Wedding Cake Decorating Tips

Ever wondered what the ultimate cake decorating project is for baking hobbyists and professionals? Actually, it’s creating and designing a tiered wedding cake and/or anniversary cake. Creating a cake for such a big occasion adds a personal touch that cannot be underestimated; it will be a rewarding and challenging experience. With some time and a few cake decorating tips, you’ll have a cake that’s not only delicious but the talk of the occasion.

Tip 1 – Planning Your Wedding Cake Design

Careful planning is one of the most important cake decorating tips of all. While a small cake can be done spontaneously, a cake that has multiple tiers must be planned out carefully. The planning of wedding cake designs should consist of six tasks that can be done on different days.

• Pick out recipes including the flavors, design and display strategies. If you need help in this regard, look for cake decorating tips in magazines, books or on the Internet. Talk with the people who’s occasion it is to discover person preferences.
• Bake a small cake for practice so you can try out the recipe and decorations.
• Buy your ingredients, supplies, props and the transportation container in plenty of time.
• Bake your cakes and refrigerate them.
• Decorating your cake. You can either put it together now wait until you arrive at the site.
• Transport your cakes, purchase your fresh flowers if you use any and set up your display.

When you have multiple cakes, you can display them either side by side or on top of a stacked cake stand. Of course, a tiered cake is that much more special. There are two key methods of tiering cakes and you can find some variations of these methods at cake decorating shops:

Pillars and Columns – Each cake is separated and supported on pillars or columns. These can be purchased in separator sets along with snap-on columns and plates.

Stacking – When you’re stacking cakes, it means you’ll place the large cake at the bottom with a medium sized cake in between and a smaller cake at the very top. To prevent the cake from collapsing you need to use either wooden or plastic dowels inside to provide support.

If you want to be more adventurous, you can design a cake with lopsided tiers by using uneven shaped cakes.

Tip 3 – How To Transport The Cake

When you’ve got your cake built, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to transport it from the kitchen to the party site. By far the safest way to move it is separately and assemble the tiers on the site. However, you can also do this in the kitchen, keeping in mind if you do it this way someone will have to sit with your cake while it is being driven there.

If you need some help protecting the cake, consider visiting the local cake decorating supply shop. The entire cake should be sitting on a strong piece of plywood, solid enough to take the weight of all the tiers.

Whenever a couple comes to you for a wedding cake or anniversary cake, it’s best to speak with them about what cake decorating ideas they like and dislike. Personal touches make all the difference and result in a cake that will be remembered for years to come.

Here are some wedding cake ideas you may explore with the couple:

• Choosing between a tradition wedding cake or using new styles and techniques for a modern wedding cake.
• Creating the cake using the colors of the bridal bouquet or perhaps the bride and groom’s favorite colors.
• Including aspects into the cake using the families’ backgrounds.
• Incorporating flavors or images associated with the wedding or honeymoon locations.

Anniversary and wedding cakes may seem very similar. However, there are some ideas that work just for anniversary parties.

• Writing a congratulatory note with the names of the couple.
• Using images or numbers that can relate how long the couple has been married.
• Adding decorations that reflect the high points in the marriage.

Another great wedding cake decorating tip is to take some cake decorating classes that will assist you in further your cake decorating ideas. You can also purchase online cake decorating courses to help you learn more about cakes for special occasions.

Image source: Flickr users 'stevebrown50', 'theicingonthecake' and 'janset'