So I just purchased this mini 3 tiered cake pan....

'Fat Daddio's 6-Cup Individual 3 Tier Cake Pan '

Anyone have any experience with something similar or the same pan?

Also my main question is ....what would be the easiest was to use fondant to decorate these. I've got to make about 100 for my wedding in June! Eeeek!
I swear I'm not crazy! Also do you think there is any way to inject them with filling??

How many of them did you purchase? You don't want to have to bake 1 at a time, that would take sooooo long. I made a few individual mini cakes 3 in round by about 3 in high. It took me a long time to cover 12 of them in fondant. I am sure that you could inject it but using a tip that is used for filling pastries.

I haven't personally used the mini 3-tiered pan, so I really can't offer much advice in the way of how to cover w/ fondant.

But I did have a thought about filling. Depending on how thick your filling is, you could "core" the individual cakes like you'd fill a cupcake.

Core from the bottom for thick filling that won't flow out from under the cake. Or core from the top if the filling is a bit more runny? Replace the bit of the topside core to seal, then you can cover it with fondant.

Hope this helps, and best of luck to you (And congratulations on your upcoming wedding, too!)

~ Scott

I only purchased one pan! It has 6 mini cakes in the pan. I have plenty of time.... I'm just trying to keep costs low.... so I considered purchasing additional pans but... it defeats the purpose. I may as well pay someone to do it!

(How far in advance from my wedding do you think I could make the cakes and freeze them?)

Someone suggested I use sugar cookie Icing to cover the mini cakes...instead of fondant? I am really iffy about this idea....but I am a beginner so what do I know...

Thanks on the filling idea! I love it!

Why don't you set a goal to make dozen or two as soon as you can and see how that goes. Then you'll have a better idea of what you're planning on doing to yourself.

Do you have anyone to rely on to help you?

You could cover them with ganache, that way you pour it on. I made my own wedding cake two days before my wedding (I don't freeze cakes). I agree with the above poster, it's stressful. You may want to scrap the individual cake idea and just make one large wedding cake. You could use always make an individual cake for each of the bridesmaids, etc...

JLDCakester--Welcome to CC and congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

Sounds like you are trying to save some money and still give your wedding guests some lovely, individual cakes. I'm with K8Memphis and the others, save yourself now. You didn't say what your experience level is with decorating, but since you are asking fairly basic questions I'm guessing this project might make you nuts.

If you have ever watched any of the popular cake shows on TV; all of those experienced decorators say that mini cakes are the most difficult and take the most time. The pan you purchased would be a horror to decorate.

You may be much better served by asking these darling, professional baker, CC folks what is the least expensive way to serve your guests wedding cake that you and the groom would be proud to present. (Forget about any advice in wedding books or blogs or columns, they are in la-la-land when it comes to cake...)

I would hate to see you regret putting this much work and stress on you. If you really want to try it, make a pan full, time yourself and see how quickly you can decorate those, the way you want them to look, and then try to remember some of the million things you'll be doing in the days before your wedding and see if it's really feasible.

If you really want to make your own cake, you could make a dummy cake and then have sheet cakes in the back for serving. You could make it at your own pace and have it exactly the way you want it. I think even sheet cakes would put a stress on you, but that would certainly be quicker and easier on you. Or, maybe you budget will fit for a bakery to make those.

It iwll be rather easy to fill them. Several ideas have already been offered. I just use a tip 3 or 4; fill pastry bag with a *smooth* filling; stick into cake, squeeze, release and remove tip. Have done it many times.
As for when to start? NOW You can bake ahead - all your cakes. When cool enough to handle, wrap in a couple of layers of plastic wrap and freeze. Make sure when they 1st go in the fzr that they are one layer, and flat. Once fzn, put them into a plastic bag all together. When you are ready to work on them = several days before wedding - again make sure you defrost them in a flat single layer. This will prevent distortion of the cakes.
Sugar cookie icing for covering the cakes? Don't think that's a good idea.
It will take a lot of time to cover 100!! mini cakes. Much longer than if you did a 4 tier large wedding cake.
If I understand the pan right, there are 6 'wells' that make one mini 3 tier cake in each well, right?
Measure the heigth of each finished baked cake, multiply x 2, then add the # of inches of the largest part. Example: 3" tall x 2 plus 3" across the lgst base. So you now need to roll out a piece of fondant to a 10" circle (3x2+3 and an extra 1" for wiggle room); lay it on the cake; smooth out the sides, trim bottom edge. Do that 100 times!

As k8 said, it is NOT going to be easy. It WILL take a LOT of time. You can only cover in fondant and decorate them at most 2-3 days before the wedding. decorations used on them (tiny cut outs; flowers etc) can be made ahead as can the cakes themselves.

Thank you everyone for your valid points and input. I already have a 6 tiered caked being made for my wedding (by a pro)... very costly thats FOR SURE... I just was really wanting to give the individual cakes as favors also but wasn't willing to fork over the price ( that sounds terrible) but weddings are really so expensive!

I think everyone has convinced me to forget the idea... maybe it really is a bad idea... larger cakes for me are easy...especially with fondant ... i was hoping the little ones would be just as easy...but your right I have heard that the mini cakes are the most difficult....

UGH! Any other ideas of what I could stuff my little 4x4 favor boxes with! ; )

I just googled "edible wedding favors". There are lots of ideas. Here is a link with a bunch of them... http://www.beau-coup.com/teaandsweets.htm

Edited to add that they even have a mini 2 tier cake.

Do you have a budget in mind?

Congrats on your wedding! I'm a huge fab of DIY weddings but this project sounds like a lot more work than you need to put ongoing yourself. If you're set on having something handmade for guests, why not do a wedding cake cookie. You can turn out a hundred a lot faster than the mini cakes!?!? Good luck!

Congrats on your wedding! I'm a huge fab of DIY weddings but this project sounds like a lot more work than you need to put ongoing yourself. If you're set on having something handmade for guests, why not do a wedding cake cookie. You can turn out a hundred a lot faster than the mini cakes!?!? Good luck!

Last May I did my daughter's wedding cake. I can not image doing 100 mini cakes! The stress would kill me. If your heart is set on doing something handmade do the cookies suggested above. Good luck and Congratulation.

I'm SOOO glad you saw the light on the mini cakes. I did some DIY stuff for my wedding and let me tell you, the easiest thing always turns out to be a nightmare. Like the menus I was going to just pop in my printer and it would be a cute little detail? Yeah jammed the damn printer, practically broke it, and I ended up making about 4 trips to a printing company. I was picturing you in a puddle of tears 2 days before your wedding and it wasn't pretty!!!

If you really want to bake something I would go with cookies. They're much faster, less fussy, and cheaper. The fondant on 100 mini cakes would be very expensive. Of the edible favors I received, my favorite was mixed Hershey's chocolate minatures and kisses. If you wanted to 'upgrade' the chocolate you could throw a few truffles in there too. Good luck on your wedding! I recommend an extra day at the spa a few days in advance. It's well worth it!

Why don't you make round sugar cookies(sanwiched with icing) with 3 graduated sizes so when stacked, it looks like a mini wedding cake???
I made those for 1 of the favors for my wedding and it was a big hit
and it really didn't take that long. And all you have to do it put a little sugar flower on top for decoration(that is if you want to)
Good Luck, and let us know on what you decide!
Jodi

You could leave the minicakes naked and just decorate the top with a pretty brush of color (royal icing) and a flower. That way you can make them ahead of time. Even the flowers you can make ahead of time.

Something like this:
http://www.merryantoinette.com/2009/02/wedding-cake-cookies.html

But with cake.

You could also tint one third of the batter in a pretty pastel and use that for the top "tier" of the mini cake, that way it has color already when it comes out.

Cake truffles might do the trick for you. They can be packaged elegantly and your favors would still be cake.