I've been baking and decorating cakes for a couple of years, I have always got on fine until now...

When my brother in law and his girlfriend announced their engagement they asked me to make their wedding cake. I agreed, said I'd do it as their wedding present and got out all of my books and magazines and they chose a beautiful cake from Peggy Porschen's book, 'Romantic Cakes':


I was most worried about doing the butterflies, but they are finished with no problems. It's the cakes that are scaring me now!

I got a set of the 16 mini cake tins, but every recipe I've used in my practice runs just hasn't worked. I've tried the recipe on the packaging, my standard sour cream cake recipe and a madeira cake recipe. Each time the cakes have looked perfect in the oven, perfect when I take them out of the oven, and then they shrink away from the sides and end up with the top and bottom wider than the middle! I've tried cooking them for less time and more time but it doesn't make a difference.

I know I can bake, but these are a total disaster. The wedding is on Saturday and I need to start baking asap

Does anyone have any ideas?

This is definitely where I would bake and fill a sheetcake and use a cutter or ring to cut out the cakes. Better. Faster. Stronger. - In the words of the Six Million Dollar Man.

ditto

I'm just following along to see what tips you receive. I have to make a bunch of mini square cakes in a month or so and would be great to get a head start.

Thanks

I did make a small one earlier, but I have no cutters the right size, would carving around one of the mini cylinders work do you think?

If I put it in the fridge for a while first that will help minimise possible crumbling right?

I sound like a total idiot, I guess I'm just more nervous because this one is for family!!

What size do you need? Go to the store, buy a can, cut out both ends. cutter for cakes.

I got a pilchards tin. It was exactly 2 inches in diameter and then the top and bottom were removed, the edges were nice and sharp and even cut through fruit cake.

If you need to cool the cakes for carving, I would use the freezer and not the fridge. Cut cake dries out very fast in the refrigerator in my experience.