The main decoration of any wedding celebration, of course, is the cake. Today there are a lot of design options for this festive treat. Many brides decide to make it with their own hands. You will learn about how to prepare the basis for a wedding cake, which decor options can be used, and how to independently assemble a multi-tiered design from this article.
Pros and cons of making a cake at home
If you had an idea to make a wedding cake yourself, then you will benefit a lot from this. First of all, you will save a decent amount of money allotted for a wedding celebration. If you have basic knowledge and skills in the field of cooking, you can clearly demonstrate your talent. It’s no secret that confectionery products often use various sweeteners and preservatives harmful to the human body. You will be sure that all the ingredients used in the production of wedding cake have only useful properties and good quality. In addition, homemade dessert dishes are always tastier than those purchased at the store.
The choice in favor of home-made wedding cake opens up the opportunity for you to create a unique and inimitable delicacy. It can be a multi-tiered cake with classic figures of lovers at the top or delicious cupcakes on the shelf, so that each guest can easily take one of them.
The only drawback that you may encounter when choosing a wedding cake yourself is the lack of necessary products in your city or region. Good pastry shops are not uncommon for megacities, but a real luxury for small cities and towns. But in any case, do not despair, because you can always opt for a simpler recipe that does not require “exotic” ingredients. In addition, with the Internet, you can order the necessary confectionery components on the network.
Size and weight
You need to think about such parameters as size and weight in one case - if you want to see a multi-tiered cake at your celebration. Most likely, you have already decided on the number of guests at your wedding, which means you can roughly calculate the required amount of servings. A big role is played by the appetite of your guests. As a rule, some guests willingly gobble up all the dishes on offer, while others eat only one or two tablespoons "out of decency." The cake should be made with a small margin. When calculating per serving, take one hundred and fifty grams. Multiply this number by the number of guests and add two to three servings to the result.
The shape of the future wedding treat depends on its weight. Therefore, it is very important to calculate it in advance. If, when calculating, you get a result equal to three kilograms, then you are very lucky. You can afford to make a classic bunk cake. This dessert is characterized by good stability, and the probability that it will collapse during transportation is reduced to zero.
If the calculations show that the future cake will weigh five or more kilograms, then without fail you will need to make another tier. Three-tiered wedding cakes are distinguished by elegance and grace.
It is worth noting that with independent home production it is permissible to make a maximum of five tiers. When trying to make a taller cake, there is a big risk of a collapse of the entire confectionery structure. Such a delicacy requires not only more time and products for its preparation, but also deep culinary knowledge and skills. Do not forget that the lower tier should be the strongest and most dense element of the whole cake. In the manufacture of the upper tiers, try to lighten each by two to three kilograms. Thus, the topmost tier should be the lightest and most airy in comparison with the underlying elements.
What do you need?
Separately, you should pay attention to the necessary tools that you will definitely need when preparing a wedding cake. You will find something in your kitchen cabinet, but you will have to purchase something in the store. However, do not delay with this. It’s best to prepare everything in advance, so that in a process that will be quite laborious, not be distracted by minor chores.
You will need a range of cooking utensils.
- Special form for cakes. Depending on the number of tiers, you may need several forms of different sizes at once. If you have opted for cupcakes, then give preference to silicone molds. For a biscuit, the best choice would be a culinary detachable tray.
- You will definitely need a mixer. Unfortunately, a manual whisk cannot do just that amount of work. Take the device from a friend or make yourself a gift by buying a quality model. In any case, it will come in handy more than once.
- To prevent your cakes or muffins from sticking to the pan, you will need special baking paper. In stores, it is called baking paper.
- You probably have a strainer for sifting flour.
- It is recommended in advance to prepare several plates with a deep bottom, in which it would be convenient to mix all the ingredients.
- A measuring cup is required. In the confectionery business, it is extremely important to strictly follow the proportions.
- Silicone paddle.
- Nice wooden rolling pin and chopping board.
- Several sharpened knives.
- Saucepan with a deep thick bottom for the preparation of various syrups.
- For decoration, you will definitely need culinary bags with a nozzle.
Recipes
There is a classic recipe for making a cake, which is often used specifically for weddings. Depending on your taste preferences, the recipe may vary. So feel free to turn on your imagination and don't be afraid to experiment. The following is a traditional way to prepare the basics.
First, separate the twelve chicken yolks from the proteins. Thoroughly mix all the yolks with 0.5 kg of flour and 0.5 kg of granulated sugar. Then add one teaspoon of nutmeg, lemon zest and 0.5 kg of ground almonds. Place the separated proteins in the mixer bowl and beat well. At this point, salt and sifted flour are added. The resulting mixture should be thoroughly mixed.
Then you need to warm the oven to two hundred degrees. The dough needs to be poured into a special mold and placed in the oven. Bake for twenty to thirty minutes. Periodically check if the sponge cake is ready with a toothpick. The finished basis will take twelve hours before you can do the design and assembly of the structure.
To make the cream, melt one hundred and forty grams of butter and soak ten sachets of gelatin. Whisk six chicken yolks, add lemon zest and juice obtained from six lemons to them. Then the resulting mass is heated in a water bath. With constant stirring, granulated sugar is poured onto it. When the latter is completely dissolved, swollen gelatin is added. The whole mass is thoroughly mixed. Do not forget that all products used must be at the same temperature. The eggs are laid out in advance from the refrigerator, and the melted butter briquette cools. Cooked cream can be soaked in biscuits, cakes or muffins.
How to assemble?
Collecting a multi-tiered wedding cake may initially seem like a whole science, but you can easily deal with it yourself. There are several simple manipulations that will allow the upper tiers to not push the lower tiers, while maintaining the stability of the entire structure. To begin, install each tier of cake on special paper substrates. Make a small hole (in the middle) at the bottom of each substrate. For stability, cocktail tubes and a thin stick of wood are used. The latter must be tightly wrapped in cling film.
You may also need a small amount of chocolate. A pastry bag with a nozzle will also come in handy. Depending on the color of your product, chocolate may be white or black.
A hole is made on the upper surface of the lower tier (in the middle). To do this, use a wooden stick in cling film. Measure two to three centimeters from the center in a circle and make a few more holes using cocktail tubes. Gently cut the remaining parts of the tubes with scissors. Take the tubes out of the cake. Use melted chocolate to fill in all the holes. It is not recommended to delay this process, as the chocolate hardens after a couple of seconds.
After that, quickly insert a wooden stick in the center, and the tubes into other holes. It is also necessary to pour chocolate into the voids of the tubes. This will firmly fix the base of the upper tier. Once the chocolate has hardened, set the top tier by placing it on a wooden stick. Repeat the procedure for all subsequent tiers.
How to decorate with your own hands?
Decorating is perhaps the most fascinating part of home-made wedding cake. The only limitation here is your imagination. Everything can be used - from coconut flakes and glazes to marzipan, fudge or cream.Decorative ornaments do not have to be edible. On the Internet there are many examples of interesting design options. It is not recommended to use only fresh flowers as a decor. The contact of the plant with a dessert, which will subsequently be eaten, can cause an allergic reaction in one of the guests.
The easiest way to give the main decoration of an evening of elegance is glaze. Everyone will cope with its preparation. Powdered sugar, butter briquette, milk and vanillin are thoroughly mixed. The mixture is left for twenty minutes. Adding food coloring, you can give the cake the desired shade.
By the way, food coloring is a great way to achieve a bright and interesting dessert color. For example, by melting several bars of white chocolate and mixing it with the resulting shade, you can decorate the cake with spectacular chocolate smudges at the edges. Pieces of candied fruit or fresh berries can be placed on top.
If you are a supporter of minimalism, then take note of the mastic. It has a unique structure that allows you to give it any shape. It can be laid in a continuous layer, wrapping all the cakes. So they will get a more accurate appearance. You can also decorate the cake with flowers or fancy figures that you can fashion from mastic.
It is recommended to buy or make white mastic on your own, because if you need to get any shade, you can just mix the already well-known food coloring into it. For cooking, you need granulated sugar, chicken protein and gelatin. You may also encounter mastic made from melted marshmallows. However, it is worth noting that with such a mass it is much more difficult to work.
See how to make a wedding cake at home in the next video.
