I had about three weeks to recover from the last wedding cake debacle before embarking on the next one. The decorating on this cake was much simpler and more rustic, and I wasn't IN the wedding! But, I still had to travel - not as far as Pennsylvania, but still pretty far, and in even warmer weather.
This is easily the biggest cake I've ever made. This was a four-tier cake with an 18" tier, a 14" tier, a 10" tier, and a 6" tier. This cake is designed to serve 197! And, I learned something new while baking this cake - my oven is only 18" deep! So, baking an 18" cake is quite the challenge.
Like last time, I started baking 2 weeks before the wedding. But, given the size restrictions in my freezer, I actually had to slice the 18" cake into semi-circles before freezing. I also made the gum paste peonies ahead of time, using the bride's beautiful color and pearl colors to inspire me:
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| Prep work |
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| Coral beauty |
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| Pro tip: always make extras! |
Again, as before, I decorated each tier individually, and packed them up to make the trip to Cleveland, OH.
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| The challenge of traveling with an 18" cake! |
If you can believe it, this drive was even hotter than the drive to State College. And, I didn't have the night to let the cake set up in the fridge once I arrived - I was driving the morning of the wedding. Unfortunately, when I got to the venue, things were very melty and very droopy. I had some time to re-ice, and I brought extra icing, which is great, but the icing itself was very soft, so I ran into some challenges.
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| Re-icing at the actual venue - not ideal! |
This was another scenario in which "all things considered," I think the cake turned out beautifully. Again, the bride and groom loved it and were very happy, so that's what I'm putting in the bank.
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| Final product |
I think the big takeaway here is that I will no longer be doing traveling cakes in the summer heat!
xoxo,
Clare
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