I am a home baker, I have decorated a few Wilton shaped cakes for birthday parties.  My family raves about these, so I was asked to do a wedding cake! (anyone can decorate a cake with a star tip and drop flowers!!)   HELP!!    The wedding is 9/14 

I feel like I can do this, with the right direction.  

The bride wants a square stacked cake covered with white fondant.   She wants roses on the cake as decorations.  Pretty simple I think... 

I have never worked with fondant, so I have been Googleing and watching YouTube videos... but I need some live feedback! 

I am going to purchase a Magic Line square cake pan set.   I think I'm going to do a 12", 10" and 8".  

I know I need a support - should I use cardboard or the foam core?  I am seeing debates going both ways.   I am shopping at www.globalsugarart.com  and www.sweetwise.com  ... found both of them through YouTube. 

Oh - here is a big factor - The wedding venue is 60 miles up a winding, BUMPY country road.  Do I assemble the cake at home and drive it up there?   I also have the option of making the whole thing at the venue - there will be a full kitchen, but no internet if I need last minute YouTube help.  

I need to buy almost everything... the only things I have are some Wilton tips and a pastry bag. 

Can anyone recommend tools?

I think I want a cake stand spinner thing,  I need a smoother tool for the fondant, I don't know WHAT I need to make the roses.   I saw a video where a lady had some kind of foam thing that she used to make the petals look real.  Don't know what it's called.  I'm guessing I need a rolling pin, do I need a mat or a board?   What about food coloring for the fondant / gumpaste flowers? Her colors are hot pink and blue.  What about a leveler? I don't trust my self to cut the tops of the cakes level.  Long spatula things?   

How much fondant do I need?  What is a good brand? 

Thank you sooo much!! 

AOk CC pros!! Help her! I'm a newbie and my advice would be minimal compared to what you pros can offer.

I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer, but I don't think you are quite ready to take on a wedding cake.  Especially if you have never worked with fondant before.  Also, square cakes are a bit more difficult to cover than round.  Sorry to say but I think you may be in way over your head.

Eek.  I agree with Lee.  I made a wedding cake for some friends shortly after I first started decorating.  They saw some of the things I had made previously and asked me to make their cake.  So, as a gift, I did.

It was a square cake as well, with the same size tiers (i had another tier on top as well).  Even though I already knew what to do in terms of levelling a cake, covering with fondant, stacking, and transporting on a 2 hour drive... I STILL struggled with it every step of the way.  What I wasn't prepared for was the sheer amount of work it took to put everything together.  I'm talking about days with zero sleep and extremely high levels of stress because this was for someone's wedding.  In the end, it did come together ok (though it still wasnt what the bride or myself had originally envisioned) but it was an experience I would never wish on anyone.  I didn't touch another cake for a year after that.

Anyways, my point is... even though I knew what needed to be done and how to do it, I still had trouble.  You are starting from a level where you haven't had the experience with all the things that you will need to do (level, fondant cover, stack, etc) and it's going to be that much harder for you.  You need to ask yourself if the stress is worth it, and if the bride/groom will be understanding if it doesn't work out or if it's going to majorly affect their day.  

If you are determined to do this though, give yourself a trial run.  Make the entire cake this weekend and see how long it takes you and if it can be done.  If it works out for you, then great!  If not, you are saving yourself some sleepless nights worrying about ruining someone's wedding.  Again, just speaking from personal experience here.  

ACostumeczar would be SO proud!

AThis is a BIG project! Yes, yes, yes to all of the above statements! You must make the bride and groom aware of your skill level. Try a practice cake this weekend just baking, icing, and stacking. If you are still determined to continue I will advise you, only you can gauge your level but it is much harder then it looks!

If you have never worked with fondant I would recommend covering in BC. Square cakes are trickier then rounds, especially when it comes to covering with fondant. I would buy the roses premade, I know decorators that have been doing this for years and still cannot make a nice Gumpaste flower. If you are cascading or whatever you'll need a lot of roses.

You should buy SPS (and all other supplies ASAP). Sps is Single Plate Separator System-there's a video on YouTube that you should watch it will show you how it works. It's inexpensive and very durable, they come with dowels too which will keep the layers supported (this will keep the cake staying upright). You also need cardboard cake circles, foamcore, or some other grease proof plate to go under each tier (personally I use foamcore as long as its grease proof you'll be fine).

Each tier should consist of a couple layers; cake board, dab of icing, cake, filling, cake, crumb coat and ice each tier should be at least 4" tall and level!

Again, not to be mean but if you have to ask all these questions you probably shouldn't be making the cake.

I'm speechless

I would ask, are you ready to ruin a couples' wedding day if you don't do a good job?

This isn't just about you improving your skill and trying something new. This is someone's wedding day. If you've only piped star tips and drop flowers, then offer those on the wedding cake, otherwise, please let them go to another baker who has actual experience with fondant. There have been Waaaaay too many threads about first time wedding cakes ending in disasters because a novice baker was ill-prepared for the job.

I'm sorry if this seems harsh, but from the questions you are asking, it does not seem that you are ready for a fondant wedding cake. You very well MAY be able to do weddings in the future, but reading books and watching videos do not give you the experience you need to make someone's wedding cake in less than 1 month.

Making a wedding cake is so much more complex than even the things you listed. Please research, practice, or even reconsider taking on this project. You don't want to have a huge overwhelming endeavor on your first wedding cake. Start slow and easy, then learn as you go.

Based solely on what you wrote, I would be worried and concerned.  But who knows.  Maybe you have great talent.

Do you have some photos of previous work?

Have you ever done a square cake?  They are really very difficult.  If you have no practice with squares, I really encourage you to at least modify the design to a round version.

Please do a practice cake.  At least one.  This will give you an idea of any adjustments you may need to make in time or design.

AIs this a real post, or a troll, trying g to stir up "one of those threads" where it is a poo flinging contest? Home bakers and newbies vs professionals who are just trying to be real.i

AI'm a home baker as well. I can make a great cake, but this seems like a very big task to take on. I am not saying you can't do it, please don't think I'm trying to put you down in any way. I just feel like given all the circumstances, I would not do it. If it did not turn out, for any reason, there is no.second chance and no way to fix it if something goes bad that day. This is just my opinion. That being said, if you do go ahead with it, do your homework. Use tutorials online. YouTube has some great ones. Order everything you need within the next day. Good luck.

A

Nope lol she posted a whole new thread already. Apparently she didn't like our advise.

ANevermind it was someone else

I think Anna took the words right out of my mouth. I can't believe this is an actual letter, it contains every cliche known. It it's true, I'm speechless. Guess Ddaigle already used that one, too. 

If this is genuine, op better really get ready for a reality check. (Trying to say that respectfully. After all there is a first time for everything. But really, a wedding cake?)

Jan

A

This comment is rude. Home bakers and newbie s are asking questions so we can learn. Maybe taking on a task like this is too much for the OP right now, but why must you make remarks like this?

I'm sorry, but a couple's wedding is not the time to be experimenting. Google 'tire cake eBay' and you will see why.

It is unfair to them, most people practice for years before they attempt a wedding cake, 3 weeks is simply not enough time to learn how to torte, fill, smooth ice, fondant and stack a wedding cake.

I'm assuming by 'home baker', you mean you are not a business, which makes it completely illegal for you to be getting compensated for this cake. The amount of money it will cost you for all the items you listed will be more than hiring an established baker to make the cake. Although with 3 weeks to go, it would be hard to find a baker.

I'm really not trying to be a bully here, just realistic.

AI think she just meant a 'troll' like someone who trolls the Internet stirring people up.

Not that the original poster is actuall a Troll or stupid or whatever.

AI don't know why y'alll are wasting precious energy on this post

Don't use foam core, use cake boards.  They are pre-cut to the size of the layers! 

The experienced bakers on this forum have a point, a wedding cake is very ambitious.  If the bride knows that this is your first wedding cake and it might not be perfect and is okay with that, then go for it.  It might come out beyond perfect, as some cake decorators are "naturals."  (I'm not...so I don't do weddings...)

Also, since you don't have a lot of cake tools, this cake is going to cost you a fortune.  Be prepared...

As for transport, definitely use an SPS system.  Google SPS for cakes and you will see ordering information.

Give yourself a lot of time to make this cake.  It's best to bake the layers ahead of time and freeze them.  

Square cakes are very difficult...the corners are not fun!  I think you should make a practice cake to figure it all out.  I sold my square pans on ebay...I hated decorating them big time!

AI personally would not do it. I get lots of complements on my cakes but I would not be comfortable making a wedding cake. I am a home baker as well, but comments like that make it difficult for us newbies to ask questions. When I ask a question, I am looking for answers from those who have more experience than me, not remarks like that.

A

We are not being rude. We are being realistic. Someone who has never worked with fondant intends to make a square wedding cake? Oh, please.

A

I agree. I havent even done a square, I'm scared. I'd never do my first square on a wedding cake, but even if I owned a bakery for 20 years, I'd never say, "is this real or a troll."

I think my point is being missed.

Thank you for your advise and criticism. 

This cake is for my cousin.  She has seen the other cakes I have made, and is also aware I have never done a wedding cake.  She still asked me to do it.  I'm not being paid.  We live in a very remote area and we don't have a lot of choices for cakes, my brother got married earlier this spring and had a cake made by a local lady.  I KNOW I can do a better job than she did.  The other choice is the grocery store. 

True I don't have a lot of experience with large cakes, however, I still think I can do this.   I had planned on doing a trial run, but I will get some fondant and practice with it tomorrow.   I will also order the roses online and use petal dust to get the colors we want.  

I was unaware that a square cake would be so difficult to put fondant on.   I will checkout the SPS system and get it ordered ASAP.   

And yes, I am aware that this is a very large expense and also a huge time commitment.