Birch Bark Wedding Cake: A Rustic, Natural Guide

Birch tree cakes are a popular choice for couples who love nature and the outdoors. The cakes mimic the look of birch wood, with a rustic, white-textured exterior to replicate the bark. The cake can be decorated with fresh flowers, branches, greenery, or even fresh fruit. The following is a guide on how to make a birch bark wedding cake.

Using buttercream or frosting to create a bark-like texture

To create a bark-like texture using buttercream or frosting, you can follow these steps:

Start by preparing your cake layers. Bake your desired number of cake layers and allow them to cool completely. You can use a simple sponge cake recipe or any flavour of your choice. Once cooled, split the cakes and soak them with sugar syrup.

Now, it's time to stack and fill your cake. Spread a layer of buttercream or frosting between each cake layer and stack them evenly. This will add flavour and stability to your birch bark wedding cake.

Next, apply a crumb coat to the entire cake. This will seal in any crumbs and create a smooth base for your final layer of buttercream. Place the cake in the fridge or freezer until the crumb coat sets.

For the final layer of buttercream, don't worry about making it too smooth. You want to create a slightly uneven, bark-like texture. You can use a palette knife or offset spatula to create this texture.

To add colour and enhance the bark effect, mix some brown gel food colouring with cooled boiled water. Using a wide brush, slowly spin your turntable while adding the mixture to the top of the cake, creating a bark edge circle. Blend it gently with a small spatula.

Now, it's time to create the distinctive birch bark pattern. Using brown gel colour and a narrow paintbrush, slowly spin the cake while adding short and slightly longer dashes around it. As you are working with buttercream, be careful not to pull the buttercream off the cake. If mistakes happen, simply push the buttercream back into place.

To add depth and authenticity to your design, vary the thickness and length of the vertical lines. Use a small brush to add details like knots, cracks, or peeling sections of bark by creating irregular horizontal lines or gentle curves.

For a more natural look, use a clean, dry brush to lightly blend and soften some of the painted lines, mimicking the organic appearance of real birch bark.

Allow your cake to dry for at least an hour or overnight to ensure that the food colouring sets and doesn't smudge when handling or adding any additional decorations.

With these steps, you'll be able to create a beautiful and tasty birch bark wedding cake using buttercream or frosting to achieve that perfect bark-like texture.

Adding decorations like sugar craft sculptures, fresh flowers, or foliage

Once you've created your birch bark wedding cake, you can decorate it with sugar craft sculptures, fresh flowers, or foliage. Here are some ideas for each:

Sugar Craft Sculptures

Sugar sculptures can be an impressive and intricate addition to your wedding cake. The art of sugar sculpting involves heating sugar to a liquid form and then using specialised tools and techniques to create stunning, edible masterpieces as it cools and hardens. Here are some ideas for sugar craft sculptures to adorn your birch bark wedding cake:

• Woodland creatures, such as a mouse
• Meringue mushrooms
• Ferns
• Chocolate axe
• Sugar flowers, such as roses, peonies, or orchids
• Sugar ribbons, bows, or basic shapes created through the pulling technique
• Sugar bubbles created through the blowing technique
• Sugar lace patterns
• Sugar antlers

Fresh Flowers

Fresh flowers are a classic and elegant way to decorate your wedding cake. You can choose flowers that match your colour palette or the season, or opt for something more unique. Here are some ideas for fresh flowers that would complement a birch bark wedding cake:

• Wildflowers and rusty foliage for a rustic celebration
• Orchids for a sleek, city event
• Baby's breath for a classic event
• Roses, ranunculus, dahlias, or calla lilies
• Peonies, roses, and morning glory vines
• Hydrangeas and dogwood flowers for a summer wedding
• Sunflowers and chamomile for a rustic wedding
• Lilies and garden roses
• Peonies, roses, and morning glory vines

Foliage

Foliage can add a natural and whimsical touch to your wedding cake. You can choose foliage that matches the colours or theme of your wedding. Here are some ideas for foliage that would complement a birch bark wedding cake:

• Greenery, such as eucalyptus or lunaria
• Autumnal hues of flowers and greenery, such as burgundy leaves
• Tropical leaves, such as palm leaves

Creating a birch bark pattern with brown gel colour and a paintbrush

To create a birch bark pattern with brown gel colour and a paintbrush, you'll need to follow these steps:

Firstly, mix some brown gel colour with cooled boiled water. Next, place your cake on a turntable if you have one, and slowly spin it while adding short and slightly longer dashes of the brown gel colour mixture around the cake with a narrow paintbrush. This technique will create the birch bark pattern.

Because you're working with buttercream, you'll need to be careful not to pull the buttercream off the cake as you paint. If you make a mistake, simply push the buttercream back into place—it's easy to repair. You can also add some texture to the bark by dabbing your brush into the surface or carefully pulling it around.

For a more intricate design, you can add "bark eyes" in the same way, using a brush and gel colour. Then, use a palette knife or blade to create a chunky texture.

By following these steps and using a combination of brown gel colour, a paintbrush, and a turntable, you can create a beautiful and effective birch bark pattern on your wedding cake.

Baking and preparing a cake with multiple layers

Baking the Cake Layers

First, prepare your cake pans. It is essential to line the pan with parchment paper to ensure the cake doesn't stick to it. You can either cut out parchment paper circles or use pre-cut parchment circles or round silicone baking mats. Next, grease the parchment paper and the sides of the pan with butter, margarine, shortening, or cooking spray. You can also dust the pan with flour after greasing to create a barrier against sticking. Alternatively, use a non-stick baking spray like Bakers Joy.

Once your pans are ready, it's time to pour in the cake batter. To ensure even baking and flat cake tops, reduce the baking temperature by 25°F (14°C) and increase the baking time by half. For example, if a recipe calls for baking at 350°F (177°C) for 30 minutes, bake at 325°F (163°C) for 45 minutes. This slower baking process prevents a dome from forming on your cake layers.

Assembling the Cake

It is recommended to chill the cake layers in the refrigerator overnight before assembling. This helps the layers firm up and makes them easier to work with. When you're ready to assemble, place a cooled cake layer, top side down, on a cardboard cake round or directly onto your cake stand or plate. This creates a smooth surface to work with.

Adding Frosting and Filling

Spread a layer of frosting or filling on top of the cake layer, using about 1 cup (240 ml) for an 8 or 9-inch cake. If you're using a soft filling like lemon curd or preserves, create a "dam" of frosting around the edge of the cake layer to prevent the filling from leaking out. You can use a piping bag and tip or a spatula for this step. Repeat this process with the remaining layers.

If you want to create more layers, you can split each cake layer horizontally. Use a knife to score a line all around the cake and then use a large serrated knife to cut the layer in half.

Creating a Crumb Coat

The crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that seals in crumbs and smooths out the shape of the cake. Apply the crumb coat to the entire cake, filling in any gaps or uneven surfaces. If your frosting is thick, thin it out with a tablespoon or two of milk. Once you're done, chill the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Final Frosting and Decorating

After the crumb coat has set, it's time for the final layer of frosting. Start at the top of the cake and work your way down, using a spatula or bench scraper to smooth out the sides and top. Using a turntable makes this process easier, allowing you to rotate the cake while holding the scraper still. Chill the cake again for at least 30 minutes to set the frosting.

At this point, your birch bark wedding cake is almost ready! You can further decorate it with fresh florals, branches, greenery, or even fresh fruit to match your wedding's aesthetic.

Using fondant or buttercream to create a rustic, white-textured exterior

To create a birch tree cake with a rustic, white-textured exterior, you can use either fondant or buttercream. Here is a detailed guide for both options:

Fondant

Roll out a thin sheet of white fondant and carefully drape it over your frosted cake. Use a food-safe paintbrush and edible gel colouring to add random streaks of brown, grey, and black across the fondant to resemble tree bark. You can create texture by gently carving lines into the fondant with a sculpting tool for a more realistic effect. This method provides a smooth base and allows you to paint on the characteristic black and white birch bark pattern.

Buttercream

Cover the entire cake in white buttercream. Then, use a small offset spatula to randomly smear on patches of dark brown or black buttercream. Keep it looking organic and natural, mimicking the appearance of real birch bark. You can also use buttercream frosting to create a beautiful, rustic texture.

Additional Tips

• For a cleaner, sharper buttercream finish, check out Cassie’s Confections tutorial.
• For a rustic woodland finish, refer to Sarah Hardy Make’s tutorial.
• If you want to add depth and dimension to your cake, consider using an airbrush. Start by airbrushing the entire cake with a light grey base layer, then use stencils or freehand techniques to add black and dark brown accents.
• To create a simple rustic icing, ensure your cake layers are level. Frost the top and sides of your cake, using only a thin layer of buttercream to achieve the rustic look.
• Birch tree cakes are typically off-white with brown marks, replicating the pattern of a birch tree.
• You can use brown food colouring to achieve the different shades of brown in the fondant or buttercream.
• Liquid gel food colouring is generally best to use with buttercream as it takes fewer drops to achieve the desired colour and has less impact on the flavour.

By following these steps and using your creativity, you can achieve a stunning birch tree cake with a rustic, white-textured exterior.

Frequently asked questions