Hi Everyone

Just a coupla doubts before I start my first wedding cake project:

1) Will Swiss Meringue buttercream go well with the yellow butter cake as well as the Buttermilk Country Cake?

2) Planning to make the butter cake on the 13th, the wedding is on the 15th. Cakes will be refrigerated.Do i need a sprinkling of sugar syrup still?

3) If plans don’t go as per baking the yellow butter cake, plan B is to bake the Buttermilk Country Cake, Pg 41, TCB. Does that need a sprinkling of sugar syrup too? The side bar on pg 42 says that the texture is most perfectly moist the same day as baking and can be refrigerated 5 days.

Thanks a bunch.

Hi, Sharon!

Can’t help you with 1) (although my offhand guess is “yes”), but I can with 2) and 3)!!

First, let me say, I am answering only with respect to butter cakes (which both of yours are, of course)!

I ALWAYS freeze and refrigerate my cakes.  I’ve never made a cake on the day I planned for it to be eaten, and I NEVER syrup them.  NEVER.  (Not that you CAN’T—I just don’t like syrup much, myself, and the cakes definitely don’t NEED syrup to be perfect after refrigeration.)  Most get better after freezeing or being in the fridge a couple of days. It’s like the flavors—even of “plain” cakes—and textures all equalize.  Once again, I think you CAN syrup if you want to, but I would say it’s not at all NECESSARY.

You can wrap the layers in plastic wrap and refrigerate them, then frost whenever.  Or, you can compose the entire cake and refrigerate it until the frosting is solid.  You’ll want it covered, of course, but since it’s a wedding cake, I’m not sure how that’s done.  For “regular” cakes, I frost them in their carrier, refrigerate until the frosting is good and solid and then “cozy” it with plastic wrap, trapping some between the carrier top and bottom all the way around.  Not sure what a wedding cake is “stored” in. 

If I’m going to freeze, I freeze it until it’s really frozen—it can take some good abuse then—and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil.  Then, to thaw, I remove the foil and plastic wrap, put it in the carrier, “cozy” and “cozy” it with plastic wrap.

When you go to bring it to room temp, take the plastic wrap off first, because you don’t want to mess with plastic wrap on a room temp frosting!!!!!

Good luck! Can’t wait to hear about your cake!

Sharon Vinod - 06 January 2011 11:57 AM

Does that need a sprinkling of sugar syrup too? The side bar on pg 42 says that the texture is most perfectly moist the same day as baking and can be refrigerated 5 days.

I always add at least 1/4 cup of syrup to a 9” layer butter cake.  Most people seem to think that the cakes are fine without, but I prefer leaving nothing to chance.

Swiss meringe would be fine, but I would use Rose’s Mousseline buttercream, it will hold up better over a longer period of time, especially if the cake will be out of the refrigerator for a long period of time.

Good luck

I agree with Bill, swiss meringue should be fine but mousseline will hold up better (unless maybe the swiss meringue is made with shorteneing, then I’m not sure which would hold up better). 

Regarding syruping, I just baked a cake today that will be served Saturday, and even though I’m not always a fan of syruping butter cakes, I syruped it.  In the wedding cake section of the Cake Bible Rose recommends syruping for any cake baked more than one day ahead.

I concur with syruping—I prefer not to, but I would much prefer a moist cake than a dry one and butter cakes can become dry so I usually syrup any celebration cakes I make that will not be served within 1 day of baking.  Erring on the side of caution when investing that much time and effort is worth it!  Mousseline is fabulous, but as an option, the Swiss would make a good filling - and not as risky as it takes longer for the insides to warm up than the outside.

Thanks Everyone

Will let you know how it pans out as it goes step by step.

I just noticed this post from Rose’s FAQ where she increases the butter in a wedding cake in lieu of syrup:  http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2006/10/the_chocolate_wedding_cake_in.html

(Not that you can’t syrup, of course, but I thought it was of interest.)

Thats a brilliant piece of information that I missed out on, Thanks Anne!