I won't cry today though....tomorrow I probably will though. I've spent hours just on the 9" round. When I picture Sharon Z's in her dvd I cringe. For "me" it's not bad, but this isn't a company cake. It's my friends wedding cake. I guess I do expect it to look like the beautiful cakes here. Crazy since I've never even stacked a cake before, nor made a "perfect" one. The cake I just finished was going to be a practice, but not now. I have to leave in a couple of hours and will only have tomorrow and Sat morning. What's left for Sat must be only minor or I'll be sick. Oh, I wish I could've had a class in all of this first!
I've been smoothing and smoothing - I could go round and round and round. Looks perfect until I come round again and then I see a bulge. I thought I was careful enough that it wouldn't be seen, but apparently not. I know the lights should be dim.... and I'm pretty sure the bride will be happy (if I wind up being somewhat happy with it, I'm sure she will be), but I won't want anyone inspecting it for sure. Even the buttercream was cracking a bit.

Oh - when I put on the next layer - I know I'm a bit short of 4" (using sps w/4" pedestals), can I just fill in under with some bc? There will be a ribbon covering it all, thankfully.

Again, I bow to you all. This is one of the hardest things I've ever done.
Something nice though... dh just came back from the store for me for the second time today (stocking up on more supplies) and he saw one of our friends there and he told her what he was getting (a cart of powdered sugar) and she said "oh, if Tina's making the cake, I know it'll be good!" Nice they have confidence. Actually I know it will TASTE good. Look good might be something else.

Ok, this was my break. Must get back. Thanks for reading my anxious thoughts!

I'm sure you will be fine. Just make a good stiff dam for your filling so it doesn't bulge out. Use a flat scraper to smooth the icing. Pop it in the fridge and get it good and cold before you stack. That way it will be more resistant to dings and dents.

Good luck!

Sometimes the bulges can be air pockets, if you think they are, take a pin and poke a small hole in the air pocket and push the air out with your fingers, once deflated smooth over the pin hole.

I am sure your friend will be happy with your end result and touched that you took the time and effort to contribute something special to her day.

Best of Luck Wildgirl !I hope it turns out terrific.

Back home again - will do a little more before bed. The 11" that I did before I left has no bulges - but I did remember to make the dam extra stiff and it worked. I decided to do the other 9" that I had as extra - if the stiffer dam worked on the 11, then it should be fine on the 9. The tricky part is getting it all to be 4" since that's the height of the legs of the sps I have.

Annie, thanks for the tip of putting it in the fridge! I will do that. I still need to try to watch Sharon's dvd on stacking.... not sure if it will help totally with the sps, but I'm sure there will be good tips on it. Meant to watch it last week, but it didn't happen.

Fun though - another friend said that he heard I was making the chocolate cake w/peanut butter filling and he said it made him salivate and he can't wait. At least I know they will enjoy that cake! Hope the others turn out as well.

Are you doing all buttercream or covering in fondant. If you're doing all buttercream by all means get it in the fridge and get it good and cold...you'll be able to handle stacking much easier.

But before that, if you have the frosted cake at room temp and it's crusted, take a small foam roller and roll all the lumps and bumps out. It's known as the Melvira method around here and it works wonders on buttercream cakes as far as smoothing and making your edges sharper and neater. I much prefer this method to the Viva one.

Just called dh who is at Hobby Lobby exchanging the silver plateau base that the bride's mom picked up for me (it was warped) and he looked for a foam roller but couldn't find one. Good timing though. Sounds like a good tool to have.

I'm so excited that the 1st coat/spackled sides are still nice and straight! I was up til 3 last night after work getting the cakes prepped and more icing made. Now I just have to get my nerve up. And stalling waiting for dh to get back with the new base.

I'm also concerned about how to do the ribbon. I don't like how dark it gets when it absorbs the oil from the bc. I was thinking of backing it with a strip of waxed paper, but then what about where I squish bc to apply the flowers over it.... I was wondering if ironing waxed paper over it might transfer enough wax to make it less penetrable? I'm picturing pretty ribbon with dark oily shadows creeping out from the flowers.

The ribbon will definitely absorb the oil from the buttercream, but it will be even. So it will end up being a shade darker. I have never had the problem of just spots appearing. The whole ribbon gets soaked all the way through. If it's a darker ribbon sometimes I will go ahead and pre-soak it in shortening just to make sure the color doesn't bleed onto the cake.

Back your ribbon with wax paper or press n seal. At the bakery I worked for we used wax paper with 2 sided tape. I've heard of people ironing on the wax paper though i've never done that myself.

I thought of lining it, but then I'm hoping to be putting some flowers - and fresh buttercream to hold them - on top of the ribbon as well - so even if it were lined, it would get oil from those areas - and then part of it would look nice, and around the flowers would look dark.

Seriously, how do you all do this?? I have one sheet cake done (and by sheet cake I mean only a 2 layer 9x13) Two more to go. I still haven't stacked the wedding cake yet. I'm actually scared to. If I drop one, I don't know what I'll do. And then I have to do the flowers.... the flowers are done, but arranging them... I'm afraid the buttercream won't hold or that I'll arrange them in such a way that won't be artistic. I'm such an overworrier, I know. But the only time I was really excited was last night when I saw that my round wedding cakes didn't bulge. Otherwise this has been painful.

I told dh that if everyone loves the cake I'm afraid I'll forget all the pain - you know, like childbirth. But he said he'd remind me. My little guy even asked if after I'm all done, if I could not make cakes for a couple of weeks. I've been kind of "not here" for the last week. And he's getting told not to breathe in the kitchen or dining room. And I've been imagining the person that's in charge of the reception to come tell me that part of my cake fell off.... and imagining the bride's mother being upset because the chocolate on the top layer is two-toned (had to make another batch of bc and it wasn't quite as dark). Sigh. I know it won't happen, but I guess I need to worry. Honestly, this bride told me I could do what I want - just not to stress myself (she really doesn't know me that well). I don't know how you work for bridezilla's.

I guess I better get back to the kitchen. Maybe I should get the wedding cake done.

I know I'm not thinking straight anymore... I was just thinking that there would be no need to pregrease it if it were just on the cake - it would soak up oil anyway. And if I were to do that, then why line it with waxed paper. I'm sorry if I didn't get it. I think my brain stopped working yesterday.

Well, the wedding cake is basically done. I carried it from the kitchen to the dining room table and it was sooo heavy. Dh will help, but I am absolutely terrified of it tipping over. Anyway, the flowers went on nice. I used a large star tip to pipe on the pinkish icing to hold them and I think that worked well. We'll see how many are laying on the table in the morning. I hope I don't have nightmares. A Sharon Z it is not, but for my first tiered wedding cake I don't think it's too bad. I did take pics - in a few days I will try to figure out how to post them. This was definitely a group effort!

If it's done, you may want to refrigerate it and make sure it is nice and COLD for the trip to the venue, that way you have no mishaps when going over bumps in the road and such. Good luck tomorrow. I hope everyone likes it!!

Just thinking here. Do you have it on a sturdy board to transport ? you said it was heavy. also do you have the rubbermaid non slip shelf liner to set it on in the car ? cant wait to see it . hope it all goes well.

If you're using SPS it shouldn't tip over.

Next year, Wildgirl, you'll be on here telling another new cakester about your adventures, anxieties, and ultimate success! (The first wedding cake I ever made was soggy, soggy, soggy. Yuck.)

No matter how your cake turns out, you are the best friend, ever!! Good luck and post again when it's done.

I don't know what I will set it on. I had pictured carrying it on a half-sheet pan, but then realized that the base was larger than the pan. There is a long walkway to get into the reception hall too. I was thinking that a wheeled cart would be nice. But I don't have one. Then I thought of the little red wagon in the garage.

I'm going to try to iron some ribbon with waxed paper. The ribbon is evenly soaked with oil now, but it's so dark. The bride was so in love with this ribbon - it really doesn't look like it did on the roll. That will mean removing and replacing all of the flowers though. I just have the strawberry 9x13 to do this morning and I have the frosting made, strawberries cut, so I should have time to play with it. Not that I want to.

Somebody gave me the tip of wrapping the ribbon around twice. I have never done it but worth a try. she said that the first wrap absorbed the oil but the second wrap was fine. Hope that will help.