Here’s the wedding cake I made yesterday. What a monster - it was 21” tall and weight approx. 20 lbs. Made from Rose’s white butter cake, filled with strawberry mousseline buttercream, and covered in vanilla mousseline buttercream. The cake was a huge hit - everyone loved how wonderful it tasted.
When we got to the reception site, the flowers that had been reserved for the cake were gone. It seems the caterer thought they were “extra” and she used them to decorate the buffet table, so hubby was given the job of cutting all the flower heads off while I added the finishing touches to the cake (leaving behind vases full of just stems - thankfully someone had enough common sense to remove the vases all together). Not my favorite flowers, but that’s what the bride wanted. It all worked out in the end .
Now I have to figure out what to do with the 50 or 60 leftover egg yolks I have .
Patricia, you must be Wonderwoman!!!! I couldn’t even contemplate attempting something on that scale! How long did it take from start to finish? At least with the type of wedding cakes I’ve made, (fruit cakes) they can be made months in advance so there is no last minute panic. My admiration for you has no bounds!
By the way, it looks lovely!
Wow! It is beautiful. I can not even imagine making a 5 tier cake!
How did you transport it? I assume you stacked the tiers at the reception site?
Good job, and thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks guys! This was my 3rd wedding cake, none of which would have ever happened if it wasn’t for The Cake Bible!
Jeanette - the cake was exactly 17 hours old upon delivery ... that’s how long it took me to me from start to finish - that included baking the cake layers, making the strawberry puree, making the buttercreams, and decorating the cake. Having a second KitchenAid stand mixer really helped cut down on how long it took to make everything. The reception was held at 11am, so I was up all night making this cake (that seems to be when I make all my cakes - while the rest of the world is sound asleep). If I ever remodel my kitchen or build a new house again, I’ll have double wall ovens installed.
Kristen - I was originally told that I’d have plenty of room in the kitchen to assemble the cake, but then I found out a caterer was going to be using the space as well, so I opted to transport the cake partially assembled (that ended up being a good call because there was no extra room in that kitchen at all when I arrived). The tiers were 4-6-8-10-12… I transported the bottom 2 tiers together, and the top 3 tiers together with a large dowel down the center of each to keep things stable during the curvy, hilly drive. I had about 30 minutes to stack, pipe, and add the flowers once I got the the venue. I wasn’t as nervous with all the on lookers this time - my focus was completely on the cake, but managed to answer several people’s questions during the set-up.
I think, no I’m sure, good preparation is the key to work of this kind. I used to find when installing window treatments to be always prepared for things going wrong, such as you describe with no room to finish your decorating, if things don’t go wrong, all to the good!
I think, no I’m sure, good preparation is the key to work of this kind. I used to find when installing window treatments to be always prepared for things going wrong, such as you describe with no room to finish your decorating, if things don’t go wrong, all to the good!
Yes, you are absolutely right! I purchased a small folding work table too - it really helps when you need extra surface area to put your emergency cake decorating supplies and such. I need to get or make a low to the table turntable to use while adding the finishing touches when away from home. There is something new to learn with every cake!
What a lucky bride and groom to have such a beautiful artisan cake!
If it tasted as good as it looked (and I’m sure that it did) it must have been a wonderful way to start a lifetime together!
17 hours straight! Wow you ARE a wonderwoman Patrincia!
Patricia, your cake looks wonderful. Love the placement of the flowers. I know I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again….......you really do have a talent for it. And your buttercream….........wow!!!! so smooth, almost fondant-like.
sounds like it’s time for some classic buttercream to use up all those yolks. I made a huge batch of frosting over the weekend, because the butter and eggs were out and I figured, what the heck. might has well make it while the kitchen’s dirty!
Patrincia, You have done it again! Your cakes fill me with awe - this is a truly beautiful cake and I love the colour combination. The white with yellow and brown are stunningly simple and so very summery. I wish you were closer and I would take a class from you!
Annie
Congrats, you’ve turned out an elegant and beautiful cake! And what a feat, to stack five layers, with only a half hour to assemble/pipe/add flowers upon arrival (and no counter space!). Truly inspiring.
As for the egg yolks, my favorite layer cake of any in the Cake Bible is the Golden Genoise, which uses a dozen yolks for one torte-sized layer! It is fabulous with any summertime fruit buttercream.
Lemon curd is another great use for egg yolks, so is custard-based ice cream this time of year (I’ve been wanting to try Rose’s pineapple).
I envy you being in the position of having all those yolks, I seem to always be trying to find a way to use up extra whites, when what I really want is Golden Genoise!
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