I have a client who wants a cake with frosting ONLY in between the layers. She wants the sides of the cake shaved so you can see the inside of the cake (basically, so it doesn't have the darker edges but looks like cake). How do I shave the edges of the layers, keeping them uniform since it will be four tiers, three layers in each tier. TIA!!!

I would a cake ring to get an exact cut/trim.

If a cake ring is not available, I would trim and torte normally and then use a round template to ensure an exact cut.

I would suggest trimming them before filling and layering each tier. Just take a sharp knife and trim the edges. If you wanted it perfectly round/square and uniform, you could bake the cake in a pan an inch bigger than you require and then use your correctly sized pan as a guide to cut around. You could go one step further and bake it in sheet pans and cut around the pans. Depends on whether you want less waste or perfect and uniform sizes.

That is an odd request. Please post pics....I'm interested to see this one!

I'm assuming it's something like this https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/74524_447394862826_144797992826_5837146_2793770_n.jpg

Definitely fill it before you trim it, if you're not using a cake ring. Otherwise you'll go crazy trying to stack the layers perfectly to line up again.

here's the easy way - microplane.

My concern about doing a cake like this would be how quickly the exposed cake would go a bit stale???

Thanks so much for the great tips and ideas! I'm really curious about the microplane idea. Care to expound on that for me?

Here's where it might be better to bake your cakes as sheets and cut your layers out of the sheets. Yes, you'll have leftover cake bits, but if you're wise about cutting they'll be a minimum. And if you compare the cost of the cake waste against the cost of the time wasted trimming and trimming again it might well be worth your while to save yourself the tedium and stress by baking sheets and cutting your layers from the sheets. HTH

A microplane? What is it and how is it used?

Sheetcakes and then cut with a pastry ring.

Microplane is a grater, skinny, like a spatula.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=microplane&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=16027832619571238719&sa=X&ei=wGAKTrLWCer20gG-5vFj&ved=0CHEQ8gIwBg

I'm assuming you want something like this. Second row with the roses:

http://www.maisiefantaisie.co.uk/wedding-cakes.html

Or like this. I love the sweetapolita one, by the way.

http://sweetapolita.com/2011/04/inside-out-neapolitan-layer-cake/

Microplane can be used to grate the sides of the cake when the sides are darker, more "browned" than the rest of the cake.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE each of the links posted. Beautiful!

<right click, save>

Thanks!

Jen

Oh, but your last two cakes were gorgeous! They reminded me a little of the Melody Brandon's style that I love so much. My Sweet and Saucy cakes always look so delicious. And they're definitely different. I loved your combination of naked ganache and fondant on your last cake.

Didn't Chelsea Clinton have a cake like that for her wedding - 'Thought i read that somewhere.
LisaPeps - is that perhaps the link you posted?

Bluehue.

The thing is, in all the pictures I've seen of uniced wedding cakes they all have the 'crust'. What I would do is bake as normal but use baking strips so that the sides aren't as dark. I don't know if that is possible for the OP because of what the customer wants though.

It was Hilary Duff's wedding cake. A very bad copy of Maisie Fantaisie's version. It looked awfully dry and the sides were burned! Maybe that's where the OP's customer saw it. I almost doubt it that they saw it at Maisie's even though it is in one of her books.

This one is Hilary Duff's

http://brideandbreakfast.ph/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/hilary-duff-wedding-cake.jpg

http://www.modernwedding.org/hilary-duffs-wedding-cake/

Martha Stewart has a pretty one. But those sides are very much trimmed and perfect. 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2697281039_e1798d1005.jpg?v=0

I am still in two minds as to whether i like that style - probably because the only time i see them is when someone in the lime light has one at a wedding.

Lolll - you couldn't hide any crumbly bits or cracks... thats for sure - lolll

As long as it tastes delish and not dry-
i would still be happy to create one for some rich and red carpet walking person - and charge them top dollar for *all* that work


Slap forhead - yes, Hillary Duff - thats the one i saw on tc.
Thanks imagenthatnj for the link.


Bluehue.

Hillary Duff got married? Isn't she like 16? Sorry to hijack, that just caught my attention...