When you make a wedding cake....

I prefer 3 layers and 2 fillings!

I prefer 4 layers of cake, and 3 of filling. I think everybody is different. I use 3 inch pans to bake my rounds, so I wind up with tall cakes when I use 2 rounds sliced in half and filled.

Yep! this exactly

I hobby bake, but I aspire to Ron Ben-Israel quality cakes. I just purchased my Agbay Deluxe Single Blade which will allow me to create 4 perfect 1" high layers of cake, with 3 layers of filling between each layer.

I want to make different flavor profiles and create a cake that is more gorgeous and surprising and tasty INSIDE than it looks outside.

Here are some of my inspiration photos:

This is from the website: Celebration Generation Cakes
The cake artist has some gorgeous pictures of torted and filled wedding cake slices.

http://www.celebrationgeneration.com/flavors.html (see post below. This is NOT the correct link)

and the famous, inspirational, Ron Ben-Israel slice:

Sorry, the website won't let me post the Celebration Generation Cake photos link.

Here is the link with spaces in between. You will have to copy and paste the whole line. This will bring up a search page with Celebration Generation Cakes - Gourmet Flavors for your wedding...

http://www. celebration generation . com /flavors . html

srkmilklady~~I just got my Agbay and have only been able to use it once. (I've been on vacation.) I baked about 15 different round cakes in 4 flavors and different sizes and can't wait to tort the absolute heck out of 'em!!! Unfortunately, when I returned from vacation, my indoor side-by-side fridge/freezer was dead and I had to pitch everything. AAAAAAGH!

The good news is that my 15 cakes and all my pre-made buttercream and dark chocolate ganache were safe in my "new" (old, used, but working) outdoor, upright freezer! Unfortunately, until I get my new(ish) indoor fridge, I can't tort my cakes or make fillings, etc.

Boy.....does that tell you how obsessed I am with cake decorating? I had to pitch EVERYTHING in my home fridge/freezer, but don't care because my cakes and frosting were safe in the "cake freezer" on the porch.

As far as the recipes for the Celebration Cakes, I'm just going to wing it and make my own versions of her buttercreams and fillings. I've already worked up a really detailed version/recipe/instructions for the Turtle Chocolate cake. If you like, I'd be happy to send you the write-up I did for another caker (and my own files!).

Have you used your Agbay a lot? Do you love it? I just know that my Agbay will open up a world of possibilities and beautiful cakes! I've put in about 2-1/2 years learning lots and lots of stuff, so now I have the confidence to branch out with different flavors and have the knowledge of how to figure out most of it.

I have SPS and will use the Agbay to make sure my stacked cakes are exactly 4" high, but otherwise, I don't care if they are exactly at 4". All my pans are 2" high, but I like to tort everything.

Here's a photo of a cake I did BEFORE I got my Agbay, torting the "old fashioned" way with the lock-arm technique and a 12" serrated knife. This was my first experiment with ganache. The cake is sour cream chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache icing. The bottom filling is dark chocolate ganache, the middle is white chocolate ganache with raspberry, and the top filling is white chocolate ganache.

(I've looked at your photos and your cakes are stunning!!! My favorite is the "My First gumpaste flowers". That is just sheer perfection.)

Guess what? I just looked on Amazon for a review of Celebration Generation Cakes book, Evil Cake Overlord, and there is a photo of her KA and AGBAY!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0984604022/ref=dp_otherviews_5?ie=UTF8&img=5&s=books

I'll send you a PM with my regular email address so I can send you the links and recipes used for the cake in the photo.

You REALLY need to get an upright freezer for your cake stuff. When you are by yourself, it is wonderful to do the baking, etc., ahead of time.

I do 4 cake layers, 3 filling layers. I bake 2" layers.

I, too, adore my Agbay. It really makes getting a nice level cake so very easy. Worth every penny.

I like cake. I like fillings. I personally find that I don't like too many flavor profiles in my cake. In my experience, I prefer a higher ratio of cake to filling, too.

With the way my cakes bake up, I figure that I have about 3" of cake and 1" of filling--it makes me and my clients happy. I also find that with the types of filling that I use, this ratio leaves me virtually no bulges.

Rae

Yes, that's about what they come out to after I cut off the tops and then split them. It can vary slightly from recipe to recipe or the type of filling used (i.e. if I use a jam or preserve filling, it's thinner because of the sweetness & texture).

HTH
Rae