My wedding cake left my friends asking where I got it done from. It had simple shape, decoration and fairly priced. This is because I have never loved over decorated everything. I have seen different cakes for different occasions and I can say that “Less is more” is on trend.
If you love baking, you can make a beautiful cake for your child’s birthday or for the wedding of your friend who sees beauty in simplicity than spend much on what is perceived to be class. Below is step by step process of making the most approachable cake from recipe to frosting, assembly and decoration as found on www.epicurious.com.
1. Simplify the cake
Wedding cakes can be complicated to shape. Often the cake is baked in rectangular sheets, which are then divided into multiple layers, or in round cake pans, and then trimmed and cut in half. Unless you have an extremely long serrated knife, and a very steady hand, it’s not easy to evenly trim a 10-inch cake.
To make it super easy, bake the cake in the round pans, so no trimming is necessary. Simply make the recipe twice in two 10-inch pans, then divide 3 cups of the batter into two 6-inch pans for the smaller layer.
2. Add flavor with syrup
Do not make a layered cake without syrup. Not only does the syrup add moisture and extend the shelf life of the cake, but it also adds flavor. You can use a vanilla-spiked syrup or can add any spice, liquor, or herb to the syrup for a touch of extra flavor.
3. Skip the buttercream
Whipped cream may be the easiest frosting to make, but for a wedding cake you need something that can sit around for a while. Usually, that means buttercream, but traditional buttercream with its whipped-egg base-is not the easiest thing to make.
Instead, choose cream cheese frosting. A combo of cream cheese and butter lends a smooth richness to the cake. To add even more flavor, stir in some orange zest and juice.
4. Keep it cold
Do yourself a favor and do as much of the work ahead of time, including baking the cakes; the cake layers will hold, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. It’s also much easier to work with cold cake, so even just freezing it the night before is helpful. The vanilla syrup and cream cheese frosting can also be made in advance—just make sure to bring the frosting to room temperature before using.
5. Easy elegant decorations
The most challenging part of making any cake, but especially a wedding cake, is the decorating. But if you leave the frosting roses and elaborate fondant covering to the pros, frosting a more casual wedding cake is just like frosting a layer cake.
The key is the crumb coat, which, like with any layered cake, seals the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Once covered, more frosting can be added, ensuring no crumbs show. Use the back of a spoon or an off-set spatula to create decorative swirls, or keep it clean by using an off-set spatula to smoothly cover the cake.
To finish, keep it super simple, using raspberries and beautiful edible flowers to add just enough flair.