First Wedding Cake!!! Need Some Pointers Please

Decorating By jennbrownrigg Updated 7 Jun 2009 , 1:37am by ninatat

jennbrownrigg Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jennbrownrigg Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 12:58pm
post #1 of 19

I am very excited as I have been asked to do my very first wedding cake. I have done tiered cakes but not three tiers and NOT for a wedding icon_smile.gif

It will be a three tier heart shaped cake with cascading roses. (I've attached a picture of what she wants) She wants buttercream icing and the only fondant will be the roses.

I'd love the input of some of you more experience 'cakers'. Do I have to put a board in between each tier? Should I make some of the roses on wires or could I just 'pile' them and attach them with RI. As far as the delivery goes, can I build the whole cake and transport it like that or should I leave at least the top tier off and add that on site. If I 'build' it on site, should I add the roses first or on site also? I'd be worried about smudging the buttercream if I'm building on site too.... Answers to these questions and any other tips would be so greatly appreciated.

TIA.

Jenn
LL

18 replies
phoufer Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
phoufer Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 1:16pm
post #2 of 19

Yes I would put each cake on a board. If you use sps you can transport it completely done. There is a sticky with instructions in the How do I forum that will explain how to do this. HTH

Laurascakefactory Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Laurascakefactory Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 1:27pm
post #3 of 19

Not only do you need boards underneath each later but you also need to use dows to support the layers you stack. If you dont dow then the weight could make the cakes start to sag. Good luck. I have my first paid wedding cake today also!!!!

phoufer Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
phoufer Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 1:45pm
post #4 of 19

Dowels aren't necessary if you use sps. It is so much easier and I transport 3 tier cakes all the time. Once I switched to sps I threw away all my dowels!

Rylan Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Rylan Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 1:55pm
post #5 of 19

Congrats about your first wedding cake.

SPS is great but if you don't have any available, I would suggest the old school cardboards and dowels. I use a combination of wooden dowels and bubble tea straws. Don't forget to stick a long sharp dowel in the center to hold everything in place.

You can travel it stacked or unstacked. It depends on how sturdy your cake is and how comfortable you are.

I personally like to make my roses on toothpicks, that way I don't have to worry about things falling or worry about the wires touching the cake.

Good luck.

cylstrial Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cylstrial Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 4:13pm
post #6 of 19

Pretty cake! Is that SMBC?

jennbrownrigg Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jennbrownrigg Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 5:21pm
post #7 of 19

Thanks to everyone for their tips, but now the lady just emailed me saying she found someone to do it for $150 so nevermind. Fine with me really but $150 for 3 tiers and all those roses...SHEESH!!!! I thought my price was cheap at $225. Oh well, I'll keep all those tips for 'next time.'

miny Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
miny Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 5:48pm
post #8 of 19

Are you kidding? That lady is ruining for everybody! That's why people always think they can get a beautiful decorated, delicious 3 tier cake almost free and then get mad when we want to charge for our work icon_mad.gif
Well their loss! One is going to work as a horse for nothing and the other one may be getting a horrible cake because if you pay cheap you get cheap. Cheer up, you did the right thing not lowering your prices, you know what your work is worth!

Cathy26 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Cathy26 Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 6:14pm
post #9 of 19

that is crazy cheap!! i mean i know my ordinary christening cakes, etc are cheaper than bakeries, etc but for a wedding cake im charging at least £200 STERLING and more depending on stuff like sugarcraft flowers, etc. 155 dollars is ridiculous for a three tier cake. i mean, its a wedding cake, people are spending thousands already so i cant see why the cake should be on a budget. wedding cakes are the one time my customer base and the people in my area are willing to spend money so i certainly intend to make the most of it.

Laurascakefactory Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Laurascakefactory Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 9:49pm
post #10 of 19

forgive my ignorance... what are SPS?

phoufer Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
phoufer Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 9:58pm
post #11 of 19

laurascakefactory it stands for single plate system. There is a sticky with instructions in forums under How Do I. It basically eliminates the need to dowel stacked cakes. I only use this method now and feel confident to do stacked cakes, they are sturdy and easy to transport. No need to take separately to location and finish.

sudie1 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sudie1 Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 11:13pm
post #12 of 19

I was wondering about them also. I have to transport a wedding cake 90 miles this summer. I am safe to do this assembled with the sps?

phoufer Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
phoufer Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 11:29pm
post #13 of 19

Yes if you have any questions pm Leahs she is the expert on the sps and she is very helpful.

yamber82 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
yamber82 Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 11:38pm
post #14 of 19

i have tried transporting a 3 tier supported with dowels and that was not a good idea. the dowels can slide a little or tilt. is the other system you guys are refering to the general plastic pieces that fit into the cake plates? i think i need to invest in that. i hate having to put the cake together when i get it here, but transporting a doweled cake is pretty risky.

jukesbox Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jukesbox Posted 6 Jun 2009 , 11:51pm
post #15 of 19

Just transported a 3-tiered stacked cake last weekend with no problem. I stuck 3 dowels all the way through the cake. That keeps it from shifting.

I'm sorry that someone under priced you. I don't know how someone could make that cake for $150! I think you have a VERY reasonable price.

phoufer Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
phoufer Posted 7 Jun 2009 , 12:25am
post #16 of 19

I have transported tiered cakes with dowels but now that I use the sps I never give a second thought about the stability. I have had customers pick up tiered cakes that I used the sps and not one of them ever had a problem transporting the cake.

miny Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
miny Posted 7 Jun 2009 , 12:49am
post #17 of 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoufer

I have transported tiered cakes with dowels but now that I use the sps I never give a second thought about the stability. I have had customers pick up tiered cakes that I used the sps and not one of them ever had a problem transporting the cake.




Where can you buy this SPS system? Is it expensive? Do you get it back from the customer? icon_confused.gif

phoufer Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
phoufer Posted 7 Jun 2009 , 1:20am
post #18 of 19

you can buy them from most cake supply stores, Global Sugar Art carries them. Depending on the size of the plate anywhere from $2-3 and the columns come in a set of 12 for around $6. I charge a deposit of $25 to my customers which I refund once they return them to me. No one complains about that and I always tell them up front there is a cost and that is the only system I use for stacked cakes.

ninatat Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ninatat Posted 7 Jun 2009 , 1:37am
post #19 of 19

well you know what they say, you get what you pay for, sorry you couldn't make the cake, i'm still in class but maybe you could make a dummy one to fix the void, anyway i'd take a picture of it, i don't mean anything bad for her cake. our teacher said she makes wedding cakes my son is getting married in Oct. and boy has she gotten prices for a wedding of 200. fondant 2.500, i don't think our teacher has been one for long, and i told her ask for her for her pictures, she didn't have any, there was an independant cake supply store by me for years the chocolate drop shop and i went there one day and they closed, the girls in class told me they moved, she went in there to get 2 things that our teacher uses for her frosting, oh they make cakes and cater, she gave her a good price, but like i said they've been around for years. but once again my dad alway's said you get what you pay for

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%