I have a few wedding cake questions that I have piled up as I do these weddings that I wanted to see what others are doing!

I make my tiers 4 inches high (finished) I bake my cakes in 3 inch pans and then level them down to 1 3/4 inches, so that once they are filled, stacked and frosted it makes the 4 inches. Now to me a cake that thick is too much, I like more icing, and love the look of four layers instead of 2..but I am afraid it won't be stable for a wedding cake. What do you guys do? Do you torte it and make thinner layers?

As far as storing the cakes till you are ready to deliver...I don't have room in the fridge and with summer months coming and the humidty here so high, I was thinking of putting the finished layers in the freezer for a couple of hours before i left for the wedding to kind of set them a little. I know you cant do this with fondant, but I was wondering how it would affect the buttercream. Will it cause it to condense while it is warming up? I wont be able to smooth it as I am talking about when it is all decorating.

When you make stacked cakes, I use cake boards and do not wrap them (since you won't see them, and I don't want to add more thickness to the board) What do you guys do? Again, I am concerned about humidty and the cake sticking to the board. (my cakes are very moist!)

How do you handle fruit (fresh) filling for wedding cakes? Is it is stable?

My biggest fear as I am learning this is that none of my cakes are turning out the perfection I want. (although I get lots of compliments.are people just being nice?) Do you cakes every turn out the way you imaged them? DO you ever feel like apologizing for not producing a Martha Stewart Magazine cake?

I love doing birthday cakes, but I tell you, I am not sure I can handle the stress of wedding cakes!!!!!

Weddings will get less nerve-wracking the more you do but there is always that feeling--you just handle it better.

As far as making the layers thinner, I have never made one like that for a wedding--I would think that with BC, it would do fine--fruit??? Eh, iffy, since it doesn't set-up.

If you do use fruit, be sure an use plenty of support dowels on each tier, with a BC dam on the edge of the cake.

I usually don't put the finished wedding cake in the freezer b/c of condensation. I just let it crust and out the door.

The most important thing to remember is an emergency kit for repairs and a prayer. Go slow and get a magnetic sign for your car that states "Wedding Cake on Board". I think they have one here at CC.

I can´t help you with the BC questions, but with you question for perfection: No, for sure not all cakes look perfect (although I´m really want them to be), but the customers most often don´t see these little faults and really love the cake. At the beginning I apologized for every little mistake, but I learned to treat my cakes like every other art: not all cakes are masterpieces! And most of the time especially those cakes I´m unhappy with are the ones most loved by the customers

I feel that thinner torting might be dangerous. I never torte the layers, so I don't really know. I bake 2" layers and trim the top level. I use 2 or three of these in each tier which is extremely stable. If your cake is really moist and you are using fruit or cream fillings, you may have a sliding or cracked cake.

I use a buttercream that doesn't need refrigeration. There are so many variations on buttercream that is hard to answer your question. In my experience, freezing the iced cake causes it to condensate and get wet as it warms.

Using unwrapped boards can really cause destablization. The cardboard will absorb moisture from the cake. It becomes soggy paper and does nothing to support the dowels. I would absolutely wrap them on a large cake.

Don't stress so much about perfection! Most people at the wedding will not see the details on the cake like we decorators do. As long as it is straight and neat, most people will think it is amazing. Just don't let a bride talk you into something outrageous that you aren't ready for. Your gallery looks great!

I did forget to mention that I cover my cake boards in white contact paper front and back or you could use those plstic-coated ones that don't need covering--they are actually re-usable and can be washed, but they are more expensive. At Hobby Lobby, I think the run about $3.99 for 3 boards.

I have wrapped my cakes and put them in the freezer. Again, it all depends on the type of BC you are using. For the most part, cakes can stay out for a few days 2-3 even 4. The frosting is what keeps them fresh. when they are taken out of the freezer they need to stay wrapped until they come to room temp. I don't torte tiers the way you do unless I feel the cake isn't moist enough. But then I may use a soaking syrup instead. I think transporting and torting can be very iffy. As far as perfection goes, if cakes don't taste good then perfection is worthless. If you look at Martha's earlier cakes they are lopsided!!

wow, thanks everyone! Very good suggestions! Especailly covering the boards..I will start using contact paper (I don't want to add extra cost to the cakes with the plastic cake seperators, as that adds up!)

Thanks for the words of encouragment! I sure hope it gets easier!

I torte my cake layers to about 1 inch thick...and I use three of them in each tier. I usually fill w/buttercream, and they are always ok (knock on wood ) Anyway - as to freezing them for a few hours - I say go for it. as long as you don't touch the cake while it's thawing, the condensation should evaporate. I have put fondant cakes in the freezer for one hour or so too. As long as you don't touch the fondant , it dries up again.
hope that helps!