Some of the questions I am asked about a clients wedding cake often make me realise that unless you are an expert, the insides and the structure of a wedding cake is a bit of a mystery. Here a little insider look at how your cake is made…

Wedding cake structure

When I first decided to make wedding cakes I thought, “well, just cakes on top of each other right?” In reality it is a little more complex.
Your cake does not just have to taste and look perfect, it has to withstand days of being created and decorated, holding sometimes very heavy sugar decoration (as well as kilos of chocolate and fondant) and remain stable/intact throughout transportation and the duration of your wedding day.

So, how do we achieve this with sponge and soft fillings?

Cake boards and dowels

The essential structure of your wedding cake is the tier below only taking the weight of the one above, so no one tier is taking the whole weight of the cake.
To achieve this each tier is placed on a firm base board and strong food safe dowels are inserted - these are the same height of the tier so that the board of the tier above can rest on them safely, ensuring the cake does not collapse on the tier below. For an average larger bottom tier of 10/12 inches diameter I may use 4 to 6, decreasing as you go up and as the weight lessens. They are not needed in the top tier.
You can see how this works on the image below.
I also like to use a central stability dowel which runs through the centre of all the tiers and boards, and into the base boards at the very bottom. This does not take weight but minimises side to side movement to prevent tiers sliding off each other. I have delivered plenty without, and not everyone chooses to use them but for the extra peace of mind I do as a matter of course now. I send a diagram and details of all supports and other decorative items to the venue so they are aware of how many items are used and to lift the tiers up and off the central dowel for cutting.

Wedding cake covering

To keep the cake inside from bulging at the sides, for that perfectly polished finish and razor sharp edges, a firm and smooth covering is essential. The covering also effectively ‘seals’ the cake and helps keep them moist, fresh and safe from any contaminates.
Back in the day this was marzipan covered in fondant, however on a very hot day and with the time needed for the marzipan to set it was not without it’s problems.
These days we use a dark or white chocolate ganache to cover the cake, with a much higher ratio of chocolate to cream to create a very firm smooth finish. It’s faffy but well worth it… This is the bit to get perfect, to ensure your covering of fondant goes on easily whilst blemish and bump free. You can use alternatives to cream and a dairy free dark chocolate for a vegan or dairy free version. I have tried a vegan white chocolate but it wasn’t great in terms of firmness so would probably avoid.
Fondant has also come on leaps and bounds. There are a myriad to choose from but I always use Massa Ticino, which is probably the most expensive but is superb quality, tastes great and also covers perfectly, standing up to even the hottest or humid of days.
This duo of ganache and exceptional quality fondant are the belts to the braces of your cake.

Fake tiers or not?

I always try to avoid if I can but some cakes get to a size where they do just make sense, or the amount of sugar flowers is very large and need firm anchorage. They can also help with designs that are complicated in structure or if a couple want a huge display cake to remain intact for the whole day, with separate serving or ‘kitchen’ cake delivered to the caterer to serve instead.
Generally they are used when a bride and groom would love a large cake but don’t really need all the servings, saving waste of the cake.
I do use separator tiers, which are fake tiers of say 1- 3 inches tall - I use these between the real tiers to anchor sugar flowers to, meaning you are not sticking a lot of wires and messing up the real cake tiers. You can see where they would sit on the image.

Are fake wedding cake tiers cheaper?

No, no and thrice no! Having a fake cake will not reduce costs. I use a good quality item that can be recycled and they are not far off as expensive as the cake ingredients would be. On top of this they still have to be covered and decorated in the same way as a real tier, taking exactly the same time and requiring the same coverage with any sugar work. As with any cake, real or fake, the decoration and the time taken is the bulk of the cost.
You can read more about pricing here Wedding Cake Pricing

How are sugar flowers made and attached to my wedding cake?

Sugar flowers are made from a specialist sugar paste that is then rolled, cut, shaped and coloured to create a flower. The paste is given structure by florist wires which can run through the petals and are the central stem on which the petals etc. are attached.
You can use posy pics - plastic covers which are food safe so you can insert the flowers into cake without the wires touching the layers inside.
I now tend to use a shallow dummy separator placed between the tiers which gives a really firm base to insert the flowers into without making a huge mess of the insides of your cake. An added bonus is adding more height to the finished cake.
For cakes with masses of sugar flowers full fake tiers can be used.
All decoration should be removed before the cake is served.

What sort of cake stand do I need?

I thought I would add this here as I do get clients showing me the cake stand they love, and often it just wouldn’t take the weight of the cake (it still shocks me how much they weigh…). I just don’t recommend pedestal stands unless you are purchasing a specific brand that is designed to take the size and weight of a tiered cake. The height of them means they may not be as stable as something lower and firmer. If you did want the look of the cake plus a certain style of stand to complete it, this is where you may opt for some or all fake tiers to reduce weight.
There are a huge amount of options out there now so it’s worth having a look and definitely get some advice from your cake designer and wedding planner as to what you will need for the diameter of the bottom board and weight of your cake.
I tend to use three or four ‘stepped’ fondant iced cake boards on the bottom of cakes which can be a subtle stand in itself or can take your floral decoration down beyond the base of your cake.

Any other questions?

Can I see the cake now?
I get asked this a fair bit - your cake will not be complete and decorated until the day before or even the morning of the wedding if it’s a later reception. I generally front load the sugar work as this takes a lot of time then assemble the cake and leave to firm up before placing the décor on last thing.

Can I have 3 tiered cake to serve 200?
Yes you can - however this will affect how the cake looks. To fit a lot of servings into less tiers will mean a wider cake rather than a tall cake. The coverage will still be the same in terms of decoration so there is no saving if you need to serve the full 200. Each tier size has a certain amount of servings which is used to advise on the size of cake you will need.

Can I have real flowers?
Sugar flowers came about as some fresh flowers can be toxic and they are liable to wilt. The recent wedding cake trend of semi naked and buttercream cakes see’s a lot of fresh flowers, there are flowers that are safe or you can use certified edible flowers. Ask your florist or cake designer for advice.

Do I have to have fondant icing?
This is by far the best base for any cake with sugar flowers or above a certain size. You can have buttercream cake or semi naked cake but bear in mind how it will be displayed, for how long and an what temperature... These cakes are not as stable as fondant iced and are not a great idea in the heat unless your venue can refrigerate until last minute. I do not make these cakes for anywhere other than very local and even then I would avoid during peak summer, especially with some of the extreme weather events of late.
You cannot use sugar flowers on buttercream as the fats can soften the sugar.