Hey guys,
Just got a call for a wedding cake for this coming up Saturday. I swear I am a magnet for last minute orders. Its for a daughter of the woman that works at my shop. They were going to make it theirselves, but I think they decided it was going to be a big project and asked me if I could do it.

I quoted them $85 for a round 2-tiered cake iced in buttercream. She said she would be happy with just a plain white cake with a border. She said she doesn't have to have any flowers or topper for the cake(I think they might have one). I have a feeling the wedding is very low key and that they don't have alot of money to spend.

I would like to make it a little bit more decorated than just a plain iced cake. Anyone have any ideas that don't involve fondant or anything too expensive. The colors are white, pink, and black.

Any ideas, pictures, suggestions would be appreciated - thanks

Here's a simple, yet pretty cake in black and white: http://www.celebratecakes.com/mysite/226200471804AM1.jpg

You could add some pink gerbera daisies or other pink accents.

I hope that link works.

Edited to add: It's not my cake, just one I found online and liked.

I love the cake Lotsoftots suggested! .... mmf is not expensive to make and it tastes alot better than regular store bought fondant .... I'm just a rookie and I've made two cakes using mmf .. I highly recomend it ... one thing I learned is ... it's better to make mmf the same day you are going to put it on the cake ... the first time I made it a couple of days ahead thinking I was buying time ...but it was very difficult to work with... the one I made the same day was awsome ...

Thanks lotsoftots...the picture helped me think of some ideas

sofiasmami: one of these days I think I will try the mmf, but its such short notice that I'm not sure I would have time. thanks for the suggestion

This would be easy to replicate in either fondant or real ribbons on a simple buttercream cake....

You could do just a plain buttercream with the swiss dots or just plain dots on it. Those are really simple and pretty too, and not hard to make. There is a small trial one in my pics.

Antonia: I really like that cake..wonder if I could find a ribbon with the 3 colors in it. By the way if you have time could you tell me what buttercream you used on some of your wedding cakes...I was just looking through your pictures and your cakes were so smooth and white. They are all so gorgeous

Quadcrew: actually i came across your trial cake in my search for wedding cakes...I love how its simple, but also very pretty. thanks for the help

Thank you Ge978...I use Martha's Italian Meringue Buttercream only. It is really easy to smooth. My trick is to make the recipe, let it sit in the mixer for 30 minutes or so and then change to a paddle attachment and beat it for 3 minutes or so on medium speed. This seems to get all those tiny little air bubbles out of it and it is smooth like whipped cream and a DREAM to pipe/mask with. I make it fresh on the same day I'm using it.

When you have torted and filled your cake, chill it (or put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes). Take each cold cake out and give it and primary clean crumbcoat with the IMBC and return it to the fridge/freezer for 20 minutes...then bring it out and do your final perfect IMBC coat. It works so well this way.

I also use one of those bright yellow plaster tools for smoothing buttercream. You can buy a bunch of different sizes at the hardware store for less than $3 or so each.

If you can't find a ribbon with all 3 colours, get a nice thick black ribbon and put a thinner pink ribbon overtop. It will look even nicer! Something like a pink polka-dotted ribbon would be so funky!

thanks antonia, that helps alot...I hope to get mine as smooth as yours someday. Good idea on the ribbon too...I like the thought of the thinner pink over the black. Thanks for your help

Antonia,

Do you have to keep IM buttercream refrigerated?

Well, duh, I just read the post again and saw the part where it is pink a black colors. Sorry about that.....

I just posted a baby shower cake that is for a pink and dark brown theme. It is all buttercream, and was fairly simple to do. It is a chocolate cake with pink custard filling. Check my photos, and if you'd like any more info just let me know!

Quadcrew: don't be sorry...I need all sorts of cakes, not just pink & black- I can always change the colors...I'm just looking more for the design

Where can I find the Martha's Italian Meringue Buttercream recipe?

momsandraven: What's so funny is that I saw your cake this morning and thought about how I could change it around for this wedding cake. I've been checking your thread off and on to see if it was done yet...it turned out gorgeous.
I was thinking maybe using the design you have for the top, but in black and maybe add a few fresh darker pink flowers, I also thought about adding thin ribbon to the bottom tiers. Too bad I can't draw, but the sketch is in my head Your cake gives me alot of ideas.

You could also do something like the ones below. You could scale them down for a smaller wedding and would be easy enough to do all in buttercream with buttercream decorations or real ribbons.

tripletmom: the first one was kind of what I was thinking with the dark pink flowers...now I have so many ideas in my head - thanks for the help

you can keep IM buttercream out at room temp in a venue for literally 10-12 hours, it gets soft and glossy like a pound of butter kept out of the fridge in the end...but it won't melt and drip off your cake unless it's outdoors in summer or the room is WAY too hot.

******** You can find Martha's recipe in

the Recipe sections of her website

at www.marthastewart.com *********

Could you post the recipe for the icing??? Sounds like a winner!!

www.bellajoys.com has a great selection of ribbons. they have a pink/white/black stripe under their 1.5" preppy stripes section

christie: thanks for the link...I probably don't have time to get one shipped though. I love their selection..I'll have to think of an excuse to make cakes just to get some ribbons

Take a look at my photos I did a two tier cake with pink gardinia's and a few pearls with buttercream icing. Very easy to make, hope this helps. The gardinia's were white so I sprayed a little of wiltons pink spray in a can to change the color.

Cakesondemand: you do beautiful work! I actually came across your cake also in my search in the gallery. It is beautiful...can I ask what size pans you used and how many people it fed? It looks to be about the size I'm planning on doing. Your 3-tiered cake with the gerbera daisies caught my eye...those would be about the color of daisies I would use. Are they very expensive? I'm not really familiar with flowers at all. Hopefully its not too many questions TIA

In reply to your questions I used 12x3, 10X3, & 8x3. As for the gerbers I had the bride order them from her florist and have them available for me at the reception to finish the cake. I beleive the cake was for 100 but I haven't quit mastered that part yet I follow a Chart but I don't know how accurate it is it should be a good one since its from Earlene's Cakes.

cakesondemand: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions about your cake. I have a hard time figuring cake servings too, but I just looked at Earlene's and hers seem to be more accurate than Wilton's. Thanks again

Not happy with this one at all! Everything that could go wrong did...I'm not sure I'm cut out for wedding cakes. Maybe I just need a break for awhile. Anyway thanks to everyone for your help

I think it looks nice. What don't you like? The important question is, did the couple getting married like it? I'm sure they did!!

Momsandraven: thank you very much for your compliment ..It just didn't come out like I had in my head. Nothing was going right at all..I couldn't find the right ribbon, the icing wouldn't smooth(I tried absolutely everything), & the whole design had to be changed. I just called my dad(he catered the wedding and cut the cake)...he said the bride loved it. He also said there were alot of good comments from the guests on it also...they were afraid there wasn't going to be enough so they all got in line

It makes it nice that he caters some of the weddings that I do the cake for so I can ask him honestly what people thought of it.
Even though this turned out well, I've decided not to do wedding cakes anymore.

I think it turned out very pretty! I love that it's simple, but the combo of the ribbon & roses, plus the color combo make it sophisticated. From the picture, none of the problems you had with it are visible.....so in my book that = SUCCESS!! Sorry it was a pain for you, but the wedding couple was happy & that's what counts and makes it worth it, right!!

JennT: thank you...I was happy to hear that they liked it..It almost made all the trouble worth it