How To Make Your Own Wedding Cake.

Just deciding to make your own wedding cake is not enough, so here are a few pointers.

I assume at this point that you know how many guests are going to be invited, as you will need this information to gauge what size your cake has to be. If not, as a very rough guide you can use the following (however check with your specific recipe):

Two tiers of 8" & 10" will serve up to 30 guests.

Three tiers of 8", 12" & 16" will serve up to 100 guests.

Four tiers of 6", 8", 10" & 14" will serve up to 120 guests.

I also assume you have acquired the relevant cake tins, food mixer etc. So the next step is to decide what type of cake you are going to make.

Cake Type

1. Traditionally wedding cakes are fruit cakes. These take a little longer to prepare. It should ideally be made around three months prior to the wedding in order to let it mature for maximum flavour. It could (at a push) be made a week before the wedding but the flavour will not be as good without the maturing process.

During this maturing period it must be kept in an air-tight container and in the dark. It must also be "fed" to keep the cake moist. Depending on which recipe you follow, this should be done either weekly or monthly by adding brandy or sherry (whichever you used during the making of the cake). This is done by either brushing or pouring the brandy or sherry over the cake and allowing it to be fully absorbed before storing it again. With both methods it helps if you put small needle holes in the cake to aid the absorption process.

2. Many brides now opt for sponge, chocolate or carrot cake as an alternative. Maybe you don't have the time to make a fruit cake or simply don’t like them. If so, don’t worry, it's your day and no one will judge you for it. Besides, alternative cake types can be cheaper and less hassle as they don't have to mature or be "fed".

The choice is entirely personal. You may even wish to make your own wedding cake tiers out of different types of cake to suit different tastes. Some brides choose to do a gluten and/or nut free tier if they have any guests with special dietary requirements or food allergies (gluten and nut are the two most common food allergies/intolerances).

Another tip is to make all the tiers of the cake at the same time; after all you will want them all to taste the same. You will also need to allow enough cake mix to make a small tester cake, so that you can make sure it tastes ok.

Shape

Next step is to decide on the shape of the cake, and again this is purely down to personal taste.

Round and square are still most common, although hexagonal is a more contemporary option and is getting more popular (plus they look fantastic when finished with very simple, plain decorations, (which is conveniently cheaper!).

The last two considerations are decoration and transport.

Wedding Cake Decorations

Even if you are not an accomplished cake decorator, there is no reason to shy away from this. With a little practice you can become quite proficient! A top tip is to prepare a "fake" cake (polystyrene mock-up) and then you can practise icing and decorating it until you are confident you have it right.

Only at this point should you move on to the actual cake. Supplies for decorating cakes are readily available. These include ready to roll icing and sugar flowers. You could also improvise with items you can buy on the high street such as costume jewellery or ribbon. Alternatively you could get your florist to make you a few small arrangements for the cake.

Transportation etc.

Don’t forget you will also need to consider transportation boxes, pillars and cake toppers (which are all easily available on line).

By following these simple pointers you should be able to reduce the stress and hassle involved when you decide to make your own wedding cake.

Related Articles:
Wedding Cake Toppers.
Wedding Cake Recipes.
Wedding Cake Designs.

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