Hi everyone,

I am going to be doing my first wedding cake ever! I have quite a few questions. First, thanks to anyone for their help.

The wedding is in March of 2005 and I am already planning.

I already know that she want a 3 tier stack design. Snow white butter cream and red roses! YIKES! Red of all the things to have to for a first cake! Anyway.. I feel pretty good about my buttercream recipe and was thinking of doing the roses in royal icing (I think it is sturdier) ahead of time? How long can I freeze them?

How about the cake? What do I bake? If you use a three inch pan do you split the layers? Do you use a 2 inch pan and stack each tier? I am confused on this? If you use a 3 inch pan do you mix your cake mix double and then add it according to how many cups it will hold or half fill it? If I freeze my cake, should I do so will still warm? I heard this leads to a moist cake? Also, to defrost, in the wrap or out?

As you can tell I have a bunch of time to figure this all out but I always get a head start on everything. I know this is probably really out there.. .. but do any of you do a trial run on you cake? Or have you when it was your first cake? Thanks again.

PS I am taking a class in October so I think this will also help, but I know you guys have some great ideas!

Rebecca

Hi,
I just did my first wedding cake back in august. I used royal icing roses and stored them in a tin and that worked for me. I had to make seven cakes. 5 7in cakes on the bottom, one inch in the middle and the top was 6in. they were all double layer with buttercream filling. I had to freeze my cakes. I let them cool for about 15 min in pan then I took them out the pan and I double wrapped them in saran and then in heavy duty foil. they tasted perfect. Just like I baked them that same morning.
I only had a month to prepare for my cake, but I sketched out the design of the cake and then i did a mock cake using my cake pans to make sure they would set right. I think It's never to early to start planning. I learned a lot from the experience and what to do for the next cake.
good luck.

Here are some tips for making red. I found that I use a lot less colour than other methods. I had to make a cat in the hat cake and the red turned out perfect!

I know this works for buttercream, so you will want to practice.

First, tint the icing so that it is really pink.

Then add some red. If you have more than one red, add a few reds.

Also add cocoa. It makes the icing redder.

For buttercream, if you let it sit for a day or two it will become a deeper red. I'm not sure if this will happen for royal icing. Again, a trial run will help out.

Need information on how to do a Bud Lite Long Neck cake for a groom's cake.
Sylvia
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