My Wedding Is In Two Weeks...help!!!

Decorating By RamieJoe Updated 3 Jul 2011 , 3:29pm by ajwonka

RamieJoe Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
RamieJoe Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:16am
post #1 of 61

So my wedding is in two weeks and my cake is not taken care of (LONG story)...so my mom and I have decided to give it a go! Is it a good or bad idea to put frosting under the fondant? Where's the best place to order fondant that tastes GOOD (we don't have anywhere around here that sales it)? And I'd love any other tips and pointers we must know! Thank you so much for your help!

60 replies
pastrygirls Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
pastrygirls Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:40am
post #2 of 61

you need to have frosting under the fondant to make it stick to your cake. but it needs to be a buttercream, either crusting or non crusting is fine. (tons of recipes on this site). as for the fondant, i know lots of craft stores sell them. Walmart sells the Wilton brand of fondant as well. make sure to use supports if you're going to stack it. use bubble tea straws or chopsticks (the cheap kind you can cut with pliers). and make sure its nice and cold when you cover it with fondant so the weight doesn't pull on the frosting. good luck! post pics

cupncake1 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cupncake1 Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:49am
post #3 of 61

How can you even find the time to make your own wedding cake??? icon_eek.gif If this is your first wedding cake I would definately not make this my first, with all the planning and stress of a wedding you just shouldent put the extra stress on yourself. If you still decide to give it a go maybe you shouldent use fondant if it is your first time- yes you need to put buttercream on your cake so the fondant will stick, I wouldent use regular store bought frosting because it will not work well, also make sure you give yourself more than enough time to do the cake - on my first big cake I way underestimated the time it would take and ended up staying up all night and still barely finishing in time, if you cant find fondant maybe you can try making your own marshmellow fondant, there are some really simple recipes online, number one tip- do as much of the cake as you can ahead of time- if you make your fondant, make it at least a week ahead of time (make sure you store it in an airtight freezer bag and make sure you make more than enough) bake and freeze as many cakes as you can also a week ahead of time (wrap in saran wrap then foil) Make the buttercream and fillings 1 to 2 days before makeing the cake as well, I hope this helps

carmijok Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
carmijok Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 7:24am
post #4 of 61
Quote:
Originally Posted by RamieJoe

So my wedding is in two weeks and my cake is not taken care of (LONG story)...so my mom and I have decided to give it a go! Is it a good or bad idea to put frosting under the fondant? Where's the best place to order fondant that tastes GOOD (we don't have anywhere around here that sales it)? And I'd love any other tips and pointers we must know! Thank you so much for your help!




'Give it a go'? Are you crazy? If you don't have any idea about what to put under fondant, do you even know how to put the fondant on the cake? How many are you planning on serving? Are you doing a tiered cake? Do you know about stacking and dowels and boards and what all it takes to support a tiered cake? Maybe you guys have done this before, but from your post it doesn't sound like it. Your wedding is not the place to experiment. Heck I go crazy doing a small cake for a baby shower...I'm so tired I collapse for a couple of days afterwards.
If you insist on doing this, I would make the marshmallow fondant recipe or Michelle Fosters MMF here on CC. Actually screw that...I would make a really good buttercream (NOT from cans) and then do a rough icing... sort of like stucco...on 3 different size rounds or squares, put a few flowers around the edges and use maybe as a topper...put the cake on a pretty pedestal or silver cake stand (you can rent those) and some votive candles and bingo...a simple but pretty wedding cake. Now if you can just bake, level, trim, fill, dowel and stack, you've got it made! Good luck!

scp1127 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
scp1127 Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 7:35am
post #5 of 61

I agree with carmijok. Just wanted to add.. Wilton has those stands that look similar to a tiered cake, but each cake sits on its own base. Don't try to stack it. Or have the bowls and custard ready for wedding cake trifle.

avasmummy Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
avasmummy Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 7:58am
post #6 of 61

You can do it!!!

Use the original WASC recipe and a simple buttercream recipe or even white choc ganache- check out youtube on how to stack a cake and cover with fondant. Buy some pretty fake flowers and wide ribbon.

As said above bake ahead of time!!
Don't try to do fancy fillings just keep it simple - take your time to trim and ice the cake to get nice smooth even surfaces - it makes putting the fondant on easier.
Chances are good that the fondant wont be perfect which is where the flowers and ribbon come in. Use the ribbon to hide the seams of the cake layers and strategically placed flowers to hide any wrinkles or tears in the fondant.

You can pull apart the flowers to get rid of the sticky outy bits and hot glue them back together and use royal icing to attach them to the cake. Dont stick wires into your cake - if you need to use a straw first then stick the wire in the straw.

If you are planning on sticking a heavy topper on the cake make sure you support it as you did with the tiers.

I am am by no means an expert - just have a can-do attitude and little pearls of wisdom I have picked up from the wise ladies of CC.

Good luck!!

these tutorials are good
torting and filling


Texas_Rose Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Texas_Rose Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 1:16pm
post #7 of 61

I think cupcakes would be a good idea. You can get some really pretty cupcake wrappers, and either build your own cupcake stand or buy one. Pipe a tip 1M swirl or a swirl with a large round tip on each one, and then put a molded chocolate on top of the swirl. You can get candy molds at the craft store, and they're easy to use...use white chocolate and paint the finished candies with pearl dust (you can get that at the craft store too) and they'll look really fancy.

RamieJoe Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
RamieJoe Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 5:13pm
post #8 of 61

WOW! Thank you all so much for the replies! My mom and I both have baked and we're both pretty artsy and creative so I know we can put something together that will look good. We plan on using ribbon and flowers so imperfections will be no problem to hide. As for how many we're feeding...if it turns out great and tastes great we'll serve this as well as sheet cakes. Our wedding is 400+ people and it's put us on a tight budget. Thanks so much for all the input and an extra thank you to those of you that were so positive and encouraging! I'm not really all that stressed, this really is the last thing I have to do besides looking forward to marrying an AMAZING man! Thanks again!
Ramie

bakingatthebeach Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
bakingatthebeach Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 5:40pm
post #9 of 61

youtube video, how to cover a square cake with fondant (works with round cakes also) This will help you
to cover the cake since you havnt before.




I have made the roses with fondant and candy clay and its easy and quick.

Use viva paper towel and a fondant smoother to smooth your buttercream after it crusts a little because your fondant will settle and will show all the bumps and ridges in you icing.
For stacking, order SPS, its cheap, gets to you quickly and will make it so much easier stacking your cake (Instructions are in the how do I section in a sticky by Leah). good luck and congrats!!

tinygoose Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
tinygoose Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:07pm
post #10 of 61
Quote:
Originally Posted by RamieJoe

WOW! Thank you all so much for the replies! My mom and I both have baked and we're both pretty artsy and creative so I know we can put something together that will look good. We plan on using ribbon and flowers so imperfections will be no problem to hide. As for how many we're feeding...if it turns out great and tastes great we'll serve this as well as sheet cakes. Our wedding is 400+ people and it's put us on a tight budget. Thanks so much for all the input and an extra thank you to those of you that were so positive and encouraging! I'm not really all that stressed, this really is the last thing I have to do besides looking forward to marrying an AMAZING man! Thanks again!
Ramie




What 400 people!? That's a ton of cake. Seriously at this point I would call the nicest bakery you can find near you that is available. Have them make up several different sized non tiered cakes and stick them on a Wilton Cake Holder, they have several to choose from. Or you can also stack styrofoam cake dummies under pretty table cloths to add height. Then either give people a choice of lots of flavors...chocolate, white, fruit, etc. A mix of cakes can be very fun. Or have them all done in white. Place some pretty non sprayed, non toxic flowers around them and the table. You're done....

No staying up every night before the wedding til 3am.

I would just have a cake table at this point. If you've never stacked a cake before, you don't want to start with a cake for 400, seriously it will ruin your day.

awatterson Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
awatterson Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:08pm
post #11 of 61

You will have to post pictures when you are done. Good luck.

soledad Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
soledad Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:13pm
post #12 of 61

I do not want to rain in your parade,but please be realistic. It is a wedding cake. why don't you and mother do a trial run. bake the largest tier and try to fill and stack and crumb coat with buttercream and cover it with. fondant, this will give you an idea if you will be able to do it. I have been into cake decorating for more than two years and I still freak out! and I only have done birthday cakes I do not want to think how I will be when I finally get asked to do a wedding cake. (this is a hobby I do not get paid) Anyway, I do wished you all the luck if you decide to do it, thumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gif
CIAO

Echooo3 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Echooo3 Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:27pm
post #13 of 61

I am in business and don't think I would do an order for 400 people. Good luck with that one. By the time you purchase ingredients and supplies you are probably better off going to your local grocery store.

But if you must, don't do a stacked cake. You want to be able to relax on your special day.

all4cake Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
all4cake Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:28pm
post #14 of 61

If you are insisting on doing a wedding cake maybe, you could ask if there's a CC member or two or ten in your area that would consider helping. There may be several that may have the time and the desire to help.

I think with a bit of youtubing and helpful advice, you and your mother will be able to successfully complete a stacked cake as well as sheet cakes to serve all of your guests.

Planning out the baking, icing making, construction and decorating is going to be most critical in your success. If you don't have it, you may want to secure a deep freezer to be able to bake ahead and store all the layers while you work on the other elements.

dukeswalker Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
dukeswalker Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:31pm
post #15 of 61

I have to agree...I've been doing this for about 1 year and seem to have the basics down - but cake for 400? Even if you did ALL sheet cakes, we're talking HOURS of work...simply from the baking & greasing & mixing.

If you do take this on, I would forgo fondant and go for a rustic buttercream look or go with a cupcake tower and one 6 inch fondant covered cake at the top of the tower. I would also suggest starting NOW. Bake/wrap/freeze anything you can now. I would also suggest inviting over friends for a "cupcake decorating party". icon_smile.gif

btw...where will all the cake be stored before the wedding and during the wedding?

Echooo3 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Echooo3 Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:43pm
post #16 of 61

Have you thought about what size pans you need? Will they fit in your oven? How many cakes can you put in your oven at one time?

Have you priced fondant? Have you ever worked with fondant? I agree. Forgo the fondant and go with a rustic buttercream look.

artscallion Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
artscallion Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:46pm
post #17 of 61

My opinion is that you will regret choosing to take this on. It may sound easy, but your statement, "Is it a good or bad idea to put frosting under the fondant?" tells me that you are not even aware of how much you don't know. That much cake is a huge endeavor, much bigger than you think. And this forum is filled to brimming from bakers wondering why their cake collapsed, or has bubbles and bulges or the fondant is tearing and sliding down the side, or their dowels tilted (do you even know about dowels?) And these are from bakers here who have a good deal of experience but have not yet mastered all the variables and intricacies involved.

I really don't want to be the turd in the punchbowl. But two weeks before your wedding is not enough for you to go from someone who has "done some baking" to someone who can make a wedding cake for 400 people. Sorry if I sound harsh. But if you take this in the helpful spirit in which it is intended, you'll either thank me later, or you'll have a disaster and never show your face here again to let me know I was right. And if I'm wrong, please come back here with pics so I can eat my words.

Texas_Rose Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Texas_Rose Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 6:58pm
post #18 of 61
Quote:
Originally Posted by artscallion

I really don't want to be the turd in the punchbowl.




icon_lol.gificon_lol.gificon_lol.gificon_lol.gif That's a great expression.

Anyhow, I totally agree...that's why I was suggesting cupcakes, because anybody can do cupcakes.

Even cupcakes for 400 would be a massive undertaking though...

17 cake mixes
5 dozen eggs
At least 30 lbs powdered sugar
A gallon of clear vanilla
And so on...

artscallion Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
artscallion Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 7:15pm
post #19 of 61
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas_Rose

Quote:
Originally Posted by artscallion

I really don't want to be the turd in the punchbowl.



icon_lol.gificon_lol.gificon_lol.gificon_lol.gif That's a great expression.

Anyhow, I totally agree...that's why I was suggesting cupcakes, because anybody can do cupcakes.

Even cupcakes for 400 would be a massive undertaking though...

17 cake mixes
5 dozen eggs
At least 30 lbs powdered sugar
A gallon of clear vanilla
And so on...




True...and hopefully she won't make 400 red velvet cupcakes, frost them all with cream cheese frosting, finished two days ahead only to realize she can only fit 30 of them in her fridge and has to run all over town storing a dozen in each relatives fridge...or worse yet, doesn't realize the cream cheese frosting needs refrigeration and is mortified when her guest start asking what that sour smell is.

I say find a local bakery or market, and see what they can do for you. or, as all4cake suggested, find someone here on CC who could take on the order. You don't want this hanging over your head.

bradfab Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
bradfab Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 7:25pm
post #20 of 61

Oh c'mon- give her a little bit of a break. Any bride who decides two weeks before the wedding that she and her mom are going to make the cake(s) is clearly less concerned about some picture-perfect, fit-for-a-princess cake. (I'm guessing she's more focused on what really matters, and less focused on the details that will be totally unimportant to her in 20 years.) She said she's serving the wedding cake and sheet cakes. She's not making a tiered cake for 400; she just needs to serve 400. Yes, it's a lot of baking, but it's not a lot decorating if they're kitchen cakes. I'm sure the fact that there will be 400 guests is some indication of the support network she has, so that means there will probably be plenty of people willing to help bake and frost so she and her mom aren't doing it all on their own. To the OP- have fun. I don't need to tell you not to stress out because you don't seem like this is something you're going to let stress you out. Good job. Keep perspective and have a wonderful marriage!

artscallion Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
artscallion Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 7:27pm
post #21 of 61

Sorry. But I disagree, and I think it does the OP a disservice to encourager her to take this on. just my opinion.

Texas_Rose Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Texas_Rose Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 7:30pm
post #22 of 61
Quote:
Originally Posted by bradfab

Oh c'mon- give her a little bit of a break. Any bride who decides two weeks before the wedding that she and her mom are going to make the cake(s) is clearly less concerned about some picture-perfect, fit-for-a-princess cake. (I'm guessing she's more focused on what really matters, and less focused on the details that will be totally unimportant to her in 20 years.)




I'm guessing she had a baker lined up and something went south with the arrangement...maybe it was time to pay for the cake, and the money had gone to other wedding expenses. Call me cynical, but that's almost always the case when a bride decides two weeks before the wedding that she's going to make her own cake.

PTBUGZY1 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
PTBUGZY1 Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 7:36pm
post #23 of 61

I agree with texas Rose, cupcakes would be the easier answer. You could even have an 8 inch cake sitting on top of a cupcake stand, to use to cut the cake or as the anniversary cake.

I don't think I'd try my hand at fondant for your wedding cake as it doesn't sound like your familiar with the product. I have trouble covering a cake with fondant (I don't cover many cakes with it, I mostly use buttercream).

You could cover the cake with buttercream instead of fondant (alot of people don't even like fondant).

Maybe you could still find a cake baker/decorator that could take on the task, or maybe family and friends could help out.


400 people thats a huge wedding. Good luck

cake_architect Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cake_architect Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 7:42pm
post #24 of 61
Quote:
Originally Posted by artscallion

Sorry. But I disagree, and I think it does the OP a disservice to encourager her to take this on. just my opinion.




thumbs_up.gif

sebrina Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sebrina Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 8:06pm
post #25 of 61
Quote:
Originally Posted by carmijok

Actually screw that...I would make a really good buttercream (NOT from cans) and then do a rough icing... sort of like stucco...on 3 different size rounds or squares, put a few flowers around the edges and use maybe as a topper...put the cake on a pretty pedestal or silver cake stand (you can rent those) and some votive candles and bingo...a simple but pretty wedding cake. Now if you can just bake, level, trim, fill, dowel and stack, you've got it made! Good luck!




I agree! I would go with something like these...

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1465608
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1476718
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2048981/2048982

I would make a small two tier cake for cutting & then cupcakes iced to match. A cake large enough to feed 400 is A LOT to learn at once. And both the rustic look & the cupcakes are very trendy right now! Good luck with whatever you decide to try. And feel free to ask questions! We can help you learn as you go! thumbs_up.gif

MamaD77 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MamaD77 Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 9:04pm
post #26 of 61

Okay, I'm adding my 2c here as I did do my own wedding cake! I did my own cake because there just wasn't enough in the budget for ANYTHING including a fancy cake! I did my own flowers too, bouquets, church flowers, button holes, you name it, I did it!
Would I do it again? Absolutely not! Your wedding day is not the day you want to wake up exhausted.
The way I cut corners though with the cake, was I ordered 3 square, basic sponge cakes covered with white fondant from a local bakery. I didn't tell the bakery they were wedding cakes, I ordered them as celebration cakes. Then collected them, took them home, applied a wide fabric ribbon border around each tier, put six wooden dowels in each cake, and then took them to the venue myself the night before the wedding, and stacked them at the venue. I had already prepared my own jewellery style topper a couple of weeks beforehand, with beads and butterflies, so just inserted them into the top tier at the venue.
I can think of a million other things I'd rather have been doing that evening! Exhausted does not even begin to describe how I felt!
I've been caking for a year now, and have 25 fondant covered cakes under my belt, and have just become a business, and I have spent many a night up until the wee small hours because I use fondant. I seriously don't think you'll have time to do fondant covered cakes, I agree with previous posters, I'd definitely stick to buttercream!
If I lived near you, I'd be offering to help you right now, and I also think it may be a good idea to do a new post asking if there are any fellow cc members in your area willing and able to help!
Whatever you decide to do, I wish you well, good luck, and congratulations!

Mama D

MamaD77 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MamaD77 Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 9:13pm
post #27 of 61

Oh, and I forgot to say,
I did a cupcake tower for my cousin's 21st around a month ago, there were 50 cupcakes on that tower, and they took me an entire day to do! That was for only 50 cupcakes! Not to mention the counter space they take up, and then there's transportation and storage issues. I think the cupcakes are actually more time consuming than regular cake! So I'd say that to save time and space and transport issues, sheet cakes would be the easiest and quickest way to provide cake for 400. I'd be going with a 2 or 3 tier simple cake for cutting ceremony and the rest in sheet cakes. So much quicker to smooth on some buttercream on one big flat cake than to have to fill a piping bag and pipe a swirl on top of what may have to amount to around 275-300 cupcakes. thumbs_up.gif
HTH

Mama D

Unlimited Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Unlimited Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 9:15pm
post #28 of 61

Why not just make a dummy tiered cake now (if it doesn't turn out, you might have time to locate one to rent), and serve the sheet/kitchen cakes?

avasmummy Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
avasmummy Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 9:35pm
post #29 of 61

Ok somewhere along the line i missed the 400 guests mentioned - that said you're display cake doesn't need to be that big - 3 tiers is plenty and is doable - for the rest of the guests do as the others say and purchase some sheet cakes and just keep them in the kitchen out of sight.

To the doubters - the fourth cake i ever made was a wedding cake with fondant and stacked - granted it wasn't perfect and it was different than a conventional wedding cake but it was what the bride wanted and sure beats a $5 supermarket cake which is what she was going to serve till I offered to give it a go - she had her extended family staying at her house so I had an audience of 20+ people watching me make the thing the night before the wedding, talk about pressure!!!!

That week I also made the wedding dress the flower girl dresses and my bridesmaid dress and the bouquets - all of which I have never done before EVER!

my point is - when you need to and you have amazing resources (thank you internet!!!) you can pretty much do anything.

cabecakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cabecakes Posted 11 Jun 2011 , 9:52pm
post #30 of 61

If you are seriously considering making your own wedding cake with no experience, you really need to check out youtube. You can get a lot of information via video that will help a lot. Experiment ahead of time...a lot. You can always donate the cake to local nursing homes, fire stations, etc. You will need to have a good recipe for buttercream icing, marshmallow fondant, decorations, instructions on how to stack a cake, how to apply the fondant to the specific shape of the cake (yeah, shape makes a difference) have a good prepared cake board or pedestol, have transportation secured (make sure you have a good flat surface) van, suv...being prepared ahead of time is the key. You don't want any surprises. I personally wouldn't try it, and I say this because you will already be under an enormous amount of stress. Isn't there an aunt or sister that could step up and help you out. This is probably going to be a much larger undertaking then you think. I wish you the best of luck whatever you decide to do! Congratulations on you wedding.

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%