How far in advance can I stack my wedding cake?

by Hollie
(UK)

I am getting married in a week's time and in the process of making and decorating my own wedding cake. I am a very inexperienced baker and it is the first time I have ever decorated a fruit cake (I've only ever made 2 before at Christmas and not decorated them) I would really be grateful for some advice on stacking.


I have made 3 round tiers of rich fruit cake (I think they are 6, 8 and 10 inches). They are each on thick drum bases and have been covered in marzipan and then were then covered in a layer of fondant one week ago.

I work full time and late during the week and so can only really work on the cakes on the weekends, which is why they're covered 2 weeks in advance.

The cakes can't be decorated until stacked as the decoration is a lace trim around the base which then has drop pearls iced over the top edge on the lace and a fondant bead chain trim around the bottom of the lace (which will sit on the cake below), the beads will then be painted with an edible pearl/silver colour.

I am working right up until a day before the wedding (and the day before is fully taken up with other wedding jobs and as I am inexperienced I am quite slow at pipe decoration and decorating in general, and so I wouldn't be able to fit it in the day before or on the day)

I was wondering whether it is possible to stack the cake the weekend before to give me time to decorate it before the day or will the stacked cakes crack, get bacteria in it or something else terrible!? I will be using wooden dowel in the bottom two layers and if needs be, will also use a centre dowel.

Nervous bride so any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Hollie

Hi Hollie,

Wow this sounds like quite a cake. Congratulations! As long as you use good strong sup[ports your cakes will be ok to stack. This cake sounds like a heavy one but not a really huge one.

Use wooden dowels and a lot of them in each tier. This will take all the weight off of the tiers below. Then drive one right through the center and into the drum at the base if possible. The dowels need to be sharp and you can use a hammer if necessary.

I have never made a heavy fruitcake before as a wedding cake, but I understand that they are aged. I still would say to keep it in a cool spot , if not refrigerated.

Good luck and I hope to see a photo of this cake. Please send a photo and I will add it to this post.
Lorelie

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