So check this out: I know four couples who are getting married this year. FOUR! I haven’t been to a wedding in years, and all of a sudden four couples are getting hitched? It’s a veritable wedding EXPLOSION. It’s a WeddSplosion™. Srsly.
KABOOM
What does this mean? Well, it means that two of the four of them I’ll be attending as a friend of the bride and/or groom, one of those two I’ll have to do whirlwind flight to and from it in the middle of the week, and another two of the four – that’s right – I’ll be baking cakes for! Wee!
For one of them I’m planning on just baking a tiny cake as a “congratulations”; the challenge here is that the wedding is in California. That means I get to figure out how to not only how to make a pretty cake, but also how to ship it across the country. I’m excited.
The other – oh hush oh brush – I’m actually making the real wedding cake for. Seriously – a REAL wedding cake.
Let me preface by saying I’m very honored that my friends thought of me and trust me enough for undertaking this project. I am extremely jazzed about this and already have more web pages bookmarked in my browser than I know what to do with. I have a few solid flavors and presentation ideas to show them so far, and am not (yet) overwhelmed.
That being said, if you have ever made a wedding cake or know someone who has, I embrace any and all suggestions and recommendations you have! I want this cake to be as perfect for them as I can possibly make it. I’ve read a lot of articles and recipes so far, but am always interested in personal experiences to guide my decisions.
I have minimal details about the wedding so far, but will share what I can when I know more. The WeddSplosion theme will be around for the next few months, so keep an eye out!
If you have any suggestions, thoughts, or ideas you’d like to share with me on wedding cake baking or cake packaging/shipping, you’re welcome to post them here or on any WeddSplosion-themed page, or you’re welcome to email me.
Thanks everybody – and wish me luck!
Mary Gezo
Formerly of both n00bcakes and !Blog, the two magically become one on Spatialdrift; expect some lazy baking and serious nerditude. Also, I love semicolons.
For the wedding cake you are mailing, a ganache or fudgy frosting will probably be more stable. It is very, very cool that you are making a real wedding cake. One post I like on this is: http://www.moderndomestic.com/2010/08/my-first-wedding-cake-bananas-foster/
I think this is pretty much your only option: http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1255609
…rawr!
Ohmygod, that’s so awesome! Congrats – That’s some serious baking you’ve got to do. I can’t wait to hear all about the Weddsplosion processes. 🙂
@Victoria – Ooo, love that bananas foster cake…pretty *and* delicious-sounding. Also I think I will make a ganache-type frosting…but what is it about a fudgy frosting as opposed to say a buttercream that makes it more stable? WOW ME WITH SCIENCE!
@Steven – DINOSAURS RAR. Best. Cake. EVAR.
@Anna – Oh, you’ll be hearing more! Can’t wait to chronicle the travels’o’cake-making!
Awesome! You can totally do it! It’s been a year now since the one I made and maybe I will do a post about the experience since now I know someone else in that position. Looking forward to your ~WeddSplosion™~ adventures!
I have never mailed my cakes…sounds challenging but i am sure you can handle it and you will make some gorgeous cakes. Can’t wait to see pictures soon 🙂
Wow! that is awesome. Check out smittenkitchen.com ‘s post about making a wedding cake in her tiny new york apartment kitchen. Good tips there.
http://smittenkitchen.com/category/wedding-cake/
plus the fabulous baker from sweetapolita just did a great post on swiss meringue buttercream which is what most wedding cakes need to be iced with
http://sweetapolita.com/2011/04/swiss-meringue-buttercream-demystified/
@Jessica – Would love to see your wedding cake experiences; the more information the better, IMO. 😀
@Cakewhiz – I’m hoping simply wrapping the cake up and freezing it will let it last an overnight trip. Hopefully it won’t cost an arm *and* a leg.
@Stephanie – I’ve read all of smitten kitchen’s wedding series; it was actually where I got started. Great information! And thanks for the post on swiss buttercream…it’s something that’s been on my list of things I need to test out before starting the wedding cake craziness…but haven’t worked up the courage yet. 🙂