How to Bake a Homemade Wedding Cake

During my high school years, I worked at a well-known cake shop in the town. Each Saturday morning, extravagant wedding cakes with multiple tiers would come out freshly decorated for their grand reveal.

Fast forward a decade, and things have changed. Couples are now favoring smaller weddings or traditional ones with a twist. The conventional tiered wedding cake is no longer in vogue. The elaborate cakes I grew up seeing are now a thing of the past. Instead, couples are opting for simpler, smaller cakes to suit their intimate gatherings, or they are indulging in an elaborate dessert table.

These scaled-down cakes are not as costly as before, and they require less effort from the baker. This is where friends of the couple step in. On two occasions, I was honored to be asked to bake wedding cakes for my friends. Perhaps you find yourself in a similar situation now!

While I have attended culinary school, I am not an expert in fondant work or sugar flower crafting. However, these skills are no longer in demand. Knowing how to bake a cake is all you need to create a wedding cake. Although the process may be a bit more stressful, don’t worry; we are here to assist you.

Advice for Baking a Successful Wedding Cake

Through my experiences in making wedding cakes, I have compiled this guide to help you succeed. These are the key points I have learned and the steps I follow to minimize stress and flawlessly execute a homemade wedding cake.

Discuss with the couple

Before you start working on the cake, arrange a meeting with the couple to discuss their preferences—preferably several months in advance. This is the perfect time to decide on the cake’s appearance and flavor, as well as to plan for the big day. If you want to go the extra mile, organize a small cake tasting with various cake, filling, and frosting options. However, this is not essential.

Before the meeting, ask the couple to bring any inspiration photos if they have a specific idea in mind for the cake. If they are leaving it up to you, bring your own pictures. Regardless of who provides the ideas, make sure to bring a notebook, pencil, and ask the following questions:

– What design do you have in mind for the cake?
– What flavors do you prefer for the cake?
– How will the cake be presented?
– What size should the cake be?
– Do you want a cake topper, and who will provide it?
– Where, to whom, and at what time should I deliver the cake?
– Does the venue permit outside food?

Get the right equipment

Once you have decided on the cake flavor and design, invest in the necessary cake decorating supplies and frosting tools. Here are some essential items for decorating a cake:

– Cake turntable
– Mini offset spatula
– Bench scraper
– Piping tips and bags
– Cake platter or stand
– Parchment paper
– Serrated knife
– Mixer
– Cake carrier or box

Practice makes perfect

If you feel apprehensive about making the cake, consider doing a trial run, especially if you are trying out a new cake flavor or decorating technique. This is an excellent opportunity to iron out any issues, test piping techniques, plan the arrangement of decorations or edible flowers, and experiment with any other decorating ideas the couple desires.

Allow enough time to make the wedding cake

Prepare in advance as much as possible. When making a layered cake, bake the cake layers three days to a week before the decorating day and freeze them. This ensures that the cake layers meet your standards and are ready for decoration.

After baking the cake layers, let them cool to room temperature, wrap them tightly in storage wrap, and freeze them. Frost the cake the day before the wedding and decorate it with any piping designs. Avoid waiting until the last minute, as you don’t want a frosting mishap on the day of the wedding. Once frosted, store the cake in the fridge. On the wedding day, only add fresh flowers to the cake if desired.

In conclusion, feeling overwhelmed is normal when making a wedding cake, but planning and preparing in advance will set you up for success. Remember, your loved ones will appreciate the effort you put into their wedding cake, regardless of any imperfections.