The Diy Guide For Brides Making Wedding Cakes...
Decorating By kansaslaura Updated 26 Sep 2008 , 3:17am by pastryjen
Well, this certainly answers all the questions I have about how to construct a wedding cake!
...please take note of the filling and lack of dam around the layer 
http://weddings.about.com/od/weddingcakesfoodmenus/ss/decoweddingcake.htm
I can see it now. Two days before a bride tries baking a 14, 12, 10 & 8" cake. The first two crack. The second two come out undercooked. Then someone gets a call " I followed these stupid directions". Can I get a wedding cake for tomorrow. LOLOLOL
Mike
speechless. I guess you can put a spin on this...think about it. Some decorator decides to put together a "DIY Wedding Cake for Brides", but leaves out all the important stuff like how to smooth out the cake, how to add a dam w/o your filling oozing out, etc and then finally show this God awful looking cake." One look at that heap of cake and icing, any Bridein her right mind will immediately call their nearest bakery as she wouldn't want something that awful looking at her wedding.
Brilliant...what a way to drive business. 
If I got something like this at my wedding reception, I would CRY!
That is just horrible!
Maybe it's a good thing, for all of those "Why do wedding cakes cost so much" cheapos out there, just send them this link and say, here are directions, you can make it yourself! Hopefully yours will turn out better than theirs did!
This is "for real" instructions and not a joke? Now when I look back at my children's cakes from years ago I may see smoothing like that, but not now, never in a million years! (wait, I had better go look at my cakes before I say any more, hehehehe!)
I missed the step between it showing a domed top cake with dowels in it to a more leveled stacked cake.
I'm going to try it that way...the filling, that is...to see if icing will lock in the filling.
With the exception of the flowers being stuck into the cake(I really hate that) and that hideous "monogram"(oof), the cake didn't look bad.
.
I like this introduction she gave before the tutorial:
"People who love to cook and bake often dream of cooking their own wedding meal. It seems wrong to pay a caterer so much money when you know how to make delicious and satisfying food. And yet, the last thing you want is to be stressing over an undercooked roast, or hurrying to finish baking the chicken, all while wearing a wedding dress. It's truly best to leave the catering to the pros. And yet, there is one thing you can do yourself. You can bake your own wedding cake."
Especially, "You can bake your own wedding cake" and "It seems wrong to pay a caterer so much money...."
I'm sure that most brides and calm, cool and collected enough to bake their own cake, set it up, and finish decorating it on site, the day of the wedding. It's not like they've got anything else to think about!
My goodness, I'm not even a professional, but I was appalled at some of the directions.
I love the part that says to use icing to build up the cake if the second tier is leaning!! What???!!!!!
I've been trying way too hard
Shoulda gone for the rustic look on this cake
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1257838.html
And why oh why did I dam my fillings?
Jibbies
I agree with all4cake. Take off the flowers and mongram, and it is not bad looking cake. But it would definitly not pass a a professional job of any kind.
If I had a no or very low budget wedding and a family member made this cake, I would be happy. Something made with lovve, is still better then a sheet cake from wally world.
Just my 2cents...lol 
I cannot anyone looking to do their own cake would actually take this "finished" product seriously! I am sorry but rustic means an fluffly looking icing, not spackeling! Don't the people at "about.com" look at what is on their site? This cake looks like she never went past the crumb coat stage - what a joke!
deb
This is probably a dumb question...but do any of you smooth the cake after it's already stacked? I noticed she was doing that, and I never have...wouldn't that make it a lot harder to do?
I emailed the author of the article about the callas:
Hi,
I was reading your instructions for making a wedding cake, and I wanted to tell you that it's probably not a good idea to recommend that someone place real calla lilies on their cake, because they are poisonous. Silk calla lilies or gumpaste calla lilies (which can be ordered online) are a safe substitute. Here's a list of poisonous flowers: http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowersnot.htm
Judi
WOW.
I made my own wedding cake http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1257319 I would highly advise against it!!!
So do they just put anything on that website? I have to agree with the others though who said it's great & if brides want to do it themselves instead of paying professionals, then yeah...that's what they're gonna get!
It would have looked much better to just spike it up with a spatula or spoon if someone doesn't know how to smooth icing. Or cover it more with flowers.
I was stressed out enough before my own wedding and although I cook and bake from scratch every day, I wouldn't have dreamt of making my wedding cake or cook for it 
lol with varika
djpat says:
There are so many reasons NOT to make your own cake if youâre having more than a dozen guests. First of all, the huge pans you will need in order to make a cake to serve even 50 guests are very expensive and are usually only available mail order or from specialty stores that will charge you MSRP+. Second of all, there are no recipes on the box for the sixteen inch bottom layer that uses eight boxes. Professional bakers will be the first to tell you that recipes donât always multiply correctly. Letâs not even talk about correct baking time. Do you own a cake leveler or know what âcrumb sealingâ is? We havenât even begun to discuss the decorating end of it, by FAR the most difficult and visible. Making your own wedding cake makes about as much sense as tailoring your own tuxes. Take it from a DJ who has NEVER heard of a âgreat ipod receptionâ, there is a reason you hire professionals who do 50 weddings a year.
hahaha Well said!
speechless. I guess you can put a spin on this...think about it. Some decorator decides to put together a "DIY Wedding Cake for Brides", but leaves out all the important stuff like how to smooth out the cake, how to add a dam w/o your filling oozing out, etc and then finally show this God awful looking cake." One look at that heap of cake and icing, any Bridein her right mind will immediately call their nearest bakery as she wouldn't want something that awful looking at her wedding.
Brilliant...what a way to drive business.
I was just thinking that this was great advertising for bakeries and cake decorators!! I know I'd take one look at that cake and run to my nearest baker! She certainly does a good job demonstrating how not easy it is to get a professional looking cake. And that MONOGRAM!!!! hilarious!!!
Um I'd not want my cake to look like that. 
I made my daughter's wedding cake. I've been doing wedding cakes for 27 years and still had a hectic time with it and everything else that was going on. I can't imagine being a bride, who has no experience or proper tools and then try to do this on one of the most important days of a woman's life. What is the bride going to remember? Sharing her joy with her new husband, close family and friends? Or remembering the chaos of trying to bake, ice, decorate, transport, and set up her wedding cake, along with, hair appt, make up and manicure, checking final details, arriving at the church on time etc. My daughter was a basket case as it was and she had wonderful bridesmaids to help and support her through it all. I don't care how budget minded you are...why do that to yourself?
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