Thankfully she wants simple. We had her and her fiance over a while back and I served a torted chocolate cake with peanut butter filling - and she told me that they both want me to make their wedding cake - and have it be that chocolate/peanut butter cake. They will also want an additional white cake for those who don't prefer chocolate or have peanut allergies.

She said tonight that she'd like a 3 tiered square cake, smooth with ribbons around each tier and some flowers. Sounds fairly easy. (I can do this with buttercream, right?) Only I have never done tiers. I have to go get some square pans. (a good reason to increase my baking tools! ) Not sure on the flowers yet, but she's looking for a vintagey/antiquey/old fashioned look. Soooooo - I will be searching and asking here like crazy in the next few months! If you have any ideas or suggestions for a simple vintagey cake, please let me know!!

Oh, I know I have the recipe for the main cake covered, but I have never been able to find a great scratch white cake. If you could point me in the right direction for that too, I'd be forever grateful!

I'm excited and honored now - I'm sure I will be sick as it gets closer. I will also have to figure out how to do tiers. I'm glad to be pushed to do this though. Anniversary cakes are one thing - if it's not perfect, they will have many more, but a wedding cake.... well, we just hope this is their only one! (so it better be good!!)

I just had a thought.... didn't I see a tool somewhere that would make an impression on the frosting? Something you could do an all-over simple design with? If that could work, that could make it a bit more fancy but still simple and also disguise any imperfections in the smoothed buttercream...

Do try to enroll in a "stacked cake" class before attempting to make your first tiered wedding cake, you'll be glad you did. Good luck!

Unless you're well versed in making flowers, I would look at ordering some sugar flowers somewhere. You can find beautiful flowers online...all kinds. Here's a good one: http://www. gum paste flowerstore .com/gumpaspfl.html. (I put spaces in between...just put it all together in the search space)

If you don't know how to stack tiers, please look on YouTube for tutorials. Then practice. You must make sure all your tiers are level. It's not as easy as they make it seem. You need a strong support system in place. Do lots of research. And you need to know how to transport it. Ask about that when the time comes! Good luck!

Oh, I would love to take a stacked cake class.... I wish I lived in an area where I could find something like that. I will check youtube and definitely practice. I do have an out though - she did mention the possiblity of having a dummy cake for display and the sheet cakes for cutting in the back. That would take away tons of worry - I can take my time frosting and decorating styrofoam (or whatever you use) and not worry so much about the stacking.... initially the purist in me said no, I'd want to make it all, but practically I think that may be safer. Takes away a bit of fun though.... then I don't have a reason to buy more pans....

You could use the bottom cake as real cake and have the tiers dummies. That way they could cut into the cake for pictures and you'd have to buy a square pan!
Those tiers will be a lot lighter too!

[quote="Wildgirl"I do have an out though - she did mention the possiblity of having a dummy cake for display and the sheet cakes for cutting in the back. [/quote]

I just wanted to say that this would not necessarily lighten your load. Yes, it would allow you to get the tiered cake done in advance, but you still have to ensure it's level. But as well, you've now got double the work and shs e's paying twice. Contrary to the magazines that tell brides it is cheaper to have a dummy cake with kitchen cakes, it really isn't. You would be charging for the kitchen cakes as well as the tiered cake. There are some threads about this.

But congrats on your first cake!

Wow - you're bringing up things I hadn't thought of - like them "cutting the cake"... I bet she didn't think of that.

I just looked at a Martha Stewart tute on doing a stacked wedding cake. After setting the top tier, she made a spike out of a dowel and drove it down all the way through the foam layers and all. I guess you wouldn't have to worry about it shifting that way.

Ok, well maybe a dummy cake isn't the way to go.... or maybe just a real bottom and fake tops.... It's these decisions that kill me!

As far as payment, dh and I agreed that it would be their wedding gift. She's a special friend.

Congrats on your first wedding cake.
My only concern that I see is that there might be a problem with you doing the cake for people with peanut allergies. Does she know if someone has such allergies? I have never baked such a cake, but from what I understand there are precautions that you have to take. You have to make sure that the products that you use did not come from a facility that has previously processd peanuts on the same equipment. You also need to do some special/extra cleaning of your equipment after using peanut butter or ingredients containing peanuts/nuts.

I don't know exactly what should be done or if this is just for people with severe allergies, but I think you should talk to her and do some research if necessary.

I don't think there is anyone with allergies - maybe sensitivities like my dh (he'll burp and .... well, it's not pleasant, but not life-threatening in the least). I think she wanted another cake mainly since not everyone will be thrilled with a chocolate/peanut butter wedding cake - so they'll have a choice. And this is for a cake-only reception. I will be extra careful though - thanks for mentioning it!

I didn't want to be a downer about the allergies, but I have read some not to pleasant things happening to people with them. Good thing it sounds like its not that big of a worry.
Have fun with this cake.

Congrats Wildgirl!!

You can do it!! You have plenty of time to both practice and prepare. Take it slow- research what you will need- ask as many questions as you want/need. There are so many great CC members here to help.

There are so many tutorials available for gumpaste flowers- I would start working on them now- by January you will have plenty to choose from. Keep them covered oin airtight containers and they last for a very long time-

If you think you want to use impression mats on your buttercream- that I would practice- they are a little trickier then they appear- and remember yjey don't always match up perfectly.

The SPS support system is really a must!! Almost foolproof- you can order so many different sizes from Oasis. Leah has posted a great sticky right inthe beginning of the forum.

Little things to consider- 1)make sure your base is strong enough- 2) transport is always scary- so.. you can assemble at the venue if you want 3) sometimes very simple cakes are much harder, as there is nothing to disguise any mistakes or imperfections. 4)Make sure you leave yourself enough time (this is always my issue) Everything takes you twice as long in the beginning as you think and it seems I always use more product then I think I will need. 5) Leveling the tiers is very important- there are many methods for this, practice and find what works best for you.

I would rethink the peanut butter filling- only because of the allergy issue- the last thing you need is to worry about that- I'm sure if you mention your concerns to the couple they will agree-

You are going to do great!!! Have fun with it!!!

Mo