Home | Leisure | Weddings & Holidays | Wedding Cakes | How Do I Build a Wedding Cake?

How Do I Build a Wedding Cake?

by Laura Gyre

  • Overview

    You can build a wedding cake yourself with a little determination and the right supplies, and it can be just as impressively layered as a professional cake. Since a good wedding cake is moist and fluffy, the key is internal supports to keep the layers from collapsing into each other. If you decorate the cake in the right way, this structure will be invisible, leaving a mysteriously stable tower of deliciousness.
 

  • Step 1

    Determine how much batter you will need for each cake layer. This information may be on the labels of the pans, or you can experiment by pouring water into the pans until each is about half full.

  • Step 2

    Mix up your cake batter, making sure you have enough to make all the layers. Grease and flour the pans generously. Pour batter into the pans, filling each pan to the same depth.

  • Step 3

    Bake the cake carefully. Don't open the oven until you think the cake may be done, since doing so too early could cause a collapse. Test the layers with a fork or toothpick when you think they may be done, and don't take the cake out until the tester comes out mostly clean. Keep in mind that the larger layers may need to bake a good bit longer than the smaller ones.

  • Step 4

    Cool the cake for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer it to cooling racks. Place a rack upside down on top of the pan, hold it firmly in place, then turn the pan and rack upside down together. Carefully remove the pan.

  • Step 5

    Flip each layer over again when cool, using another rack or plate and the same process. If the layers are rounded, use a long knife to carefully remove the rounded portions, leaving a flat layers which are easier to use when you build a wedding cake.

  • Step 6

    Cut a circle of cardboard exactly the size of each layer, skipping the bottom layer if you like. Transfer the layers to these circles, using the same flipping process. If you trimmed the layers, the trimmed side should now be down.

  • Step 7

    Frost each layer with a basic layer of frosting.

  • Step 8

    Cut the cardboard tubes or dowels to exactly the thickness of your layers or a bit less. Cut three or four pieces for each layer except the top.

  • Step 9

    Place the bottom layer in its final location on a serving platter, with or without a cardboard circle. Insert the dowel or tube pieces you cut for this layer in a triangle or square near the center of the cake. Using this method when you build a wedding cake adds stability, which is needed to support the upper layers.

  • Step 10

    Carefully place the second layer, on its cardboard circle, in the center of the first layer, over the supports.

  • Step 11

    Repeat the support and layer process with any remaining layers.

  • Step 12

    Add decorative frosting and other elements like a cake-topper or flowers. Touch up any areas that were disturbed when you moved the layers, and make sure to pipe frosting around the base of each layer to hide the cardboard circle.
  • 3
  • Set of wedding cake pans Dowels or thin cardboard tubes Corrugated cardboard Heavy duty scissors Cake Frosting supplies Other decorations (optional)
  • Set of wedding cake pans
  • Dowels or thin cardboard tubes
  • Corrugated cardboard
  • Heavy duty scissors
  • Cake
  • Frosting supplies
  • Other decorations (optional)
  • If this is your first attempt to build a wedding cake, it's a great idea to do a test-run first, so you can discover any unexpected challenges well before the big day.
  • If this is your first attempt to build a wedding cake, it's a great idea to do a test-run first, so you can discover any unexpected challenges well before the big day.
  • Working with large cake sheets can lead to a relatively high chance of broken cakes, especially if you're not used to the process. Don't despair if your cake breaks--many breaks can be repaired almost invisibly with careful alignment and a generous application of frosting between the pieces.
  • Working with large cake sheets can lead to a relatively high chance of broken cakes, especially if you're not used to the process. Don't despair if your cake breaks--many breaks can be repaired almost invisibly with careful alignment and a generous application of frosting between the pieces.
     
     
 
 

Popular Topics