Making Your Own Wedding Cake
I’ve been pretty open about sharing my engagement on social media, and one of the questions I’ve been asked the most is “Are you going to make your own wedding cake?!?”
In the process of making this decision, I weighed a few important factors.
I also thought through all the logistics of making and transporting a wedding cake.
Why I’m Making My Own Wedding Cake
While most girls dream about their wedding dress or venue, I daydream about my wedding cake.
How I’ll decorate our cake, what flavors it will be, and even what cake stand I’ll put it on!
Is it crazy to make your own wedding cake?? A little, but I’m planning to!
There are a lot of factors behind this decision, which include:
- Saving money
- Having the skills/ability to make a tiered cake
- Committing to making a practice cake
- Planning to make my wedding cake in advance
- Loving to bake
- Choosing a simple wedding cake with easy decorations
I’m not saying this is the right decision for most people, but it felt right for me.
Making my own wedding cake is something I’m looking forward to. It’s just an added bonus that it’s a great way to save money!!
Saving Money
It’s no secret that I am extremely frugal! The thought of paying someone else to do something I’m capable of doing myself seems silly.
Tiered wedding cakes can be extremely expensive, and making your own wedding cake can be a great way to save money.
Wedding cakes usually run $4-$6 per serving. With that in mind, the price of a wedding cake can add up quickly if you plan to have a big wedding!!
If you’ve never baked before and are mainly focused on saving money on your wedding, this might not be the best area to do it.
When money is the driving force behind your decision, it’s important to remember that you have options!
There are great alternatives to traditional wedding cakes.
These include making several individual cakes, cupcake displays, donut towers, or even cookie tables (my fiancé is from Pittsburgh).
Experience Making Tiered Cakes
Making a wedding cake is a big commitment. It takes hours of work, a lot of planning, and a specific skill set. If it’s a forced decision, it can add a lot of stress to your wedding day!
I feel very comfortable baking, and have some experience making tiered cakes.
While making a wedding cake is no easy feat, I don’t feel stressed out thinking about making it because I have done it before.
I highly recommend making at least one tiered cake before you make a decision this big.
It will help you realize the amount of effort it takes to make a tiered cake.
Commit to Making Practice Cake(s)
Whether you have a lot of experience with baking or not, it’s important that you commit to making a practice cake.
I suggest doing a test run with the cake flavors and frosting you plan to use. It’s also a great idea to test the style of decoration you want for your cake.
Making a test cake makes sure the cake design you have in mind is doable and will turn out how you picture it.
Sometimes we have a wonderful idea, but the execution of it isn’t quite the same 😛
This happens to me all the time, and I fully intend to practice my wedding cake design before my big day.
The saying “practice makes perfect” exists for a reason! Practice will also help increase your confidence.
It gives you peace of mind when it’s time to make the real cake.
Making My Wedding Cake in Advance
Another reason I feel confident I can make my own wedding cake is that I plan to make the cake layers ahead of time!
I have blocked off a few days the week of my wedding to prep the funfetti cake layers and buttercream frosting.
This will allow me to take care of a lot of the time-consuming baking before my family gets into town.
Cake layers can be made weeks in advance, if wrapped and frozen properly. Buttercream can be made weeks ahead of time, too!
Breaking up the workload also makes the process a lot more enjoyable.
It allows you to take a breather between all the baking. It also gives you time to focus on the decoration of the cake.
This will allow you to put all your creative energy into the design and decoration of your cake.
In the off chance something goes wrong (you burn your cake layers, run out of sugar, etc.), it will also give you time to fix the situation!
Truly Loving to Bake
While this may seem counterintuitive, baking the week before my wedding should help me be LESS stressed out!
I’m a bit of a busybody, and I’m happiest when my hands are busy and I’m working on something.
Baking is extremely therapeutic for me. I think baking will really help me de-stress and clear my mind during the week of my wedding.
There’s also such a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that goes along with making a cake, especially a tiered cake.
Picking a Simple Cake Design
Another factor that made this decision easy? We are picking a very simple cake design! Our wedding cake will be decorated with fresh flowers.
We plan to use the same flowers that are in the bouquets.
I know that I’m not a master sugar artist. I also hate working with gum paste!
By using fresh flowers to decorate our cake, I’m not going to be killing myself making sugar flowers.
I will simply wrap the stems of the flowers using floral tape and secure some of the stems into the cake with straws.
I also don’t have to worry about painstakingly hand-painting details onto my cake the week of my wedding.
It’s important to play up your strengths and be realistic about your skills as a baker.
Things to Consider When Making Your Own Wedding Cake
Once you’ve made up your mind to make your own wedding cake, there are still some details that need to be considered!
Confirm Your Venue Will Allow Your Cake
Be sure to check with your venue that it’s ok to bring in an outside cake.
Some wedding venues will only allow you to work with certain vendors. Others will charge a sizable cutting fee for outside cakes.
We’re pretty lucky, and our venue was super flexible with us bringing in our own cake. I
spoke with the manager of our venue and confirmed I’ll be able to drop the cake off the morning of our wedding.
Plan Out How to Transport Your Wedding Cake
Once you’ve confirmed that you can bring in your own wedding cake, be sure that you have a solid transportation plan in place. You will need a large car and a sturdy cake box.
Living in Manhattan has made transporting tiered cakes quite…interesting! I’ve successfully delivered tiered cakes using an Uber three times (knock on wood).
I’ve also taken the components of a wedding cake (layers, frosting, tools, and all!) on an airplane! But that’s another story.
In fact, I actually have a separate post sharing how to transport a wedding cake long distances.
I don’t have a car, but I find that Uber XLs actually work great for cake deliveries. I hop in the back and hold the cake in my lap until we get to the venue.
If you have a car and need to drive to the venue, I recommend placing the cake box on a flat surface.
For most large cars (SUVs, crossovers, etc.), it’s easiest to put the cake in the back or the trunk. Place a non-slip mat under the box to keep it from sliding around during the drive.
For the wedding cake box, I use large moving boxes that I buy at Home Depot (as shown at the end of the tutorial below!!).
They’re extremely sturdy, and cost less than $2! It may not be the prettiest box, but usually no one from the wedding will see it.
Decide to Assemble at Home vs. the Venue
I’ve found that assembling the cake before transporting it to the venue is usually less stressful.
However, some people prefer to stack the tiers on site. It all comes down to your preference and your means of transportation.
I like to assemble the cake at home, so I can fill in any gaps between the tiers with the help of some extra buttercream and my spinning cake stand.
It also allows you to do all the hard work before getting the venue. In fact, I usually do this the day before the wedding.
Properly Support and Stack Your Cake Tiers
If you’re going to put all this thought and time into making your own wedding cake, you want to be sure it’s properly supported!
It’s crucial that the cake is built with supports in each tier! Supports ensure your wedding cake can support its own weight and keep its shape on the day of your wedding.
Some people use wooden dowels for this, others use bubble tea straws. I know it sounds crazy, but they actually work very well. I prefer to use clear bubble tea straws because they’re easier to cut.
Wedding cakes also usually have a thick central wooden dowel, which helps keep the tiers centered. It acts as a guide as you stack the tiers on top of one another.
The central dowel also keeps your tiers nice and stable.
Below is an in-depth tutorial on how to make a tiered wedding cake. It covers how I like to add supports into a cake, and stack my tiers:
Trying to Pick the Right Cake Flavor
I get tons of questions asking if certain cake flavors or recipes of mine will work in a wedding cake.
The answer is that almost any cake recipe will work! As long as the cake is properly supported and the frosting is stable, you can make whatever flavor you want.
I’ve made wedding cakes using my vanilla layer cake recipe, my chocolate cake recipe, my red velvet cake recipe, my pumpkin layer cake recipe, and my lemon olive oil cake recipe.
Each of the cake recipes above has a different structure, but they all worked wonderfully as a wedding cake. I used my stiff American buttercream and lots of supports throughout each tier, and they were all a success.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you plan to make your own wedding cake or are making a wedding cake for the first time, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Please let me know if you have any questions I didn’t cover, or if you have any other tips that would be helpful 🙂
What size cake layers would you recommend for a 3 tier wedding cake that needs to feed 130 people?
I actually just shared a cake portion guide, which walks through the size of cake you need to make to feed a specific number of people, and the options you have with the size of your tiers 🙂 here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/2019/03/24/cake-portion-guide/
Your such an inspiration! Can’t wait to see what your wedding cake looks like. When adding the simple syrup do you add it to a room temp cake or cold cake? And if its room temp do you then chill cake before frosting?
I add the simple syrup usually when the cake layers are at room temp with wedding cakes, just because by the time I’ve leveled and trimmed them, they’re usually fully thawed 😛 So I frost them at room temp, but I always chill my crumb coat before adding a second layer of frosting <3 You could add the simple syrup when the cake layers are slightly chilled though if you wanted!
I’d love to watch you assemble the large tiered cakes! (The video isn’t working for me) This is the hardest part to tiered cakes for me! Getting them stacked and TRANSPORTED!! AHHHHH that part is nerve wracking as can be!
So sorry about that! here’s the link to the video on YT! earlier the settings weren’t right and it was private, but it should be working now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCZwFFrvqz4#action=share
I so agree, i feel so relieved once a cake is assembled and delivered!! That’s by far the most stressful part
video on how to stack cake unavailable
sorry about that! It’s working now ??
Mad props to you for making your own wedding cake! I’m sure it will be beautiful!
Thanks Heather 🙂 Let’s hope so!!! haha
Hi love this tutorial, my question is the wooden central dowel goes through the first 3 layers but not the 4th one or so it seems?! Can you advice? Did u put another smaller central dowel in the 3rd layer to conect the 4th! I watched the vid a good few times! Just confused but this final part!
haha you are totally right! I ended up using two dowels. I really wanted to use that thick one I started with, but it was a bit too short. I added in a second dowel between the third and fourth tier to keep the top tier secured!
I would always advise to use one thick dowel, but I was short on time and had to work with what I had. Happy to say the makeshift dowel situation did work just fine for transportation though 🙂
Do you have any recipe on your red velvet cake?
I used this red velvet recipe: https://chelsweets.com/2013/12/05/five-layered-red-velvet-cake/
I love it, now I might make my own
Wedding cake, , I am just like you, I make things ahead of time, that way I am more prepare. so it’s much easier.
That’s awesome!! You def should if you read this post and feel the same I do 🙂
Thanks so much for this! Congrats on your upcoming nuptials! If you make this the day before the wedding and stack it, do you put it in the all the fridge or leave it out?
I put it in the fridge, to make as firm as possible before I have to transport it <3
How many cups of batter works you use for a ten and 6 inch pan? Since the recipe is for 8 inch pans..
hanks!
Hi Laurie! I’m actually working on a guide right now that will share how many cups of batter you need for different sized cakes, and how to know how many batches of batter you need 🙂 stay tuned, hoping to share it later this week!
What size is the center dowel that you used. Where do you find dowels like that?
This central dowel is 1/2 inch thick, and i ordered them on amazon! Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/2HTfGDL
Great video. When you stack the cakes have you removed the cake boards? You are stacking cake on top of cake?
You have to leave each tier on top of its cardboard round, or else the supports between the tiers wouldn’t work <3
Fantastic!!? thank you for sharing.
How many people did the wedding cake in your video feed?
it fed about 104 people 🙂
Hi, I am going to make your vanilla cake (found on Instagram) for my sister’s birthday this weekend. I am usually a pound cake baker. So this will be my first time and exciting time to attempt a three layer cake. I just need to know how many cups of batter into each pan so that it will come out even.
Sadly I don’t usually measure by cups, but rather go by grams! one batch makes about 1800 grams, so if you want to make three layers you can fill each pan with about 600 grams of batter <3 Hope that helps!!
Can you frost the cake with buttercream a day before serving it or if will dry up?
I am also making my own wedding cake but it will only be feeding 20 people tops so I’ll probably make an 8″ and something smaller but my issue will be that I’m in Dallas and the wedding is in Pensacola, FL so we’re driving there. The cakes won’t be too big but it will still be somewhat stressful in transporting. We will be begin our 11 hr drive at around 2 AM so at least I will avoid some sun but do you have any tips on keeping it cool aside from blasting the A/C? By the way, wedding day is 9/7/19.
That’s awesome! Transporting a cake that far is definitely stressful. I’ve never transported a cake that far, but I’ve heard of people putting them in coolers! That about the only other tip I have besides blasting the AC. Best of luck, I’ll be sure to send you all the cake luck that day, and I hope you have a wonderful wedding!! <3
I am making my best friends wedding cake, which will be semi naked. What filling do you think works best for a three tired wedding cake? I will be using your vanilla cake recipe. Also how long before the wedding can the cake be assemble as I am also in the wedding party.
You can use pretty much any filling, but I usually use buttercream! I also add a simple syrup to the layers to ensure they stay moist while I’m making the cake.
I usually make semi-naked cakes a day in advance, but not much more than that. I just get paranoid that they’ll dry out if they’re made too far in advance, because they’re not fully frosted <3
Also it is an hour and a half drive to the venue which I will be taking the cake the day before the wedding , should i stack the cake before or at the venue,
That’s really a preference thing! I like to assembled before I transport, but other people like to stack on site!
I would definitely with what I know now and it would taste and look so much better my wedding cake was expensive and plain and it tasted disgusting and dry for a chocolate mud cake. I make an amazing chocolate mud cake if I could do it again I most definitely would do my own wedding cake. You are super talented the only issue would be time and delivery but I’m sure you will have help. Congratulations and I’m sure your wedding caje will be beautiful and amazing. Would love to see a video of it
Hind sight is always 20/20!!
luckily my venue is super close to my apartment, so hopefully the transportation won’t be too bad 🙂 Thank you for the kind words! I’ll def be sharing the recipes I use and the video on here after my wedding!! stay tuned <3
Hi! I have to make my first wedding cake this coming week! It’ll be a naked cake, 10” and an 8” (each is 3 layers). I was wondering how many dowels you suggest i put in each tier? i plan on using the plastic dowels and no central one as I’m setting the cake up on sight. Thanks!
Hi Jordan,
So sorry for the delayed response. I’ve heard different guidance around this, but I’d say if you use 6 it should be good to go!!I’m sure it’ll turn out amazing <3
Thank you so much for this – it has given me the confidence to make my first wedding cake!
My question is how many days in advance can the cake be made?
The wedding is out of town so it needs to be taken up a day before- I don’t want the stress of assembling on the day it is picked up! If the cake is assembled 2 days before the wedding will it keep ok?
I’m so happy to hear that Alice! Cakes can be made several days in advance! I made and assembled my cake 4 days in advance. I also didn’t want to stress about assembling my cake when my family was in town and around our rehearsal dinner. As long as you add some simple syrup to your layers and fully frost the tiers/gaps between the tiers, the cake should stay nice and moist 🙂 The frosting acts like a shield, and locks in all the moisture! Hope that helps, best of luck with your cake!!
Hey! This is amazing and thanks for sharing your experience. How did your fridge have space to keep the cake in? I’ll be having family over so the fridge will be full. Also if you can give a rough timeline of how much in advance you assembled the cake from your wedding day. I’m thinking of making my own a week or so before and freezing it but I don’t know how much early I should plan to assemble the cake. Maybe I’ll keep it in the deep freezer until a day or so before?
Hi Mariam! I had to completely clean out my fridge, and remove the shelves! It would not be possible to do with a full fridge :/ my cake just barely fit in my fridge even with it being cleaned out.
I’m going to share a more detailed post on the timeline/prep of my cake next week that should answer all your questions, so stay tuned! <3
Hello!
I love your videos, and helpful tips! What length of central dowel do you use in your tiered naked cake video? Thank you!
Thanks Carolyn! That dowel was about 9 inches tall, but the height you need can vary based on the number of layers and height of your cake layers!!
Hi! I love your videos so much?
My wedding is this month and i’m going to make my own 3 layer weddingcake. I want make my buttercream at least a week before the wedding and my cake a few days in advance or can i do this also a week before?. Now maybe is this a stupid question but what is the best way to stock? Frosting sealed in tupperware or plastic bag? And my cakes in folie in the fridge?
Thank you
That’s awesome Amanda!! You can totally make the cake layers a week ahead!! I share how I like to freeze my cake layers here: https://chelsweets.com/2018/10/28/how-to-make-cake-layers-in-advance/
I like to put buttercream in Tupperware and throw them in the freezer, or in big 18 inch piping bags! My only comment is that if you use big Tupperware containers, they take forever to thaw! be sure to take them out several hours before you plan to start the cake (or even the night before!).
Hope that helps, best of luck with your wedding cake! Let me know how it turns out!!! <3
How do you get the carmelized sides on your naked cake. And what do I use in my pans to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan?
It’s just the amount of sugar in the recipe I use! It naturally happens. I usually place parchment rounds in the bottoms of my pans, and spray them with non stick spray to keep them from sticking. Hope that helps Kim!
How do you ensure each layer goes on the dowel? And through the cardboard bottom???
I cut holes in my cake boards (or buy cardboard cake rounds with precut holes like these: https://amzn.to/2KGt3Y3) before making/frosting each tier of the cake. Then, each tier should pretty easily slide down the central dowel. It helps to sharpen the central dowel, to make the stacking process a bit smoother. Hope that helps Trudy!
Isn’t the Vanilla cake too heavy? I did a 3 layers 6′ and it is very condensed. I;m afraid to make a 33 tier cake.
Do you mean 33 layers? A 33 tiered cake would be be too tall to fit in most rooms!! If you want a lighter cake recipe, I recommend making a sponge cake <3
Hello, I love your blog! I’ve started planning to make a tiered cake as practice for my wedding and I was wondering what you did with your practice cake? I’m not sure if I should plan it around a holiday or take different tiers to friends and family or maybe donate it? I would love to hear what you did!
Hi Kaitlynn! Thanks, you’re too sweet! I cut up my practice cake and slowly brought it into work for my coworkers (back when I still had my day job). I also give a lot of my cakes to my neighborhood fire/police station!! Doing it around the holidays sounds like a good plan though too! Most people get pretty excited over free cake, so I’m sure you’ll be able to find people who will help you eat it <3
Ello plz I need recipe on vanilla layer cake , chocolate cake and lemon olive oil cake
Sure! in the search bar on top of the page, you can search for each recipe 🙂
But for now I’ll help you out:
Vanilla cake: https://chelsweets.com/2016/09/05/best-vanilla-layer-cake-recipe/
chocolate cake: https://chelsweets.com/2018/05/08/my-go-to-chocolate-layer-cake-recipe/
Olive oil cake: https://chelsweets.com/2019/02/25/olive-oil-cake-recipe/
Hey Chelsey!! If you were to make your red velvet cake for a wedding, would you use your cream cheese buttercream to frost it with? Or would using your vanilla buttercream be a safer option? Ive made both of these recipes and love them, but am not sure if the cream cheese frosting would hold up well for a tiered wedding cake:)
Hi Chelsey! Fellow home baker and aspiring cake wiz ?I’m new to tiered cakes and was wondering, how did you cut your holes under your cake bases? Also, where did you find the tea straws and dowel?
I order cake boards that have precut holes in the center! Wilton boards usually has precut holes, like these: https://amzn.to/31d5dIo
Or if I need to cut the hole, I use a ruler to locate the center of the board, then use scissors to stab/cut a hole.
I get my bubble tea straws and dowels on a amazon! here are the links:
straws: https://amzn.to/32iONQ9
dowels: https://amzn.to/2Bi0WbW
Hope that helps Andie!
Hi! How far in advance can I make a tiered wedding cake using your cream cheese buttercream?
Hi Teresa,
A frosted cake (even with cream cheese buttercream) can stay good in the fridge for up to a week! As long as the frosting is completely covering the cake layers, it should lock in all the moisture, and the cake should stay nice and moist 🙂 I let cakes sit in the fridge overnight, or for a few days all the time! I usually leave my cakes just open in the fridge without a covering! It should be fine as long as you don’t have anything fragrant in your fridge (like fish or onions).
Or it can stay good in the freezer for up to a month! Just be sure to cover the cake in plastic wrap once it’s chilled / the buttercream has firmed up.
I also make my buttercream in advance all the time! Just be sure you’re storing it properly: https://chelsweets.com/2019/04/06/how-long-does-buttercream-last/
I actually made my own wedding cake for my wedding as well when I got married on 8/11/18. I had two weddings the weekends leading up to my wedding as a home based baker and they had cupcakes for theirs so I made extras so that I had the cake I wanted (each tier was a different flavor) as well as variety of cupcakes for my guests.
That’s awesome Denise!! I could barely handle making my own, you’re a champ for making two right before your own wedding!! I’m impressed 🙂
Do you have a video over the size of pans and where you got them from?
Hi Dom,
I don’t, but I get all my pans on amazon! My favorite brand is the fat daddio brand (silly name, but great pans), and they come in like every size! I have the in a variety of diameters and generally get pans that are 2 inches tall. Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/2uwXN8D
Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi! I’m making my cousin wedding cake is 1st time I make a big wedding cake and so confused she’s having about 160 guess and she wants a 4 tiers cake what sizes of cake pans should I used? Thank you
Hi Miladis,
That can definitely be challenging to figure out! I actually talk all about portion sizes and what combinations of tiers you can use to make different sized wedding cakes Here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/2019/03/24/cake-portion-guide/
160 people is hard number, but i’d suggest making a 14,12,10,and 8 inch tiered cake. That should feed about 190 people, which is more than you need, but that’s as close as I think you can get with normal sized cake layers. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hello! I love your videos! So cool how you explain everything and try to teach everyone.
My sister is getting married in September and for some reason she really wants me to bake the cake!
Could you help me figure out if the middle layer would hold if it’s red velvet? She wants the last layer to be apple/cinnamon so pretty dense cake, and the top one maybe sponge to be light?
Based on your blog and servings I’ll be doing a 12,9,6 inches layers
Thank you so much for the videos!!
Kiss from Portugal
Hi Rita,
Thank you, and that’s awesome! as long as each tier is properly supported, you can make it any flavor! Red velvet should definitely be fine as a middle tier. Hope that helps, and that your sister’s wedding cake turns out amazing 🙂
I have another question, on your wedding naked cake video you mentioned that the frosting should be a little bit thinner than normal! Did you use you cheese cream recipe or altered it?
Thank you!
Hi Rita,
My cream cheese frosting should actually be just the right consistency, bc it’s a bit thinner than my normal ABC! Hope that helps!! <3
I love the way u back and I get to learn more thank u
I was wondering where you find boxes that are tall enough for you cakes?
Hi Chelsea! I’m baking this cake for a wedding in October. Do you have a list of the supplies you needed? And can I refrigerate the cakes until day of wedding to frost and assemble?
You have done an outstanding job on your videos! And the calm, beautiful way you’ve done this has made me want to make my daughter’s wedding cake in two weeks. I’ve never done this, but I’m going to follow how you’ve said to do it. I LOVE to bake. I bake all the time! Homemade from scratch is the only way to go! My only concern is I’m wondering how this cake won’t dry out being left out so long. Especially if we make it ahead of time. How can I make sure it’s fresh? Can I cover it once it’s in the fridge and iced? Thank you for your help!!!
Hi Chelsea! I wanted to show you my first attempt at a wedding cake which I would never have attempted without your fantastic instructions and videos. I spent many hours studying them and did make 2 6″ vanilla and wasc cakes for the bride and myself to try as you suggested. Although I love to bake, my daughter had more faith in me then I did and offered my services to her best friend for her wedding with 150 guests! I felt comfortable making the cake layers and icing in advance knowing I could remake them if necessary. The scary part of icing them also went well because of the consistency of your icing and great photos and direction. I also made a strawberry compote and put it into the middle tier. I was a little worried it might leak but all was well after making a moat with the icing per your great directions. I also learned how to decorate the cake with flowers, again thanks to you! Well, it was a big hit at the wedding, not only how pretty it turned out but also everyone loved the flavor and I received rave reviews thanks to you!
Again, you are so generous with all the time and effort you have put into your website and I am very grateful and now have a new hobby (maybe part-time business)!
Below is a photo if I posted it right.
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10216647285686896&id=1602960246&set=a.3330937484586&source=48
Donna Richards
One more tip is to use dummy cakes if your wedding is small. With a small wedding you may only need a single tier. You can buy dummy cakes, which are just foam cylinders. Once you frost the dummy cake it will look like a real cake. For our wedding, the bottom tier was a dummy cake and the real cake was the second tier.
Thank you so much for all your tips. I love your vanilla cake recipe. I am making my nephews weeding cake and took your advice. I made half of what I’m making that day but I know what to do now.I wish I could post a picture because it came out beautiful. I’m worried about transiting it. I’m a little clumsy, do you recommend me just putting tiers on at the event. It’s a naked three tier cake. Your the best!
What do you put on top of cake before frosting?
Hey Chelsea! I’m getting geared up to make a wedding cake and was wondering, when you stacked your layers did you stack them
With a cake board underneath each? I’ve seen people so that but I’m not sure which is the best way to go.
Thanks!
Kayla
Thank you for explaining so clearly and detailed, I’m not a beginner baking cakes but I need practice on frosting them. I’ll be baking my daughter’s wedding cake, she wants a coconut and pineapple flavor. I’ll be practicing beforehand since the wedding is in October I have plenty of time. Thank you again and if you have a great recipe for that type of cake please share it with me. I’ll let you know the end result.
What do you do to pass the center dowel through the cardboards for a 3 tier wedding cake?
I am a fairly new home baker in a small town. I just completed my first 3 tier wedding cake. This tutorial was so helpful, especially the Home Depot box for transport! Omg this was a life saver! I had no idea how I was going to deliver this cake! Thank you!!!
How tall should the center dowel be? I’m making a tiered cake (14”,10”,6”)
Hi Chelsweets,
I have been devouring info on you blog, you tube etc. I love it all and appreciate how easy you make it! I’ve also been trying recipes too!! So yummy!!
I’m planning on making a wedding cake for a friend in July (this will only be my forth wedding cake). It will be hot (an outdoor wedding). I’m think I will substitute hi-ratio shortening for part of the butter to help. Will this effect smoothing the sides?! And decorating?! She wants a spatula texture that runs around the cake. Also, do you happen to have a tutorial for that texture?! Thanks so much!
I am ever grateful for your helpful tips and tutorials. I made my first wedding cake this past week for my husband’s cousin. She wanted a semi naked cake with a rose gold drip. While I’ve done a drip before, I’ve never done a rose gold drip. I actually found one that I didn’t have to paint on from Chaleese Bakes Cakes. It was wonderful. She also wanted fresh flowers on her cake which I’ve never done either, and I’m not very good at arranging flowers so I was very nervous. I had planned on making practice cakes but never got around to doing it (I’m a teacher and didn’t have a spare moment). I had to transport it 3 1/2 hours, but I did it! It all worked out. Praise God! Here’s a picture of it! Thanks so much for the help!! Oh, and I used your vanilla cake and your chocolate layer cake recipes and they were delicious! I’ve tried to attach a picture but not sure how. It was a true success!
Hi,
I am currently in the process of practicing. I have made three cakes and I notice that the one that I left in the fridge overnight — fully frosted was dry the following day even after it reached room temp. This was very disappointing. I did not use a simply syrup to coat the cake. Would doing so make a difference or is my fridge just too cold? Please lmk.
Thank you,
Connie
If you’re making your cake ahead and freezing, do you even out the cake layers before freezing?
Has anyone baked an 11 or 12-inch cake? How much batter is needed and how long does it take to bake? Thanks in advance for the help!
My cake taste delicious! However, I have tried three different batches and every time it has fallen in the middle. Is there something that I’m doing wrong?
May have missed you saying it in the video, but what tool do you use to cut the central wooden dowel?
Hi,
I really need your advise, I was asked to make an engagement are for 70 people I was thinking a two layer 12 and either an 8 or 10 inch on top, don’t know how much flour and the other ingredients to use and what do you think will look better on the 12 the 20 or 8?
Thank you,
Gina
Meant what would look better on the 12 an 8 or 10
Gina
Hi from France!
I’m planning on making my brother’s wedding cake in a couple of months and I’m trying out different cakes and fillings out. I was wondering if you covered the cakes when they are frosted in the fridge? doesn’t it get a fridge taste otherwise?
I really love your video! I already made tired cakes but as castles for kids birthday cakes but they were also way smaller. Any tips on different ways to texturise the frosting to have different effects?
Thank you so so much!
I loved finding out I’m not the the only one!
I also made my own wedding cake! Even though when my husband proposed “will you marry me? And you aren’t making your own wedding cake”.
I went to an expo and and tried a few
Samples and wasn’t impressed and I thought why would I pay someone for something I can do better so that is when I decided to make my own. I did it in secret from my now husband when he went on a week long motor cycle trip I baked all the cakes and fillings to freeze, and piped all the royal frosting decorations. It went very smooth and wasn’t stressful at all since most everything was done ahead of time.
I also had a long center dowel through the entire tiered cake thought I invented that… great minds think alike. Wish I could post a pic of my wedding cake can’t figure how though…
Hello!
The video you shared was super helpful! Thank you.
I am a 2 tiered 4layer cake w/ cream cheese frosting this summer for a wedding I’m also in. What do you think is the best timeline for making in advance? Ideally, I’d like to have it fully assembled by the day before – do you think if the cakes are made in advance & frozen, assembling the day before the ceremony is doable? Thanks!
This is such an inspiration, to bake my own wedding cake! Thank you for all the details. How far in advance do you think the cakes can be stacked and kept in the fridge. I feel with the right dowels and support, I shouldn’t worry about the cake sagging. I would like to have the cake stacked and in the fridge 2-3 days before the wedding. Do you think this is possible?
So I’m not a huge baker! My niece wants me to make this cake for her small simple wedding. She found this recipe on pinterest yet I cave find any recipe. She asked for a Brownie cake. The image has strawberries between the layers and other fruit as topper. She also said she is not a fan of icing. I told her it needed something to hold the layers together and for moisture. I was thinking maybe a ganache poured over the top?
It looks like 4 thin layers of maybe a 8 inch and 4 of a 6 inch might work. Any suggestions or helpful tips? I wish I could attach an image. I’m not a fan of the Brownie idea.
Thank you
Donita Keller
I plan to make my own wedding cake and am so excited to do it!
I know exactly how I want it to look and how I’ll decorate it. It will be small as far as wedding cakes go, two tiers with buttercream frosting.
I want it to be a tiramisu flavor (my and my Fiance’s favorite dessert).
I’m hoping for your help with how to execute and include all the traditional flavors…It needs espresso, mascarpone, and chocolate.
Do I do chocolate cake with an espresso simple syrup?
Or vanilla cake with an espresso cream in between the layers?
Or maybe espresso buttercream and mascarpone cream layers in between, with mocha cake and a chocolate sauce in between layers?
Or maybe espresso soaked lady fingers in between layers?
There’s too many possibilities! What would you recommend for a two tier cake with a buttercream outside??
Thanks for your help!
Love all the details! My question: what happens to the frosting on top of each tier when you remove them for serving? Does the frosting stick to the board above it? Do you bring extra buttercream to patch the lost frosting? Can I leave a gap between the board and each tier and hide it in with piped buttercream?
Chelsea,
I made your vanilla wedding cake for my niece Chelsea’s wedding. Everyone loved it.
I am going to make a cake for my daughters graduation. Do you have an almond cake or frosting recipe that you recommend?
Do you put fresh flowers directly into cake or do you wrap them with something. Thanks
I wrap them! I walk through how I prep fresh flower for cakes in this post: https://chelsweets.com/how-to-put-fresh-flowers-on-a-buttercream-cake/
Hope that helps happy baking!
Hello,
I loved watching your video of wedding cake,
Question
Should I do 12inch round cake pan first of cake batter and then 10inch and then 8inch and then 6inch?
12 inch need 3 layers right? And 10inch, 8inch, and 6inch need three layers right also?
Will be my first time making wedding cake for my brother! I want to make perfect for them haha!
Thank you
Lisa
When you stack the layers is there a cake board under them for support?
Hi Kristen,
I do stack each tier on its own cardboard cake round!! Along with using supports like wooden dowels or thick plastic straws, it helps give the cake proper structure and keep its shape 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
Loved your post! Forty-five years ago (to save money) I made my wedding cake. It is still the largest cake I’ve made,3 stacked tiers and 2 raised tiers. It has resulted in wedding, birthday, anniversary, wedding and baby showers, and party cakes for family, both my children, and friends. When a friend calls about a wedding cake it usually means a budget concern. I always ask is it OK if it is our families wedding gift. Cake says I love you. Never had a fail yet. Keep on Baking.
Hi Cheri,
So happy to hear you loved this post 🙂 And I totally agree, wedding cakes make the best wedding gifts!!!
I apologize if I missed this bit of info somewhere while reading, but I’m curious if you could recommend which chocolate frosting you would recommend for frosting a tiered chocolate wedding cake. It will only have two tiers (I’m just doing a double 7-8″ round stacked cake), but I wanted to make sure it could be something that would hold up with a June wedding. My mom made her own chocolate frosted cake and I wanted to do the same! Fully intend to use some straws for support.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Bailey,
Great question! I would recommend using my chocolate American buttercream frosting (as long as the bride/groom doesn’t mind a sweet frosting!). Here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/
It holds up quite well! However, if you live somewhere super warm or humid, you might want to swap out half of the butter for hi-lo shortening to help it stand up against the heat. Summer wedding cakes always make me nervous! Hopefully the venue is indoors /air conditioned!!
I am planning to make my wedding cake because the very few Gluten free bakeries around my area want $400-500 for a plain small 8,6,4 inch tiered cake. Any tips on GF cake??
Hi DawnMichelle,
I’d just say test whatever GF cake recipe you want to use before making the wedding cake to make sure it’s the texture /consistency that you want. Other than that, all the same guidance applies to a regular wedding cake 🙂
I have a great gluten free chocolate cake and gluten free vanilla cake if you need a recipe! Hope that helps, happy baking!
How many cups do you put in the 12, 10 and 8 to get each of the three layers in each one even? and also, how long do you bake each one?
Thank you,
Dottie
Hi Dottie,
Great question! Bake time will vary based on the recipe you use, but I have a great post that shares how many cups of batter you need for different sized cake pans. Here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/how-much-cake-batter-per-pan/
Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi Chelsea, I’m going to making 3 tired wedding cake for my son’s wedding with your vanilla cake recipe. Layers will 12, 10 and 8 inch. In your video you put something in the middle of each pan with the batter and I read somewhere in comments (but can’t find it now) on what they are (flower “something”?). Could you direct me? As I understand it, they help for a more even bake? I need to start baking the rounds in the coming days. Thanks,
Hi Kelly,
Ah yes! They’re called flower nails or heating cores. I usually order a four pack of them on Amazon that are made by Ateco (https://amzn.to/3NWlnl6), but any brand will work. They do help the layers bake more evenly and quickly, and I highly recommend using them for big cake layers like that. Hope that helps and that your son’s wedding cake turns out amazing!!
Thanks for some of your tips which made my job a lot easier, I had to make my grandsons wedding cake, my first time ever phew! But it didn’t turn out too bad and everyone enjoyed eating it. Thanks again tips are so easy to follow.
Hi Geraldine,
I am so happy to hear that my tips helped!! I am sure your grandson’s wedding cake turned out amazing 🙂 He’s lucky to have a grandma like you!!
Hi there!
What size central wooden dowel did you use and do you just feed that through the bottom?
Hi Mindy,
I use 1/2 inch thick dowels for the central dowel! These are the ones I get on Amazon: https://amzn.to/42l6j5Z
I do carve a hole in the center of the cake drum and then feed it through. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hello and thank you for all your recommendations! I am baking a 3 tier cake 10, 8, 6 pans Red Velvet cake with cream cheese for an engagement party. The party is out doors and I am concerned with the cream cheese frosting, how can I keep the frosting not to melt? Thank you.
My daughter has tasked me with making her wedding cake and I have relied on your tips from beginning to end. My test 2 tier cake was a success! Now I am freezing a 3 tier test cake using your instructions. Trouble is, it is a carrot cake and the layers will not quite freeze solid in my 5 degree freezer after 24 hours. I see on the Internet that this is a common problem since there is so much oil in a carrot cake. The consensus seems to be that the cake will be fine for a couple of weeks. What do you think, and has anyone of your followers been through this? Thanks for all the help!
Do you have a recipe for butter pecan cake?