or offset spatula.
• When frosting between the cake layers, add a large dollop of frosting to the centre of the layer, then use an offset spatula to push the frosting to the very edge of the cake and just beyond. Any frosting that spills out can be smoothed and thinned out when making the crumb coat.
• A large offset spatula is a game-changer for frosting layer cakes. The larger surface area helps you spread the frosting evenly and thinly.
• Because you need less frosting for a naked cake than a traditional layer cake, you will end up with extra frosting. Save it for other baking projects like cake pops, or serve it with fruit and graham crackers as a dip.
• Bring the cake to room temperature before serving. Because this is a butter cake, the fat in the cake hardens at cool temperatures, which can cause the cake to have a stodgy texture if served straight from the fridge or freezer.

Naked cakes are a simple yet stunning way to showcase your baking skills and creativity. With their rustic-chic look, they are perfect for any celebration, including weddings!

Choose a rustic theme

A rustic wedding cake is a classic country-inspired cake served with little to no frosting on its sides. The cake styling intentionally omits the heavy icing you would typically see on the exterior of a cake. Instead, the cake layers are stacked with plenty of filling to add moisture and flavour.

The decoration is often remarkable, quirky, and boho, with a styled tablescape that mainly features a rustic wood cake stand, creative confections, fresh greenery, edible fresh flowers, ganache drips, fresh strawberries, and lots of other farmhouse aesthetics.

A rustic cake design can be achieved in various ways. The difference comes in the decoration, and while these creations can be elaborate in nature, you don't necessarily have to be a professional wedding cake decorator to create a more stripped-back wedding cake with a rustic theme.

One option is to create a rugged, country-inspired look with naked cake layers and minimal imperfect frosting. Alternatively, opt for an earthy-inspired feel using dark 'country farm' colours (brown and green) or botanical accents such as berries, herbs, edible leaves, and flowers.

• For your first attempt, it's best to start with a single-tiered cake. It requires minimal equipment and ingredients, and it's easier to design and decorate.
• Use an 8-inch round baking pan to bake three single sponge cake layers. If you don't have an 8-inch pan, you can use whatever size you have, but adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• If the cake has a rounded top, trim it with a serrated knife to ensure the cakes are flat for easy and stable stacking.
• Use a pastry bag to create a dam of icing on the edge of each layer to prevent your filling from escaping. This allows you to use non-buttercream fillers like custards or curds.
• Add your favourite jam, then centre the next cake layer on top and repeat the icing and filling process.
• Top with the last layer, making sure it's upside down with the baked bottom on top.
• Place the cake in the refrigerator for a few minutes to allow the frosting dam to stiffen.
• Add a thin layer of buttercream coating at the top, making it slightly thicker in the middle.
• Set your choice of berries, flowers, or other decorations that might bring out earthy colours for a rustic look.
• To add shine to your fruits, create a simple syrup by warming some apple jelly and painting the fruits once they are set on the cake.
• Sprinkle powdered sugar or place sprigs of fresh mint or other herbs to dress up your cake even more.
• Berries and cream combined with a vanilla cake is a classic taste and colour combination that will satisfy any guest.
• Carrot and banana flavours have an earthy taste that works well for rustic cakes, and the orange/yellow colours contrast beautifully with the icing.
• The brown colour of a chocolate cake contrasts nicely with shiny fruits, fresh herbs, and hints of white frosting.
• Red velvet cake combined with blueberries, blackberries, white frosting, and herbs creates a pretty and dramatic effect.
• Vanilla, almond, or coconut cakes are perfect for light-coloured naked or semi-rustic cake designs, and these classic flavours never tire.

Some additional tips for creating a rustic naked cake:

• Create a plan for how you want the cake to look, what garnishes you will use, and whether you want a naked or semi-naked cake. This will help you determine the ingredients needed.
• Prepare your baking pans by greasing them with non-stick spray to release the cakes easily once they are baked.
• Use a kitchen scale to ensure each pan has an equal amount of batter, so you bake even layers.
• Trim the top of your cakes with a cake leveler or large serrated knife to ensure both sides are flat, adding stability to your finished cake.
• Chill your rustic cakes in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving to help the frosting adhere and to get smooth and neat slices.

Keep in mind that rustic wedding cakes have some downsides. They are prone to drying out, especially in direct sunlight, and they can be challenging to transport due to their delicate structure. They also have a shorter shelf life than fondant or frosted cakes.

Use fresh flowers as decoration

Using fresh flowers as decoration is a beautiful and elegant way to decorate a wedding cake. Here are some tips on how to do it:

Choose Your Flowers Carefully

It is important to select flowers that are non-toxic and food-safe. While the flowers are intended purely as decoration, they will be placed very close to the cake. Good choices for readily available and non-toxic flowers include carnations, mums, roses, and spray roses. If you are looking for edible flowers, consider pansies, lilacs, and lavender, which are usually available during the summer. Avoid flowers like ranunculus, peonies, and eucalyptus, as parts of them can cause stomach upset.

Use Herbs as Greenery

Herbs make beautiful and safe greenery accents on a cake. Thyme has a delicate feel, rosemary has a pretty colour and a stiffer texture, and bay leaves resemble rose leaves. Using herbs instead of cultivated greenery is a safer option.

Prepare the flowers

To prevent wilting, keep your flowers in water until you are ready to use them. It is a good idea to buy more flowers than you think you need, as some may wilt or not look as fresh. Choose a variety of large, medium, and small flowers, as well as leaves, to create a full and interesting design.

Tools and Materials

You will need floral tape, scissors, and plastic wrap to prepare the flowers. Additionally, consider using straws or water picks to help secure the flowers to the cake. If you have access to a microwave, you can use a product called Safety Seal, which is a food-safe wax that can be used to dip the stems of the flowers into.

Inserting the Flowers

There are a few methods you can use to insert the flowers into the cake. One method is to wrap the stems with floral tape and then insert them directly into the cake. Another method is to use toothpicks – cut the stem off the flower at the base of the bloom and insert a toothpick into the flower where the stem was. Then, carefully stick the toothpick into the cake, ensuring that the base of the flower does not touch the cake.

Timing

Fresh flowers should be added to the cake as close to the event as possible, preferably the same day, to ensure they look their best.

Use a recipe specifically designed for a wedding cake

Using a recipe specifically designed to be a wedding cake is a crucial step in making a wedding cake without fondant. This will ensure that your cake is sturdy enough and that you have the right amount of batter and icing. For a three-tier cake, you will need to bake three cakes of different sizes (12", 9", and 6") and a large quantity of icing. Most recipes for three-tier cakes include a step-by-step schedule to guide you in baking and assembling each part.

When selecting a recipe, opt for one that is simple yet elegant, combining rustic chic with traditional elements. This will be more achievable for a home baker than a fondant-covered confection. Choose a recipe that serves your expected number of guests. For instance, a two-tier cake typically serves 30-35 people and is perfect for a small wedding or as one of multiple dessert options at a larger wedding. If you're expecting more guests, consider adding another tier to the bottom of your cake; a 12-inch round tier is a popular choice for this.

When preparing the cake layers, it's essential to bake each tier separately to avoid overwhelming your mixer and ensure even baking. Cool the cakes completely before assembling and decorating. Use a crumb coat, a thin layer of frosting applied before the final exterior frosting, to protect the outer layer from crumbs. Refrigerate the cakes after applying the crumb coat to help it set.

For the frosting, a higher quantity of vanilla buttercream can be used in place of fondant. Prepare the frosting in separate batches for each tier to avoid overloading your mixer. You can flavour the buttercream with extracts like almond, lemon, orange, or coconut, or mix in raspberry jam for a fruity twist.

Frequently asked questions