Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Emma's wedding cake



When my best friend Emma asked me to make her wedding cake earlier this year, I took a sharp intake of breath. Sure, I like making a cake, and OK, I've done a cake decorating course, and I know I've had a cake stall and made numerous Christmas cakes for my work friends for the last few years... BUT.. this was a wedding cake, for the mosts important day of Emma's life and would be on view by lots and lots of people.

After a few months, I persuaded Emma that I should make a croquembouche ( a French style wedding cake made of a pyramid of profiteroles all stuck together with teeth-cracking caramel ), which she could also serve to her guests as dessert. Was I absolutely mad ? Things hit a new level when I realised that I couldn't actually build the thing until the big day. To add to the pressure, CC was bridesmaid and we were driving the bridesmaids from Emma's new home to the wedding and back again to the reception.

Of course, I was petrified then that the croquembouche wasn't going to work, so just in case I made the little cake above. Emma wanted a cake for her new hubby James that she could take home and share with her family.

The cake consisted of 2 heart shaped cakes on heart-shaped cake boards. I filled the vanilla sponge cakes with  raspberry jam and iced them with ivory icing. I then sprayed them with an ivory lustre dust. They were decorated with an ivory satin ribbon around the base and I then stuck love heart sweets around the bottom edge.

The top tier was the same, except I filtered out all of the white loveheart sweets. Emma totally did not want a Bride and Groom cake topper, so I bought a silver love heart sweet imprinted with 'I love you' to go on the top.

I was really pleased with the final result, and although the croquembouche turned out to be amazing too, and went down fantastically well, I can't help but think that this cake with three tiers would have looked fabulous too. Next time (next time ????) I really must be more brave. :o)

2 comments:

  1. Aw, thank you Abradypus. It was hard work, not this cake as such - but the croquembouche as well, and of course the wedding was 30 miles down the motorway, and at a Royal Military Academy, whose kitchens I had to use. It just gets worse doesn't it! I have to admit, I was mega stressed before hand, but on the day it was all fine - if a little rushed...

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