How Do I Cut & Serve A Decorated Tiered Cake
Decorating By Alfiesmom Updated 24 Jun 2013 , 5:23am by Apti
The cakes on CC are all so beautiful, full of lace appliques, sugar flowers, dragees etc. I have a wedding cake to make (in Feb.) and the bride wants ribbons, fondant plaques, flowers, there's even a dummy layer. I will be cutting and serving. Do I have to remove all the decorations (some inedible)? I know I do, but I guess I'm asking how to do so discretely? the facility is small, I don't know if there's a back area. Do I retreat with the wedding cake after the ceremonial cut?
Cakes aren't normally cut in the back unless it's a formal sit-down dinner with waitstaff delivering your food directly to you at the table. If there's no waitstaff, who is going to carry all of those slices? It's normal to cut in front of guests (let them choose their flavor), and it keeps things moving along. You can stop slicing when you've plated extras and nobody is taking it.
The cakes on CC are all so beautiful, full of lace appliques, sugar flowers, dragees etc. I have a wedding cake to make (in Feb.) and the bride wants ribbons, fondant plaques, flowers, there's even a dummy layer. I will be cutting and serving. Do I have to remove all the decorations (some inedible)? I know I do, but I guess I'm asking how to do so discretely? the facility is small, I don't know if there's a back area. Do I retreat with the wedding cake after the ceremonial cut?
You may not have the opportunity to "retreat". Prepare some new, clean, boxes that will be placed out-of-sight, under the table where the cake will be cut. One box for all of the inedible decorations. (Pull them off, put in box.) One box for the cake dummy layer. One box for trash/dirty tea towels. Once you've prepared the cake for serving by removing all the inedible parts and the cake dummy, you should have the different layers separated and flat on the table. (See Indydebi's instructions: "First, I disassemble the entire cake so I can cut the largest tier first.")
Indydebi's fabulous tutorial: How to Cut a Wedding Cake
http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/cake%20comb
Have at least one new, damp, tea towel folded over. (I like to have 2 or 3 ready.) This will be used to clean your cutting knife between cuts to remove excess crumbs and frosting. Wear non-latex gloves. Have a reliable friend prepare the plates and hand them to you one at a time. Then the friend will take back the serving, provide a fork if needed, and either place the plate on a nearby space/table, or hand-off to someone else to serve. (This is where PRACTICE with your friend comes in really handy!)
AThank you Apti, I was looking for the same thing!!
You are all most welcome. This was all advice given by darling cake people I've met online and in person since I started this challenging and rewarding hobby. The one thing everyone tried to tell me was to FINISH the ENTIRE cake the day BEFORE.
I did not use (didn't own) a cake comb. I used my gloved hands and the serving knife to put the cake on the plate. Here are some photos from my first big event (a 100th birthday party).
THE CAKE TABLE SET UP IN THE CHURCH HALL
http://christinascakes.shutterfly.com/pictures/337#340
MY DEAREST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD WHO SEPARATED EACH PAPER PLATE AND GOT THEM READY FOR QUICK HAND-OFF
http://christinascakes.shutterfly.com/pictures/337#338
ME CUTTING AND SLAPPING GREAT WADS OF CAKE ON PLATES (I am sitting because I can't stand for long periods of time and by then I'd been up for about 40 hours straight)
http://christinascakes.shutterfly.com/pictures/337#341
You will notice in the 3rd photo that there are huge, unsightly hunks of cake and frosting on the table. You will also notice my "clean, damp, folded, tea towel" which turned into a gigantic blob of smooshed cake/frosting/and overall "ick" in about the first 30 seconds.
Here's the thread I wrote with some more photos:
"A wonderful woman's 100th Birthday Celebration"
http://www.wilton.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=4&threadid=156177&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=&STARTPAGE=1
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I'll do a separate post showing the detailed "script". (The funny part......I didn't finish on Friday. I didn't finish until 4:30 in the morning the day it was due at the Hall by 10:30.)
STEPS FOR MAKING ORPHA'S CAKES, DUE: September 17, noon, with delivery/set-up at 10:30:
Cut parchment circles for all pans used in this baking session.
Cut parchment collars for pans.
….Lay out:
Baker's Joy spray
Bake Even strips.
flower nails.
cooling grids.
plastic wrap and ceramic tiles.
Cardboard cake circles to place underneath when freezing.
Bake cakes.
Let cool for 2 hours
Wrap in plastic wrap.
Put cardboard cake circle underneath
Wrap in aluminum foil.
Freeze
September 14 (2 Days before cake is due). Put wrapped cakes in fridge to thaw.
Take buttercream and super-stiff buttercream out of fridge/freezer and place on counter.
......NEXT DAY, SEPTEMBER 15
…..Lay Out:
Super-stiff BC for dam, Ateco coupler without slit
Buttercream
Filling
Tools—spatulas, VIVA, metal scrapers, bowl for scraped icing, damp T-towels, paper towels, turntable,
cake drums, tips, The Mat, cornstarch in sock, powdered sugar for dusting, Crisco
Unwrap thawed 2" high cakes
Place dab of icing on cake drum, and put on bottom layer.
Tort
Put super-stiff BC dam
Fill
Stack 2nd filled/torted layer on top to create a 4" high TIER
Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place a weight on top (either a 12" or 16" ceramic floor tile) to allow the cake to settle for 2 hours or more. (Eliminates the "love handle" bulge)
Crumbcoat
Let crumbcoat crust/harden in refrigerator 15-30 minutes.
Apply layer of buttercream or ganache to go under fondant.
Put in fridge to crust/harden 30 minutes.
Color and roll out and apply fondant.
Friday, September 16: Apply final decorations.
Saturday, September 17: 8 am: (Make SURE A/C is on in church hall!)
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