Creating A Multi-Tiered Wedding Cake Masterpiece

Making a wedding cake is a complex process, but a very rewarding one. Wedding cakes are often tiered, with multiple layers of cake stacked on top of each other. The first step is to bake your cake layers – for a tiered cake, you'll need progressively smaller cakes for each tier, with the largest at the bottom. You can bake these in advance and freeze them, which will make the cakes easier to work with. Once your cakes are baked and cooled, you'll need to level them, so that the tops are completely flat. This will ensure that your cake tiers don't lean or wobble. Next, you'll need to fill and frost your cake. A crumb coat will act as a base, catching any crumbs and ensuring the final coat is neat and crumb-free. After chilling the crumb coat, you can apply the final coat of frosting. You can then stack your tiers, using cake dowels to provide support and prevent the cake from collapsing. Finally, you can add any decorations, such as fresh flowers or berries, ribbon, or sprinkles.

Prepare the pans

Preparing the pans is an important step in making a layer wedding cake. Here is a detailed guide:

Firstly, ensure you have the right size and number of pans for your desired cake. For a three-tier cake, you will need three 6-inch, three 8-inch, and three 10-inch round cake pans. The pans should be three inches deep to prevent batter overflow.

When you are ready to bake, start by spraying the pans with cooking spray. Then, cut wax paper or parchment paper rounds to fit the bottom of each pan. Place the rounds into the pans and spray again. This double spraying and lining step will ensure your cakes don't stick to the pans.

If you are making a large quantity of batter, it is recommended to bake each cake separately to avoid overloading your mixer and oven. Allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling and decorating.

Baking times will vary depending on the size of the cake layers and your oven. As a guide, at 350°F, 6-inch cakes will take around 25 to 30 minutes, 8-inch cakes will take 35 to 40 minutes, and 10-inch cakes will take 55 to 60 minutes. It is recommended to use an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is at the correct temperature.

To test if your cakes are done, insert a toothpick into the centre. If it comes out clean, the cakes are ready. The cakes should also appear golden brown, and their edges will pull away from the sides of the pans. The cakes should spring back when touched.

Once baked, let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then, loosen the cakes with a knife and turn them out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Bake the cakes

To bake the cakes, you'll first need to prepare your pans. Spray them with cooking spray, then cut a wax paper round to fit the bottom, insert it into the pan, and respray. This will ensure the cakes don't stick.

Each tier of the cake will consist of two layers, so you'll need to bake two 6-inch cakes, two 8-inch cakes, and two 10-inch cakes. The cakes themselves will be two inches thick, but you'll want your pans to be three inches deep to prevent overflow.

Baking times will vary depending on the size of the layers and your oven. As a guideline, bake:

• 6-inch cakes for 25 to 30 minutes
• 8-inch cakes for 35 to 40 minutes
• 10-inch cakes for 55 to 60 minutes

At 350 F. To check if your cakes are done, insert a toothpick into the centre – if it comes out clean, the cake is ready. The cakes will also appear golden brown, their edges will pull away from the sides of the pans, and they will spring back from your touch.

Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes, then loosen with a knife and turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

If you're baking your cakes in advance, wrap them tightly in plastic and transfer them to the freezer for up to a week. It's best to freeze the cakes before levelling them and splitting the layers to fill them.

Level the cakes

Leveling the cakes is an important step in creating a wedding cake with a neat, professional finish. The tops of the layers should be completely flat so that when you stack them, they don't lean or wobble. A long serrated cake knife works best, especially when you get to the largest layer. Keep the blade level while rotating the cake on a turntable. Use a sawing motion rather than trying to push the blade through the cake, which can cause the cake to tear. You only have to do the tops—but you do need to do all the layers.

For a simple wedding cake, you can use a cake leveler to ensure your layers are even. Alternatively, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. This is called 'leveling off the cakes'. You can discard the leveled piece, or crumble it over ice cream!

Apply the crumb coat

Now that you've assembled your wedding cake, it's time to apply the crumb coat! This step is crucial if you want to achieve a neat, professional-looking cake with a smooth finish. A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that seals in the crumbs, preventing them from getting into your final layer of icing. Here's a step-by-step guide to applying the crumb coat to your wedding cake:

• Prepare your frosting: For the crumb coat, it's best to use slightly thicker buttercream frosting. You can use any flavour of buttercream, such as vanilla or chocolate, and make sure it's at room temperature so it's easy to spread.
• Gather your tools: You'll need an offset spatula or a bench scraper, and a cake turntable if you have one. The turntable will make it easier to work on your cake, but it's not essential.
• Apply a small amount of frosting: Start by adding a small amount of frosting to the sides and top of your cake. Use your spatula or bench scraper to spread it evenly, covering the entire surface. Remember, this layer should be thin enough that you can still see the cake and crumbs through it.
• Smooth the frosting: Use your spatula or bench scraper to smooth out the frosting as best as you can. Don't worry about making it perfect, as you will be adding another layer of frosting on top.
• Remove excess frosting: Hold your bench scraper flat against the cake and apply slight pressure to peel away any excess frosting. The excess frosting on your tool will be laden with crumbs, so it's important to scrape it into a separate bowl, rather than mixing it with your pure buttercream.
• Chill the cake: Place the cake in the refrigerator or freezer for about 15-30 minutes to let the crumb coat set. This step is important, as it will help the final layer of frosting adhere properly.

Once your crumb coat is set, you're ready to apply the final layer of frosting and decorate your wedding cake!

Assemble the tiers

To assemble the tiers of a wedding cake, you will need to follow these steps:

Firstly, you will need to use a cake turntable to stack and frost your cake layers. Apply a crumb coat to each tier separately, and then chill the tiers in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. This will help the crumb coat set before you add the final coat of frosting.

Next, mark the centre of your first/base tier and outline where the next tier will go. This will ensure that you place your support dowels where they won't be visible. Cut your support dowels to the height of the tier they will be supporting. You can use bubble tea or coffee straws, or wooden dowels for this. You will need one dowel for every 2-3 inches of cake.

Now, evenly space and insert the dowels into your base tier, pushing them straight down. Centre your next tier on top of the dowel and slide it straight down, ensuring it is centred on the base tier. Repeat these steps until your cake is fully stacked.

Finally, add any desired decorations, such as piped frosting, ribbon, sprinkles, fresh berries, or edible flowers.

Frequently asked questions