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Original poster

Making my own wedding cake-2 tiers please help!

186 replies

bratnav · 15/02/2009 20:19

I have decided to make my own wedding cake as we are on a tiny budget. 20-25 guests plus a few elderly relatives to send slices to.

We would like a stacked 2 tier square cake, sponge, a bit of a quirky design, I am wearing black velvet and DP is wearing a purple velvet jacket, so not a traditional wedding.

ANY advice on how, designs that I will be able to manage, how far in advance I could make it etc etc would be wildly appreciated

OP posts:
lucysmam · 22/02/2009 13:33

fab! Hope the decorating goes ok

Original poster
bratnav · 22/02/2009 20:03

I guess we will find out next week

OP posts:
lucysmam · 22/02/2009 22:04

Well, let me know, you'll have to post a couple of pics

Original poster
bratnav · 22/02/2009 22:49

Will do, although it will probably be part of a flikr or similar for the whole wedding.

OP posts:
Original poster
bratnav · 22/02/2009 22:50

You know I will be on this thread next Wednesday screaming for help with the decoration anyway....

OP posts:
lucysmam · 22/02/2009 22:53

lol, will keep my eyes peeled

stealthsquiggle · 23/02/2009 09:18

If you have a kenwood chef or similar then it should be able to do it - it is no stiffer than bread dough. I will admit (but not to DH) that the fact that our magimix food processor had to have the main shaft replaced may have had something to do with me using it to mix colour into sugarpaste when my hands gave out completely .

stealthsquiggle · 23/02/2009 09:20

Oh and definitely get dowels and a thin board for the top layer - it might support itself but you don't want to risk it, and it makes it easier to take apart and cut.

Mo you will need serious scaffolding for R2D2 BTW.

Original poster
bratnav · 23/02/2009 18:52

Got the dowels and thin board ready to go

Well it is an AWT mixer (very similar in looks/style to a Kenwood Chef, so I might well giv it a go. I've been slavering over a red KitchenAid anyway......

OP posts:
lucysmam · 23/02/2009 19:27

ooooh bratnav, I want a red kitchenaid, but we're skint & my oh said no

Original poster
bratnav · 24/02/2009 13:44

So did mine on the basis that we have a perfectly lovely working mixer already....

OP posts:
lucysmam · 24/02/2009 15:23

lol, that would have been his excuse if we had something like that. Would make life sooo much easier as well, although my lo loves the handwhisker for some unknown reason

stealthsquiggle · 24/02/2009 17:25

So have you killed it yet ?

Original poster
bratnav · 24/02/2009 18:44

Not yet stealth, how far in advance can I dye the icing if I re-wrap it and put it in an airtight container?

OP posts:
Original poster
bratnav · 24/02/2009 18:45

Also I need to do the whole lot in one go so I get the same colour all the way through and there is 2kgs of it!!!! Will that be ok? It looks as if it will fit in the bowl.

OP posts:
lucysmam · 24/02/2009 20:09

I have some icing still wrapped & in an airtight container from Noah's Ark & it was ok when I used it for the playboy bunny last week if that's any help. I think (although not 100% sure) if it's wrapped & sealed it should be ok for a good while.

& if it were me, I'd ccolour the icing all at once so you get the same colour throughout, but only if it'll fit in the mixer & not likely to kill it! But . . . on the other hand . . . if you do then you have an excuse to get the kitchenaid

stealthsquiggle · 24/02/2009 20:46

At least a couple of weeks (up to several months) as long as it is well wrapped.

Not sure about 2kg at once but I understand the problem - how about you colour it in 2 batches of 1kg, getting them as close as you can, then divide each in half and swap over, as it were - so you then knead half of batch A with half of batch B - then you should have 2kg of evenly coloured icing.

lucysmam · 24/02/2009 20:53

stealth, would you mind having a nosey at my latest cakey thread please

lucysmam · 25/02/2009 12:23

Did you get around to colouring the icing yet bratnav? How does it look if you did?

Original poster
bratnav · 25/02/2009 12:58

Genius Stealth

Not done it yet, will have a go tonight I think.

OP posts:
lucysmam · 25/02/2009 14:57

good luck, hope it turns out ok

Original poster
bratnav · 25/02/2009 16:22

Thanks, also another question, sorry!

I have a 10" square and a 6" square, both about 2.5" thick, how much icing would I need for each? I'm just thinking that I may as well separate the icing into the right quantities for the tiers after I've coloured it.

OP posts:
lucysmam · 25/02/2009 16:39

I have no idea how to work that out, sorry. I just buy it in 500g blocks to use. The Playboy cake I did last week was about 10" square &I used 1 & 3/4 blocks. It was about 3 inches high as well so probably about 750g - 1kilo for the larger cake & 500g-750g for the smaller one.

I don't actually know how to work it out & whether my icing is too thick (or how thick it's meant to be) to work things out, I just do what looks right to me.

You'd be better off with stealth or Maureen to help you out with that one I think

Original poster
bratnav · 25/02/2009 18:26

I did what Stealth suggested and it worked brilliantly, nice rich and even colour

My only other query for now is how the heck do I get the dye off my fingers??????

OP posts:
lucysmam · 25/02/2009 19:10

erm . . . . . scrub!! Lemon juice maybe? Or white vinegar? or washing up liquid? I don't know tbh, I just washed them with loads of soap & got in the bath not long after colouring it all came off eventually

Next time, wear gloves!!! Bet you look like you've been attacked by the angry biro that attacks me every time I colour icing