After several months, I finally have time to sit down and write about the cake I made for my sister’s wedding in September. The main point I want to stress is that that the mousseline buttercream on p. 244 of “The Cake Bible” held up beautifully after being Fed-exed two thousand miles, frozen and defrosted twice, and being subjected to summer heat and chilly rain– all this before the cake was even put on display at the wedding. I received many compliments on how the cake looked and tasted.
As regulars of this forum know, I was planning do a sheet cake for logistical reasons. Many of you offered superb advice on how to make it look festive. Thank you again for all your suggestions.
Well, after a lot of thought, I decided to do a traditional 3-tier wedding cake: 12-, 9- and 6-inch tiers, using the chocolate butter cake recipe on p. 486 of “The Cake Bible.” I froze all the components and Fed-exed them. The temperature at the Fed-ex location here in Los Angeles was over 100 degrees when the package went out in mid-August. My mother received it the next morning in Buffalo, New York (weather: 75 degrees and humid). Everything was still frozen, although the cake layers were starting to thaw. Cake and buttercream went into her freezer until I got into town.
Two days before the wedding, it was 89 degrees in my mother’s kitchen, and humid. I assembled and frosted each tier but I didn’t stack them. I planned to do that at the wedding site. The buttercream held up beautifully in the hot, humid kitchen and spread like a dream without separating or sweating.
I was worried that the cake would get damaged if I held it in the refrigerator. So I stuck the tiers back into the freezer, crossing my fingers that another round of freezing and thawing would not adversely affect the finished product.
The day of the wedding was rainy and chilly, about 60 degrees. I wondered whether the high humidity would make a difference, but it did not.
Later, when the cake was served, I was happy with the results. The buttercream had an excellent taste and texture. I have to admit that compared to a freshly-baked cake, the cake part itself was a bit dry for my taste. (This could have been corrected by brushing with syrup, but I forgot to do it.) I got rave reviews all evening long and for months afterward. At one point, my cousin nudged me and pointed to my other cousin who was savoring a forkful of cake with her eyes closed and a look of joy on her face (she thought nobody was looking.) That was a sincere compliment!
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