10 Tips For Making Your Own Wedding Cake
Today, I will be talking about my favourite thing: wedding cake. (Obviously!)
Many blogs on the internet argue that you should not make your wedding cake yourself. I completely agree.
Sort of.
If you plan to spend your final days planning your wedding, running between salon appointments, entertaining out-of-town guests, and decorating your venue, I advise against baking a birthday cake.
Baking a cake is a great way to relax and unwind, especially for couples who are getting married near or in their hometown. They have already done the planning and preparation, and there’s not much left in the last few days. Baking a cake can be a relaxing, almost therapeutic way to relax, and it will help you get rid of any pre-wedding nerves.
Bridal Musings is seeing a rise in DIY wedding cakes. Not only have I made wedding cakes for my sisters and friends, but Claire Eliza, our editor, also baked her mum’s coconut wedding, Christina’s floral cake, and Christina’s floral wedding cake (all while wearing a swimsuit). It can be nerve-racking, but you don’t want it to go wrong! It was rewarding, and it would have been less stressful to do it for my wedding rather than a friend.
It might be rustic or even lopsided. If you’re a laid-back bride and your wedding guests are just as relaxed as you, then you can be sure that everyone will love the cake.
Before you put on your apron or cover your kitchen with flour (I am a messy cook! Read my top tips on how to bake your wedding cake without causing chaos.
1. Be practical.
Can you bake? Do you enjoy baking? Does your cake taste good? Do they look nice? Are you calm and confident when baking? All of these questions are important to ask before baking your wedding cake.
It is not the most important part of your wedding. It’s not worth ruining the day before (or even the day of) the wedding worrying about the cake’s appearance, taste, or if it’s still raw in the centre.
2. Keep it simple.
This is not the time to experiment. You should use a recipe that you have tried before and can easily bake and decorate.
For my sister’s wedding, I baked three tiers of my signature Guinness chocolate cake. No one cared that the three tiers of the cake were identical—they didn’t even notice! Why not make a cheesecake that is the best or a pie that’s legendary? Who says that a wedding cake must have three layers of white icing on top?
3. Prepare in advance.
Prepare as much as possible in advance. If you haven’t made this cake in large quantities before, even if it’s been made 100 times, you should still do a trial run. Your friends and family are more than happy to help you test it.
Do as much preparation as you can in advance.
Fruit cakes and biscuit cakes will last longer if you bake them early.
4. You should do it for the right reason.
You should only bake your wedding cake if you have a good reason. If you are doing it to save money, you may want to skip the cake altogether (nobody will notice, and most won’t care). You can choose a supermarket cake with some decoration or a simple one.
Ask a friend to make it, or ask any of your guests who are bakers to bring different desserts to the table.
You should only bake your wedding cake if you enjoy it. It’s not a good idea to try to save money or impress guests by doing it all yourself.
5. Hire a friend.
One. Uno. Singular. You can borrow someone’s kitchen to prepare your cake if you have a lot of guests in your house in the days leading up to your wedding.
It’s good to have someone nearby to help wash the mixing bowls or to answer your phone in case of an emergency, but having too many people around you as you work will make you feel stressed.
6. Clean the kitchen.
You should not only clear out the kitchen of people but also clutter. Before a wedding, our homes are cluttered with things. There are no boutonnieres, no cards for the wedding, and no DIY projects.
A clear work area will help your baking run more smoothly. It’s not good to discover too late that you forgot the vanilla under a bunch of ribbons.
7. Enjoy the Day
Allocate a full day to make your cake. You can have a whole day without any appointments, dinner plans, or “just popping out to grab …”. You might be able to time your baking, but you can’t account for the decoration. If you rush, it will not look right.
My friend’s Pineapple Pina Colada Wedding Cake took me about three hours to ice and cover with coconut. I thought it would only take an hour. Even the most relaxed bakers can become meticulous perfectionists when baking such a special cake.
Oh, and tip #7.5: Let the cake cool completely before adding the icing.
8. Decorate your home.
You can decorate your cake to make it look professional. Once you add the final touches to your bake, even if you miss a spot, it will still look professional.
The plainest cake looks utterly refined with some flowers on top.
Add flowers, foliage, cake toppers, or fancy stands, and you will have a wedding cake, no matter what it is!
(P.S. Look at the simple decorated and naked cakes in this post to get some inspiration.
9. Transport is a good example.
The best thing about hiring a professional is that they will often transport your cake to the wedding venue.
Before you start assembling your cake, think about logistics. Will it fit in a cake tin, or do you need a larger box? Who will do it for you?
You can also drop off the gazebo at the venue and assemble it there. Please do not put it in the car with you. It’s especially important if the chocolate is delicious!
10. Plan a backup.
Even the most well-prepared plans can go wrong. (Have you ever watched the Great British Bake-Off?) Know when to stop and always have a backup plan.
You can make fairy buns know what stores sell plain white cakes or have the number of your local cupcake shop at hand. It didn’t matter how big or small the baking disaster was; it wasn’t enough to stop a wedding. ).
Hope these tips didn’t scare you too much. You’ll be a great baker bride if you give yourself plenty of time and don’t put too much pressure on your shoulders.
What did you think of your wedding cake? What creations are you planning to bake yourself? What are your favourite recipes?