Help! First wedding cake!
Help! I have my first wedding cake order in September and I am scared! It will be for 130ppl, 3 tiers, butter cream frosting with a simple design. This will be my first 3 tier (I have only done a 2 tier) and I am still not able to frost perfectly (I can’t make my edges as crisp as many of you). I just need any tips, suggestions, etc.
P.S. I work full time and this wedding is on a friday @ 5! When am I ever going to do this?! Why did I do this to myself?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Theresa Happe on
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Knowing a little more about your design would be helpful. Uncrisp edges can be covered with a border, but that depends how you are decorating the cake. You've still got plenty of time to master your buttercream skills. If your design is simple, the bulk of the work will be assembling the cake. Make all your icing in advance. I have made the cakes and frozen them, then defrosted them overnight before assembling them. That may help you manage your time better. I would definitely take the day of the event off from work. I can't imagine working full time and getting the cake to the event by 5 unless someone else is doing it for you.
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Permalink Reply by Rhonda Danskin on
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I agree with Theresa, if you can, take the day of off, this should give you plenty of time complete the cake. Will you be assembling the cake on location or will it be delivered fully assembled? There are some pretty good tutorials about how to get the butter cream smooth, check them out, they have helped me!
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Permalink Reply by Pam Holland on
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I find it easier to ice my cakes with an icing tip, I seem to ice much faster and the icing on the cake is much more even. Once you get your icing on the cake and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Try and make it look as smooth as you can then take a bench scraper or stiff plastic bowl scraper and begin taking it off the sides a little at a time. Here's a link to smoothing the icing (sorry it's not on applying the icing) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdbC7EfXKgM. I don't know what type of icing you use, but this method will work for just about any kind. I hope this is helpful.
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Permalink Reply by Karen on
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I'm surprised not to see this tip already posted. I was told this over 20 years ago by a professional cake decorator. (Before fondant got to be the rage!)
Ice your cake with the buttercream, getting it as smooth and level as possible. Then, get a coffee cup full of water and put it in the microwave for a minute or so until it is boiling.
Dip your spatula in the boiling water and hold it so the spatula is piping hot itself. Then s-l-o-w-l-y glide the hot spatula over the buttercream. This will melt the shortening/butter together. This will get rid of the bubbles, too (if you have them). You may have to hold the spatula still over trouble spots to get it as smooth as you want it to be.
I promise your frosting WILL LOOK LIKE GLASS. It will be smooth and shiney. I've tried the paper towel method, but it didn't get it shiney.
You will have to dip your spatula back in the hot water often. You might even have to reboil the water to keep it hot.
For the edges, s-l-o-w-l-y run the hot spatula over them. You can either "corner" them or "round" them. As Theresa stated, if you have a border on the edges, it won't much matter anyway. If not, play around with your hot spatula and you should be able to come up with a good edge.
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Permalink Reply by jeri c on
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If you can... order Sharon Zambito's DVD...perfecting the art of buttercream. It is very good.
I have used the hot water method before and it does work BUT be VERY CAREFUL of the water out of the microwave.... I have used that method and when I have dipped the spatula into the water the microwaves react and hot water comes flying out of the cup. Not always but it can happen and believe me... boiling water flying out of a cup is so dangerous. I have gotten it on more than one occasion... I started boiling my water in a hot pot instead of the microwave.
I have been at this for 30 years and used to have great buttercream skills... however... fondant has made me lazy!
As for working full time... I do too... and it takes some time management! I always start baking on Wednesday and get all my baking done Wednesday night... do the filling and icing on Thursday then the decorating on Friday night.... that gives me Saturday before delivery to make any last minute finishing touches. I have spent the entire night on cakes before... went to bed at 8 a.m. after staying up all night on one... got a few hours sleep then delivered the cake. Make as many decorations as you possibly can ahead of time and be super organized.... make sure the week before that you have all your supplies on hand so you don't have any last minute runs for supplies. That slows things down alot. Good luck! You can do it! This week I have a 3 tier wedding cake on Saturday... a 3 tier Birthday cake for Sunday and I have to go back to work at school on Wednesday... so tomorrow will be making all the decorations that I can for both cakes. And baking will be Wednesday after work for the Saturday cake and while I am icing the Saturday cake on Thursday I will have the Sunday cakes in the oven!
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Permalink Reply by Sugar & Slice on
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Thank you so much everyone for some of the tips! To answer some of your questions...I am going to have to take a half day off of work I think (I was hoping to avoid that but there is no toher way), I am going to assemble the cake at the site because I am terrified to travle with it! I only have a sedan so there in no good flat surface to travel with an assembled cake.
The butter cream recipie I use is....
1/2 cup crisco
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup cream
1/8 tsp vanilla
5 cups pwd. sugar
the design it just the butter cream frosting with just simple buttercream dots in the shape of arcs around the cake.
My biggest fear would be the cake tumbling during the wedding from the weight or something along those lines!
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Cintron on
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This post made me laugh because I have my first wedding cake to do ... for a Friday 5 pm wedding ... THIS FRIDAY! It is for a dear friend which is the only reason I agreed to it, especially because I have to transport this cake from my home in upstate NY for a FIVE HOUR drive to NYC! I am freaking out, to say the least. It is also my first 3 tier, but I'm not concerned about that. I've been practicing my 2-tiers all summer and I'm at the point where I think the tiering is the easiest part of cake design!
Everyone is right re the borders masking any imperfectly smooth edgest. Also the bc dots that you need to do in your design will help to hide any imperfections on the frosting surface - I'm not sure how much liberty you have to place the arcs wherever on the cake surface, or if the bride has a specific placement design she wants you to stick to.
I am still struggling with smooth icing myself. I use the Wilton recipe, more or less ... I just use liquid coffee creamer instead of milk or water for the liquid. And I smooth it out using a parchment triangle but I have seen so many posts about using Viva paper towels (specifically that brand) that I think I will try that. I'm going to try the hot spatula method also!
Good luck and please post photos when you're done!
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Permalink Reply by Karen Marie on
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Edna has a great tutorial on applying buttercream http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIXHFqpJK84&feature=player_embedded
Trisha you will need to apply a crumb coat which means a thin layer of icing to cover the cake. This seals the cake and prevents crumbs from getting all in and over your final icing coat. All you do is spread some icing on the top and sides evenly and dont worry if you can see the cake or if it isnt quite square....then refrigerate it to firm up. Then watch Edna's video....
Also check out her other tutorials on her site www.designmeacake.com or search for Edna De La Cruz on www.youtube.com
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Permalink Reply by diane kilgore on
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she also has a video on stacking cakes and many more
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Permalink Reply by Cakes By Carla on
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I just did my first wedding cake in july. It was a 3 tier 14-10-6, buttercream with simple design. I went to Lowe's and bought myself a stainless steel putty knife. I got one that is 6 inches wide because I made each tier rather tall, but they come in a variety of widths and it really helped me get my sides nice and smooth and the wideness of the blade makes it easier to get a nice flat surface and edge on the top. Plus the grip is different than a spatula and I find it easier to work with on larger cakes. Just an idea. I personally love it.
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Putty knives are so much cheaper than a bench scraper.....just make sure you get one that is made of stainless steel....
CC's Cakes said:I just did my first wedding cake in july. It was a 3 tier 14-10-6, buttercream with simple design. I went to Lowe's and bought myself a stainless steel putty knife. I got one that is 6 inches wide because I made each tier rather tall, but they come in a variety of widths and it really helped me get my sides nice and smooth and the wideness of the blade makes it easier to get a nice flat surface and edge on the top. Plus the grip is different than a spatula and I find it easier to work with on larger cakes. Just an idea. I personally love it.
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I think my biggest fear is the cake leaning/falling! Any advice for a 3 tier vs a 2 tier and what i can do to prevent this?
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