Ruth
Cook
I've been doing alot of cake decorating over the last few years, but mainly baby and bridal shower cakes, birthday cakes, graduation cakes, etc. but never a wedding cake (and never for more than a few dozen people).
But recently, a couple of friends of mine who were impressed with one of my cakes asked if I could make a cake for their up coming wedding. Since I'm always up for a challenge I said I'd be happy to. But I just met with them to go over what they are looking for and I'm starting to get a bit nervous and am wondering if I've bitten off more than I can chew. So any help, suggestions or advice that any of you can provide would be really helpful.
I'm making this wedding cake for a Friday night wedding in about a month and I'm hoping to do a test run this Thursday.
My friends are looking for a 3 tier square cake covered with ivory fondant and will have thin ivory fondant vertical stripes layered on the sides and little beads of fondant between the tiers (kinda like in the cake on pg. 87 of the 2005 Wilton yearbook, but square, ivory on ivory and with nothing between the tiers).
They don't want to use a traditional topper but instead want to have fresh roses on top and cascading down one corner of the cake down all three layers.
They are looking to have the bottom tier be a chocolate cake with a chocolate cream filling with toffee bits, the middle vanilla with lemon filling, and the top coconut with a chocolate cream and toasted coconut as a filling.
I have a few questions and am also looking for any general advice people can provide.
1. How big should I make the layers for about 75 guests considering that the cake will be the only dessert served?
2. Any advice as to how to stack/layer these cakes? The layers should be flush to each other (no space between the layers). I know that I need to use dowels or something and am planning on using foil covered boards, but I'm not sure how many dowels I need or where to position them or how keep the foil board from showing (especially since Wilton's seems to advice that the boards be greater in diameter than the cake layer)?
3. How do I place the flowers on the cake? I know that the flowers should not touch the cake, but this is especially challenging when using fondant and since the flowers should cascade.
4. How do I make sure all the layers look the same since they will have different flavor (and color) icings under the fondant and that the chocolate doesn't show through the fondant?
5. Is there anything I need to be wary of in a cake recipe so that the cake will be firm enough to support the weight and keep a crisp sharp edge to the squares? Also, do I need special recipes that can be made for cakes this size or can I just take any recipe and multiply it a few times? (and does anyone know any good recipes for these wedding cake flavors?)
6. The wedding is on a Friday night at 6 pm. I am planning on taking the day off from work on Friday and working on the cake Thursday night and all day Friday. I have never made a cake of this magnitude before... Will this be enough time? Are there things I should or can do ahead of time? (I will be out of the country for the prior two weeks and weekends before the wedding).
I'm not going to charge them for my time for making this cake (since this is the first time I'm making a wedding cake), but they will be reimbursing me for ingredients, supplies and equipment for both the test cake and the final one. They asked me for an estimate of how much I think this will cost. Could anyone give me a ballpark that I can pass on to them before I actually start the test run?
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. It's much needed and much appreciated!
But recently, a couple of friends of mine who were impressed with one of my cakes asked if I could make a cake for their up coming wedding. Since I'm always up for a challenge I said I'd be happy to. But I just met with them to go over what they are looking for and I'm starting to get a bit nervous and am wondering if I've bitten off more than I can chew. So any help, suggestions or advice that any of you can provide would be really helpful.
I'm making this wedding cake for a Friday night wedding in about a month and I'm hoping to do a test run this Thursday.
My friends are looking for a 3 tier square cake covered with ivory fondant and will have thin ivory fondant vertical stripes layered on the sides and little beads of fondant between the tiers (kinda like in the cake on pg. 87 of the 2005 Wilton yearbook, but square, ivory on ivory and with nothing between the tiers).
They don't want to use a traditional topper but instead want to have fresh roses on top and cascading down one corner of the cake down all three layers.
They are looking to have the bottom tier be a chocolate cake with a chocolate cream filling with toffee bits, the middle vanilla with lemon filling, and the top coconut with a chocolate cream and toasted coconut as a filling.
I have a few questions and am also looking for any general advice people can provide.
1. How big should I make the layers for about 75 guests considering that the cake will be the only dessert served?
2. Any advice as to how to stack/layer these cakes? The layers should be flush to each other (no space between the layers). I know that I need to use dowels or something and am planning on using foil covered boards, but I'm not sure how many dowels I need or where to position them or how keep the foil board from showing (especially since Wilton's seems to advice that the boards be greater in diameter than the cake layer)?
3. How do I place the flowers on the cake? I know that the flowers should not touch the cake, but this is especially challenging when using fondant and since the flowers should cascade.
4. How do I make sure all the layers look the same since they will have different flavor (and color) icings under the fondant and that the chocolate doesn't show through the fondant?
5. Is there anything I need to be wary of in a cake recipe so that the cake will be firm enough to support the weight and keep a crisp sharp edge to the squares? Also, do I need special recipes that can be made for cakes this size or can I just take any recipe and multiply it a few times? (and does anyone know any good recipes for these wedding cake flavors?)
6. The wedding is on a Friday night at 6 pm. I am planning on taking the day off from work on Friday and working on the cake Thursday night and all day Friday. I have never made a cake of this magnitude before... Will this be enough time? Are there things I should or can do ahead of time? (I will be out of the country for the prior two weeks and weekends before the wedding).
I'm not going to charge them for my time for making this cake (since this is the first time I'm making a wedding cake), but they will be reimbursing me for ingredients, supplies and equipment for both the test cake and the final one. They asked me for an estimate of how much I think this will cost. Could anyone give me a ballpark that I can pass on to them before I actually start the test run?
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. It's much needed and much appreciated!