Hi, All! I really hope someone out there has some great advice for me!!!
I am doing an outdoor wedding this Saturday at the local Holiday Inn. We are in West Michigan, and as of today we are expecting isolated thunderstorms with a high of 83 degrees. The HI is right on the river, so that may help cool things down, or it will make the humidity even worse! All the tables are under the tent, so the rain isn't necessarily a worry. The wedding is also outdoors, under the tent, with the reception immediately following, so everything has to be set up and ready to go...I want to be out of there half an hour before the ceremony starts.
Ok...I am doing separate cakes for each table...24, 6" round, 3" tall cakes, simply decorated. The main display consists of three satellite cakes, and one five-tier stacked cake. The satellite cakes, and the bottom four tiers of the main cake are all dummies. The top tier will be the ceremonial cutting tier.
Ok - here are the questions...
1. What icing will hold up best for the table cakes? Should I use the crusting buttercream from this site? An all shortening buttercream (which is what they tasted months ago and liked well enough).?
2. Should I use the crusting buttercream on the satellites and main cake? Or should I use royal icing on all but the top tier, or would that look terrible?
3. If I use royal on the main cake, I may have a problem placing the flowers from the florist. He will be leaving me a "map" for placement (for me to change at my discretion). The flower stems will be covered with tape, and stuck into the "cake." Royal icing is hard...hence the problem. Is there a way to get through the icing after it has dried to make a hole for the flowers to be inserted? It will be only a few small bouquets.
Any suggestions at all would be very much appreciated! Thank you in advance!
Oh, the satellite cakes will be displayed on hurricane lamps filled with sand, shells, and goldfish... has anyone dealt with live fish for an outdoor wedding reception?????
Tina
I am not sure if I understood your question correctly, but I really dont think you'd want to ice your cake in royal icing. I would be way to hard-while you can eat royal icing, most people don't, and it is used mostly for flowers and such. I live in west michigan too, and I think they may have upped the temp for this weekend to in the 90's...yikes. Probably you'd be better off using the all crisco buttercream (vs one with butter) or maybe fondant if you use that.
That's a lot of cake...good luck!!
OH! I think I got it-you want to put royal on the cake dummies, not the cakes that people are eating..! I knew I couldnt be reading that right! Hmmm, I dont know...
well, i would stick with what they tasted and liked. For the dummie tiers, use the same icing as the real cake or they will look odd. As far as the rain goes, take someone with you that can hold an umbrella as you carry. Cause lets face it, you may not be able to get all that close to where the tent is. I did have one wedding a couple of years ago, that i put the truck in 4wheel drive and went right on up and under the side of the tent to deliver the cake. But thats not always possible.
Thanks!
Yes, the table cakes will be iced in buttercream..the all-crisco...they will have chocolate seashells on them - hope they don't melt! That is my over-all main concern - melting chocolate and icing!
The main display cakes are all styrofoam dummies with the exception of the top tier...that one is real cake. Like I said, I am mostly concerned about melting and sliding icing issues. Trying to figure out what will hold up the best in this situation. If I add meringue powder to the icing, I know it helps it to crust, do you think it will help stabilize the icing to keep it from sliding off the cakes? I can do about anything to the main cakes as only the top one will actually be eaten.
Tina
I agree to stick with the all shortening BC more for the fact that it would hold up the best in the heat and humidity. I am in Michigan too (Saginaw) and it is pretty hot and humid today. Shortening has a higher melting point so it will stand up better. I would also use that on the dummy cake so that it matches. One thing you might want to add to your tool box to take with you would be a small screwdriver or something you can poke holes in the dummy cake with to put the flowers in. The stems might not be strong enough to go through on there own and you don't want them to break.
Good luck and post a pic!
Heather
Thanks, Heather! I am in the Grand Haven area...almost Coast Guard Festival! oh, yay...
i didn't think about using a screwdriver to punch a hole...great idea! I just put one in my "emergency box" so I don't forget it on Saturday!
The bride is the owner of the dance studio my girls take classes at, and she is very easy-going about the whole cake thing. The one thing she was adamant about was the goldfish! She saw a similar display last spring at a bridal show and fell in love with the idea. Hopefully, we won't have any floating fish at the reception!
Tina
Wow Grand Haven-I live is Spring Lake! I was wondering if you were talking about the Holiday Inn here when you were talking about the river. Small world
Cool! I just moved here last August and I have to say I love it here, couldnt imagine a better place to live and for my kids to go to school! How old are your kids? Do they go to SL schools?
Anyway your cakes are really beautiful! I looked at them after my first response to your message and I am thinking there is no way she would use royal icing to ice the cakes! Ha Ha! So I went back and read it again, now I feel like such a dope! Sorry!
Well, since this is mostly a hobby for me, and the bride is a friend, I am basically only charging enough to cover my expenses with a little "breathing room." What it comes down to is about $1.25 per serving...which I know is rather low, but I am not licensed as a business (still my dream!), so don't want to charge outrageously.
The satellite cakes and four of the five tiers of the big cake are just styrofoam that will be decorated with buttercream, so that is nominal.
I am also adding ribbons and charms to the cake servers that will be at each table.
Lucky for me, I have a great friend that helps me set up when my husband isn't in town (he is an OTR truck driver), and a wonderful MIL who watches my three girls.
Anyway, around here, I would think the individual cakes would cost around $15-20 each, or about $2 per serving. As for the dummy cake, I have no real idea.
And yes, it does seem like a lot, but she wants a "wow" feeling to the whole wedding...!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%