Wedding cake question

[nannycook]

Anyone, i'm making a 3tier cake, whats best, assemble all tiers, bottom is fruit, 2nd and top is sponge before and take it to venue minus decorations, or assemble at venue? Am nervous.

I assembled mine (3 tier Victoria sandwich) at the venue on the morning of my wedding. Much easier and less stressful that way.

Hi Toby, i'm a guest at the wedding also, my hubby us panicking at the thought of an assembled cake sat on his lap with an hrs drive and dressed in his sunday best. Did you put dowels or thin cake boards between each layer? Still not sure what she wants yet but she's talking about having some wire cascading down with beads and for some reason hydrengers mixed in too.

I would definitely assemble it at the venue :)

I made a three tier christening cake, which I put together at the venue. I couldn't contemplate driving a constructed cake there and carrying it to the right location without falling flat on my face
I had each tier on a thin (perfectly fitting) board and used plastic supports (cut to the depth of the cake layer) driven into each layer to rest them on.

Yes, dowels between each tier and thin cake boards. It really didn't take long at all to assemble but it's definitely safer than trying to take it all put together.

Is she paying you for the cake? If so, could you take it and assemble it the day before, and charge her for the petrol?

I have always travelled tiered cakes, including the wonky one I think is pictured on my profile, to the venue assembled. I use plenty of dowels and double think cake cards between each tier and use royal icing to 'stick' each tier in place. I make sure it has plenty of time to dry properly before travelling with it. They have all been fine, even with my DH's dodgy driving, I make sure they are secure in a tiered cake box and use non slip mats if needed.

Decoration would depend on what it was. Most decoration would be on the cake beforehand, but if the decoration was lots of individual unwired sugar roses then I may place them on the cake using royal icing at the venue or would at least take spares and royal icing to the venue in case any fixing was required once there.

Toby, not an option taking the cake the day before, did think of that but theres another wedding going on and they wont let me do that unfortunately
Midori, the only reason i want to take it already assembled is because i'm still not sure what she wants on her cake yet, i do no she's bought wires and coloured beads as she wants something trailing down from top to bottom, i'm not getting involved in that buts thats something i'm worried about because she has no idea what she wants yet. So you really think i can get away with putting it together before i leave and finish off when i'm there, given that i'm one of the guest too, no pressure!!

I would imagine you'll have plenty of time to leave early and set the cake up at the venue before you go to the ceremony. Perhaps you can ring the venue and ask what time you can take the cake from and set it up?

Not quite the same, I know, but I recently took a two tiered christening cake and cutting cake to a venue and finished decorating the cake there before heading to the church. You just need to allow plenty of time.

yep do think i'll do the same, seems alot of faff and i'm sure it will be secure enough on hubby's lap, not even sure where it is yet, a castle somewhere in Monmouth LOL. Best find out eh? i haven't made the fruit tier yet, keep putting it off maybe cos it has 17 eggs in the recipe!!

Lol. Fruit cake is fine if you have something big enough to mix it in.

Can you travel with the cake in the boot? It will be bloody heavy for your DH to have on his lap for any distance, especially with a fruit tier and the boot keeps them level.

Thanks midori, i popped into our local cake dec shop yesterday and he said the same to take it assembled, have you made a fruit cake that size before? 12inch square, and if you have would you mind sharing your recipe? OR anyones recipe for that matter, just abit worried about the one i got that has 17 eggs and huge amount of ingredients, which given my gas oven i haven't cooked a fruit cake in it before, i dont want to get it wrong.

I have made a 12" fruit cake. Mine uses:

24oz butter
28oz flour
3tsp mixed spice
1tsp nutmeg
2tsp cinnamon
48oz currants
32oz sultanas
16oz raisins
10oz glacé cherries
10oz mixed peel
24oz soft dark brown sugar
Grated zest 4 lemons or 2 lemons, 2 oranges
4tbsp black treacle
16 large eggs
8oz ground almonds
10oz chopped blanched almonds
8tbsp brandy or rum.

A 12" fruit cake is a big cake. I have a clean, new plastic bucket that I sterilised before the first use and keep just for big fruit cakes. I use Wilton bake even strips and then damp newspaper too and put newspaper over the top as well as double lining the tin.

thank you midori, thats sounds roughly the same as my quantities. god i dont even know what bake even strips are, yes its a very big cake when i cant afford to get wrong, however its my first big cake in my stupid gas oven, what temp and for how long did you cook yours for?