Cake Help Please

[Hilary B]

I made a traditional 3 tier fruit cake, PLUS a large sponge cake, for my daughter's wedding. I'm no professional, but folk reckoned it looked pretty good by the time I had finished. If you are putting marzipan under the roll-out icing if you get the marzipan smooth, it then becomes much easier to get the final layer smooth as well. If the marzipan isn't smooth, you will never get a good finish on the rest.
Ribbons to hide where the cake meets the board, and sugar flowers (I made them, but if you have someone who is really good at it, so much the better) will solve most problems of 'limited skill with the piping bag'. If you want a classy look the easy way you could consider using real flowers (a 'corsage' laid on each level of cake).

[Hans Mum]

this is ours we just had the top made from fresh flowers to match my bouqet and tables and the ribbon hid the join. the cake stand cost a fiver to hire

[Hilary B]

this is ours we just had the top made from fresh flowers to match my bouqet and tables and the ribbon hid the join. the cake stand cost a fiver to hire

Nice!

Forgot to add, if you want pillars you can spread the weight of upper layer by putting a piece of rigid card under the icing on the lower level. Pillars will then not be able to sink in. Remember about the card when cutting the cake!!!

[HeyWayne]

Loads of inspiration here:

Cake Wrecks: Literal LOLs

[Jay Bee]

Oh thank you for that it is amazing. I could never have imagined that there is this paralell universe of cocked up cakes! Love it. Guess morale of story being never do it over the phone!

[Pumpkin Becki]

Loads of inspiration here:

Cake Wrecks: Literal LOLs

Another classic link Dude!

[kirsty b]

Fantastic as always Wayne! Thank You

[NSB]

Have a look at the wedding cakes in marks and spencers there good value and you can decorate them yourself

[geoff]

Sponge cakes are always domed to a greater or lesser extent. Cut the top off with a long knife like a carver or slicer. Put two (clean) pieces of wood of the required height either side to act as guides. To get the thickness you will probably have to put two thinner ones on top of each other - buttercream in the middle?
Sponge cake would probably not be strong enough to stand on pillars on its own, spread the weight with a sheet of card wrapped in foil or clingfilm, and diguise it with icing
Sponge cake will not keep anywhere near as long as fruit cake, only a couple of days; if you want to make it in advance, you can freeze it

If you want to put glace cherries in a fruit cake, or any other kind for that matter, wash the syrup off them and dry them on a paper towel This will stop them sinking to the bottom

[wellie]

Oh, heck - whatever you do, don't count on me! I'm moving house?
but I've just 'happened upon' this thread, and I'm incredibly 'flattered', but I think you're all completely barking to think that I'm the person to help anyone making a cake....

Trousers would probably agree, and would say I don't do it often enough!

I'm sure it will all work out beautifully...X

[SarzWix]

I've found the recipe book Kirsty, I'll try and get it typed out later on

[RedThorn]

If you don't want a fruit based cake, use a sponge recipe that uses oil instead of butter, they tend to taste their best after 3days, this will give you a bit more time to play with the decorating. simple easier patterns like waffle effect tools are available at a reasonable price.... this will give a bit of detail eg on the side..... Mom - in law used a book pan and on the left was the words from our invite and flowers on the right.

[SarzWix]

Our cake decorating shop sells ready made sugar flowers, so I used some of those and pieces of fern for decoration. I was really pleased with it Have you tried Squires Kitchen website as well? You can get quite a lot from there, much more than when I wanted some! Edible Flowers and Sprays: Squires Kitchen - Inspired by Food Online

[wellie]

Oh, and having taken all of my filled cardboard boxes marked KITCHEN over to our new home today, (and unpacked all of them into my new kitchen! Yippee!) I found my Regalice Icing Smoothing Gadget. If you PM me your address kirstyb, I could let you have a borrow of it for a while? When's the wedding?

[kirsty b]

Wellie, thank you!!

Its in 15 weeks on 25th July. Was planning to get the cakes made in advance and frozen once I have found the perfect sponge, then I only have to worry about filling and decorating in the last few days beforehand.
All the tips you guys have given have been very helpful, and confidence boosting!

Will PM you.