Polka dot wedding cake

I thoroughly enjoyed making this wedding cake, even though I was seeing spots by the end of it!

The bride had a very clear vision as to how she wanted the cake. There were 6 bridesmaids; 2 with sky blue dresses, 2 with mint green dresses and 2 with blush pink dresses. As a result, the polka dots varied in colour for each tier.

As the polka dots were a different colour to the icing on the cake which was ivory, I felt it was essential that the they were uniform . To do this I made a template on baking parchment - I use a mini roll from Lakeland that is ideal for lining cake tins. In this case it was the perfect height for the cakes. Using a quilting ruler I spaced out dots on the parchment that were half an inch apart. I used enough parchment to go 1/3 of the way around the bottom tier (12"). I then placed the parchment next to the icing (starting at the back), ensuring it was straight and then used a sterile pin to mark the cake where my dots were on the parchment. This took a good couple of hours to do.....but it was worth every minute!

The next stage was to make and colour my royal icing and then painstakingly pipe the dots onto the prepared cakes. This also took around an hour per tier - partly because I am a neat freak and partly because I struggled to get in a comfy position......being 32 weeks pregnant!

The bride had also seen some doves that she liked and requested they were made and put on the cake. I made these out of white modelling paste and shaped them using my hands and modelling tools. They were attached with royal icing.

The bride opted for real flowers on the top of the cake. I got a selection of avalanche roses, pink lisianthus and gypsophila to match the bouquet. These were placed into the cake using a discovery a few cakes back; Ingenious Edibles Safety Seal. This creates an edible coating onto the stems of flowers to allow you to place them directly into the cake when arranging.

This cake may look very simple and elegant but it deceptively hides the amount of work that went into creating the uniformity of the dots.

Naked wedding cake.......with a chocolate middle!

I enjoyed making this naked wedding cake and really liked the inclusion of a chocolate middle tier. I feel it helps the white roses and red strawberries to stand out as well as providing another dimension to the cake.

The bride provided the 'Mr and Mrs' wooden sign which works well as a topper, especially when surrounded by the fruit and gypsophila.

I made a very good discovery when it came to arranging the flowers. In the past I used posy picks inserted into the cake, in order to prevent the stems from going into the cake. This time I used an edible wax called 'Ingenious edibles Safety Seal'. To use it you put the pot in the microwave to melt the wax and then leave it to cool for a few minutes. You then slowly dip the stems into the pot, coating them in the wax. This process can be repeated if a thicker layer is required. Once the wax has set, the flowers can then be pushed directly into the cake without the need for posy picks.

I found this technique much easier and feel that the result from it was better.

The board is the same one used for the last naked cake. It is a slice of tree trunk and provides and great rustic feel to the cake.

Winter naked cake

The trend of naked cakes continues......and I'm very glad as I love them! This one has a winter theme for a beautiful winter wedding.

The wedding took place at the stunning Bartle Hall in Preston. The Christmas tree was up, helping to set the scene.

The bride opted for a semi-naked look for the cake - meaning that buttercream was lightly 'smudged' around the side of the cake. This added a 'frosty' look but you could still see the cake and it's layers underneath.

 Among the flowers on the cake were thistles, red roses, gypsophila, red carnations and deep red roses. These tied in nicely with the floral decorations in the room.

There was the 'usual' mix of berries - bringing the deep colours to the cake. Due to the winter theme I also added in redcurrants which gave it a nice touch.

I lightly dusted the berries and flowers with icing sugar - for a light snow effect and the cake was placed on a 17" wooden board/log. I was pleased with this cake, which suited the venue and theme well.

Exercise wedding cake

This cake was made for a couple who loved to exercise. They regularly competed in races, sometimes for 24 hours! 

Kayaking, cycling and running were their sports of choice.....

This cake tested my model making skills. Each tier was used for a different sporting activity, starting with kayaking on the bottom......

where different shades of blue were utilised in order to create the idea of waves and distance. This was then stacked with a tier dedicated to cycling......

With this level I was able to bring colour in with the used of blossom on the trees. The bikes/racers were tricky to make and if you look closely you will see that there is only half a person on each bike! The top tier was dedicated to running.....

 This involved yet more models and this time colour was added by having trees, hills, sky and clouds.

On the very top of the cake, there was finally the finish line which showed the happy couple who have not only won the race but had time to get married! 

The scenes are complete the full way around the cake, giving the wedding guests something to see no matter where they are stood.

This was a fun cake to make and knowing that it was so personal to the bride and groom made it that much more special.

Wedding cake

Last year I was asked to make a wedding cake for one of my best friends. I was very grateful to be asked and although I was looking forward to making my first wedding cake I was very nervous as I wanted to get it right! I spent many an hour practising the piping work to go around the sides as it was not something that I have ever had cause to do/learn before.

I also spent time practising and then making the final roses to go on the cake. I enjoyed making the roses even though they took time and patience. My friend Claire had chosen to have Sweet Avalanche roses in her bouquet and although I may not have got them to look the like Avalanche roses exactly they were at least the same pale shade of pink.

The ribbon around the cake matched the ribbon used on the invitations and also on the favour boxes. That along with the beautiful colours of the Hydrangeas in the flower displays helped to tie everything together nicely.

The top and bottom tiers were fruit cakes and the middle was a sponge cake - meaning I had to ensure I dowelled the cake correctly to avoid squashing the sponge! It was helpful being able to make/marzipan/ice the fruit cakes in advance.

Two days before the wedding I stacked the cakes, placed the ribbon around the sides and then piped them. The piping alone took over 3 hours - which may have been down to me being a novice with perfectionist tendencies.

On the day of the wedding I took the cake across to Buxton (whilst ensuring my Husband drove slowly around every country corner) and when in place on the table I then added the roses which had been carried in a tin surrounded by kitchen towels. I also 'touched up' any piping I wasn't happy with.

I was pleased with the final cake. It took a lot of work and effort but it was definitely worth it.

Cath Kidston inspired Cake

This cake was made for the weekend of my friends hen-do. It is inspired by Cath Kidston and the colours match her theme for the wedding. I enjoyed making this cake as it took a lot of effort and different skills to make. The roses were created from royal icing and were piped onto a cocktail stick. I found this difficult to do but think I got the hang of it in the end! The white 'ribbons' on the top of the cake and on the bottom were made from flower paste and were decorated with edible pearl white lustre. I was really happy with the outcome of this cake - so much so that I am going to create a white and yellow version for the local hospice 'yellow ribbon day'.....so watch this space!