Weddingbee Blog

I’m sure this post will result in most of you thinking I’ve gone completely bonkers. Want to know why? I’ll give you a few hints:

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How many of you guessed changing careers by going back to school to study the pastry arts?

** crickets **

No one?

Good, because that answer would have been wrong! The correct answer is: I’m making my own wedding cake. Well, sort of, anyway.

I love to decorate cakes and cupcakes, and I especially love working with fondant. Over the past few years I’ve taken a cake decorating class and have decorated (or helped my sisters decorate) quite a few cakes featuring butter cream roses, bows, and other shapes made of fondant. I’ve done intricate hand piping and decorative borders. I’ve even crafted one of those topsy-turvy whimsical cakes covered in fondant. From all of these experiences, I got this idea in my head that it would be fun to make our wedding cake (with the help of my sisters) so I started to look into ways I could accomplish my goal.

But the downside to making your own cake is that you’ll have to spend a few days before the wedding baking the cake layers and perfecting the decorations. I figured I could spare a few hours, but the amount of time needed to complete all the baking and the rest of the process just didn’t seem possible. But, with a well-crafted plan (and a secret that’s just between you and me *wink, wink*), I figured it out. I’ll use cake dummies!

Yep, the second picture above is of a foam cake dummy from Taylor Foam, Inc., of Oklahoma City. This is where I ordered a set of square, contoured-top cake dummies to craft my dream cake. By using the dummies, I can decorate about a week in advance. The guests will be served pieces of purchased sheet cake that will be hiding out in the kitchen, so they won’t miss out on any of the sugary goodness.

But, you ask, how are you going to do the whole ceremonial cake-cutting thing?

I have a plan for that, too.

One of the layers on the cake will be the real deal. I’ll be baking this layer 2 or 3 weeks in advance and decorating the Thursday before, since our wedding is on Sunday. I’m not too concerned about that layer being the freshest. Mr. DE and I will be only ones eating it and we’ll only be sampling a small bite. Even still, I don’t think 4-day-old cake will be all that bad.

In the next few weeks, I’m planning on doing a cake trial to see how it will turn out. I’ll be sure to take pictures and write a post (regardless of a success or failure). And, just in case it is a cake wreck, I do have a back-up plan. We’ll make cupcakes if the original idea is a flop, but I’m confident in our plan and confident in the cake decorating support of my sisters.

Are any of you taking on the task of making your own cake? What’s your plan of attack?