Please help!!!!

[Gillan3190]

Hi guys,
I am planning to make a 3 tiered wedding cake for my brothers second reception party. After looking for ideas on the net, Ive seen people saying madeira cake is better than just a normal sponge cake , I will be covering the cake with butter icing and then fondant icing. But I am now confused as to what type of cake Ive to make . Is madeira cake just a normal sponge cake ?, Does it taste different ? The sponge will just be vanilla flavoured aswell . Please please help !!

Thank You !

[LondonGhostInChainWrackedBoots]

A maderia is a bit denser than a normal sponge cake. If you are stacking them on top of each other, even with spacers and dowel rods, normal sponge cake may not be strong enough to support the upper layers, or even its own decoration. If you don't want to bother making a maderia, hire a cake stand that separates the tiers like this.

It tastes good, it a bit denser and drier than I personally like, so when I make wedding cakes I use a normal sponge recipe and a separated stand. I would recommend also for the butter cream, putting some egg white powder into the icing sugar for extra stability and stiffness and to make sure the fondant won't fall off the cake - I am not 100% on the proportions, I think its 2 tbsp of white powder per 1lb of icing sugar and then make the buttercream in the normal way, it makes it stiffer and gives it a little extra richness. Or you can just use Royal Icing sugar, I think its Silver Spoon that makes it? You can use actual egg whites too but the powder is much easier and is pasteurized.

Best of luck!