First Wedding Cake Jitters

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Les Brown on June 9, 2012 at 5:02pm

go for it Judy if i can do it then im damned sure you can, i've been trying for 2 years to get my name out there and then it happened all at once, after doing birthday cakes i've realy wanted to do a wedding cake and then i got 4 orders within weeks, I was terrified it wouldn't go right but I finally finished the first one and delivered it today and not wanting to risk putting it together and then taking it apart again, i took it all over and set it up at the venue whew thank goodness it went ok and if i say so myself im feeling rather smug lol

So just deep breath and trust yourself

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Katy Nott on June 9, 2012 at 7:02pm

Shirley - I know you replied for Judy, but I just want to say thank you for such a detailed and informative response.  I will be doing my first serious tiered cake in August and I found your reply so useful.

Shirley Wilson said:

First wedding cakes are always the most stressful but you CAN do it! I do think fondant would hold up best but I would still do either a thin coat of buttercream first or even a glaze such as strained apricot jam brushed on before the fondant. Just something so the cake will taste moist and flavorful. I would also stress not to use Wilton's brand fondant, it is just awful tasting. It has a chemical taste to me, it rolls and covers nicely but I would never use it on a cake to be eaten. Satinice or Fondx are both nice pre-made fondants or some people have good success with homemade marshmallow fondant, I don't happen to be one of them. I find the consistency frustrating, sometimes too soft and other times it cracks and developes thin wrinkles we call "elephant skin." You can do a small cake for "show" and a sheet cake for kitchen cutting but then you have just as much work baking and icing as you would if you had baked large enough round tiers to feed 70 guests. Remember to give yourself 4" inbetween the sizes of the tiers, for instant a 12" round for the bottom tier would need a 8" round for the top tier, each tier should be 4" tall when iced. I also use either wood doweling, drinking straws or Wilton sucker sticks for support between the two tiers if they are going to be stacked on top of one another. Measure the supports, cut off so they barely extend above the top of the bottom tier and I would place them in about 6 different areas but make sure they are set in far enough to support the size of the upper tier. I would suggest placing the cake tiers in separate cake boxes and then inside a cardboard box with a layer of plastic mesh shelf liner or even a thin terry cloth towel between the two boxes and underneath the cardboard box so they don't slide from the motion of the car. You could also wedge frozen blue ice packets between the sides of the 2 boxes to keep it cool. THe biggest danger of melting is from the sun shining through the windows, if you have tinted windows you will be safer and I will be envious since my car doesn't have them. The main thing in transporting is to keep the cakes level, flat on the floor of the back seat, or the back of a van if you have one. Car seats are slanted and not a good idea to have a cake ride a long distance on them.

If you go to YouTube there are many video's on icing a cake smoothly, covering with fondant etc. Pretty helpful. Good luck, I hope all goes well for you and your cousin will love her cake because you made it especially for her.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Katy Nott on June 9, 2012 at 7:03pm

btw Judy - like Les says - go for it, you will be awesome.  Good luck!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by ConfectioneryCakeShop on June 9, 2012 at 8:05pm

Good luck to all of you here! The best advice I can give is to travel with it in separate tiers, in plastic totes. It makes the drive to the wedding reception stress free for me (well, until someone runs a red light in front of me or cuts me off in traffic). I only use buttercream, so my advice for buttercream users is to for sure chill it down over night. It needs to be firm and cold so you can stack it without it puffing. Use internal supports and don't over ice the cake. Warm icing that is applied too thick can sag or tear in heat. Good luck, you can do it!

I love making 'dummy' or 'display' cakes. They don't need to be chilled and can be made a few days in advance. It's a lot easier to transport and cut sheet cakes... A display cake can travel pre-tiered and doesn't need dowel supports. I love it!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Judy Fluke on June 9, 2012 at 8:37pm

Thanks so much, Shirley!  This is great information! I've used Fondarific fondant in the past and it was pretty tasty (much better than the Wilton stuff) and easy to work with. 

Shirley Wilson said:

First wedding cakes are always the most stressful but you CAN do it! I do think fondant would hold up best but I would still do either a thin coat of buttercream first or even a glaze such as strained apricot jam brushed on before the fondant. Just something so the cake will taste moist and flavorful. I would also stress not to use Wilton's brand fondant, it is just awful tasting. It has a chemical taste to me, it rolls and covers nicely but I would never use it on a cake to be eaten. Satinice or Fondx are both nice pre-made fondants or some people have good success with homemade marshmallow fondant, I don't happen to be one of them. I find the consistency frustrating, sometimes too soft and other times it cracks and developes thin wrinkles we call "elephant skin." You can do a small cake for "show" and a sheet cake for kitchen cutting but then you have just as much work baking and icing as you would if you had baked large enough round tiers to feed 70 guests. Remember to give yourself 4" inbetween the sizes of the tiers, for instant a 12" round for the bottom tier would need a 8" round for the top tier, each tier should be 4" tall when iced. I also use either wood doweling, drinking straws or Wilton sucker sticks for support between the two tiers if they are going to be stacked on top of one another. Measure the supports, cut off so they barely extend above the top of the bottom tier and I would place them in about 6 different areas but make sure they are set in far enough to support the size of the upper tier. I would suggest placing the cake tiers in separate cake boxes and then inside a cardboard box with a layer of plastic mesh shelf liner or even a thin terry cloth towel between the two boxes and underneath the cardboard box so they don't slide from the motion of the car. You could also wedge frozen blue ice packets between the sides of the 2 boxes to keep it cool. THe biggest danger of melting is from the sun shining through the windows, if you have tinted windows you will be safer and I will be envious since my car doesn't have them. The main thing in transporting is to keep the cakes level, flat on the floor of the back seat, or the back of a van if you have one. Car seats are slanted and not a good idea to have a cake ride a long distance on them.

If you go to YouTube there are many video's on icing a cake smoothly, covering with fondant etc. Pretty helpful. Good luck, I hope all goes well for you and your cousin will love her cake because you made it especially for her.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Judy Fluke on June 9, 2012 at 8:38pm

Thanks, Katy!  Good luck with your tiered cake!

Katy Nott said:

btw Judy - like Les says - go for it, you will be awesome.  Good luck!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Judy Fluke on June 9, 2012 at 8:40pm

Thanks, Les!  Congratulations on completing your first wedding cake!

Les Brown said:

go for it Judy if i can do it then im damned sure you can, i've been trying for 2 years to get my name out there and then it happened all at once, after doing birthday cakes i've realy wanted to do a wedding cake and then i got 4 orders within weeks, I was terrified it wouldn't go right but I finally finished the first one and delivered it today and not wanting to risk putting it together and then taking it apart again, i took it all over and set it up at the venue whew thank goodness it went ok and if i say so myself im feeling rather smug lol

So just deep breath and trust yourself

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Laney Cowan on June 10, 2012 at 7:14pm

I don't do "sheet cakes."  It looks cheap.  Everyone knows they are sheet cakes.  I do "back up cakes."  If the big cake is square, I make extra squares  so they look the same when cut.  If the big cake is round, I make extra 9" rounds.

Be sure to use a "crusting buttercream."  This makes stacking on site so much easier.  Non crusting buttercream sticks to everything and you won't be able to make any adjustments.

Size:  If she is serving ETOH, not everyone will eat cake so I recommend a 6", 8", 10" that serves about 65.  If you want a bit more cake, the 6", 9", 12" serves 89.

My husband made me a really cool shelf for the back seat to adjust for the slant.  In a pinch, you can use a sheet of plywood and some rolled up towels.  Non skid shelf paper is a MUST!

I don't use dowels.  It's so easy to put them in crooked.  I use a plate and column system.  I really like the "coast" system but there are a few companies including wilton that make some.

You CAN do this.  The first one is always the hardest.  Just remember that you will survive any mistakes. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on June 11, 2012 at 3:34pm

I can't add much to discussion Judy as very experienced cakers, like Shirley, have given good detailed advice. I have set up many wedding cakes and I always set them up at the venue. Seeing it is a fair distance ,you won't get the opportunity to check it out. I always call the co-ordinator of the venue ahead of time and explain I am the cake decorator. I ask where the set up will be, when can I set up...etc. Touching base usually helps. I would see if there will be a spot in a cool shady spot Judy if at all possible to set up the cake.  I always put my cakes in the trunk of my car, it is the flatest surface...have never had a slip or slide diaster. I line the trunk floor with rubber shelf liner. I get heavy boxes from the grocery store, line then with rubber shelf liner, place the cake tiers in them.  Roll soft towels up & place between cake & box, just in case. I also do Shirley's trick where I have my boxes close together, and put cold packs wrapped in towels in-between. I just did cakes for my nephew's wedding. I traveled an hour by car to get their in the country.  Reception was in a very hot barn. My fondant & crusting b/c held up fine.  One thing tho. There were a lot of flies. Never encountered that before. I brought tuille to decorate the table, I had extra, so after setting up, I carefully covered over the whole area with the tuille. It was light enough not to damage the cakes, let air in so it wouldn't get hot, and no flies landed on my cakes. Wall-ah!!  An invention at the last minute that worked!!  Make sure you pack your travelling cake kit with extra icing, fondant, some tools you may need, extra embellishments/decorations you made in case some break, gloves ( I once snipped my finger when cutting ribbon, I began to bleed  :o( ..yikes. Cleaned up, put on a band aid...then my gloves to protect the cake), thin spatula to lift the cakes out of the box.  Oh by the way, I slice the sides of my boxes, then re-tape, so when I need to slide/lift the cake out, I just cut the tape, push down the front of the box, take out the cake.

Hope my tips have helped.  Good Luck. Have fun. And post pics when finished. It it nerve racking, but you can do it. We have, and survived to tell the tale!!    :o)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sue Duda on June 11, 2012 at 7:25pm

This is great advice, I will be doing my first wedding cake too and was wondering about the sizes and how much it would serve....I have square pans...I am now changing which ones I was going to use...I will go with the 14, 10, 6  I do have a question about decorating it and transporting...ideally I would like to takeeach tier and assemble at the hall, but...it is a beach theme cake and I dont know how I would put it all together after transporting it...any ideas???...I would like to try the italian meringue buttercream..I usually do french buttercream....what is the difference????...

Thanks Sue

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on June 11, 2012 at 7:37pm

Sue

See my above post about transporting a cake.  Not much to putting together. You put all you decorations in another box placed in bubble wrap, or styrofoam chips or some other soft medium.  And how ever you would assemble the cake at home, you just do at the venue. Bring royal or b/c icing to spread on the cake boards as "glue" when placing one tire on top of another. Most important is a well equipped cake kit that you bring with you to set up.

Check ou the Cake Bible website to explain difference between French & Italian b/c.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sue Duda on June 11, 2012 at 9:35pm

Thank you for the great tips and advice.........

Sue

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page