Making a Basic Wedding Cake

Making a Basic Wedding Cake

I had the pleasure of creating a wedding cake for the daughter of a very close friend.  I took plenty of pictures to demonstrate the building of this simple and elegant cake.  

These were my supplies.  

1. 10" Round Wilton cake boards, optional. (You can cut your own out of cardboard if you like.  However for special occasions where polish is important, I buy the boards.  The car board circles I cut tend to have irregular edges and do not look as professional when covered).  
2. Aluminum foil 
3. Paper cake doily
4. Cake pedestal
5. Cake topper 
6. Three layers, 8" round, white cake
7. Triple batch of white butter cream frosting
8. Paper towels, for smoothing icing,
9. Off-set spatula for spreading icing. 
10. Decorator's bag fitted with coupling
11. Small round decorator tip and star tip
12. Wax paper.

Tape 2 cake circles together.

Cover double cake circles smoothly with aluminum foil.

                

Gather your icing, offset spatula, and prepared cake boards.

Spread a small amount of icing in the center of the cake circle.

Put cake circle on the pedestal. 

Place a doily centered over the aluminum foil covered cake circle.  Press firmly.

Spread the doily with thin layer of frosting. 

These are the 3 layers of white cake, which I crumb iced.

 

Crumb icing is a thin layer of the decorator icing put over the cake to keep crumbs from appearing in the final smooth layer of icing on the cake.  

To crumb icing a cake, remove several large tablespoons of decorator icing to a separate bowl.  Add a tablespoon of water, stir vigorously.   Using the off-set spatula, coat each cake with a thin layer of this crumb icing.  This layer will contain crumbs.  No need to fret.  This is the point.  Once dried, this crumb icing layer will create a smooth professional finish. Allow cakes to set uncovered to dry which will take about an hour, perhaps two hours.  This step should not be rushed. 

Set the first layer on the doily.  Then spread icing completely and evenly over the layer.

Set the next layer.  Spread icing completely and evenly over the second layer.

Set the final layer.  Spread icing completely and evenly over top and sides of cake.

Smoothing the icing.

Once the top and sides of the cake are iced as smoothly and evenly as possible, allow the cake to sit uncovered for about 30 minutes.  When the icing is dry to the most delicate touch, cover the cake with paper towel, as shown in the photo above. Then rub your hands gently over the paper towel, slowly lifting the paper towel every few strokes to see if you are creating a smooth surface. If the icing is too wet, it will stick to the paper towel.  If you are pressing too hard, the pattern on the paper towel with transfer to the cake. Some of this pattern will smooth out overnight.

Top of cake after paper towel smoothing.

Now use paper towel to smooth the sides. 

Sides of cake after paper towel smoothing. Pretty, hey?

Place decorator bag in cup, upside down, spoon in decorator icing.

Using small round tip and holding bag along edge of cake, squeeze bag slowly and steadily, to produce long strings.

Allow the strings to drape over the edge of the cake randomly to form a lacy pattern. (see below) Create the same lace pattern on the top as well. 

Attach the small star tip to decorator bag.

Pipe a shell around the bottom of the cake.  The shell is formed by slowly and steadily piping  away from you for the count of one and then pulling towards you for the count of two. Continue this away and back motion all the way around cake. 

Cut a wax paper piece to fit under topper, by drawing around the base and cutting it out. 

Place the wax paper in the center of the cake.

Pipe a shell just barely outside the wax paper cut out. Using the same away and towards movement used to create the shell along the bottom of the cake.

Place the topper in the center of the shell outline. 

I added star accents in blue, but this is not necessary. It highlights the uneveness of my shells:( 

 I

Wedding cake on the cake table. 

Hints and Timing:  

1. I bake one morning and mix the icing the next. 
2. I freeze the cakes for up to a week and refrigerate the icing for about 3 days at the max.
3. I use clear vanilla in the cake and in the icing. This keeps the batter and icing pristine white. 
4. More than three layers and it might slide. 
5. Keep the cake toppers light. This one was porcelain but hollow.
6. Bring the icing and cakes to room temperature before attempting to decorate. 
7. I crumb ice in the morning and assemble and decorate in the afternoon. I break down many projects into small steps because these are easier to manage, and I have 30 minutes here and 15 minutes there. 
8. Turn the prettiest side to the front and face the couple in that direction. 
9. Decorating mistakes are tasty.  Don't worry if it is not perfect.