Tips on making wedding cakes

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If you've decided to make your own cake, there are probably many reasons. Cost is likely to be an important factor. According to the Bridal Association of America, the average cost of a professionally made wedding cake is more than $500. Making your own cake can be a great way to make your wedding a bit cheaper if you can handle the pressure!

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1. Buttermilk or Fondant?

   • Professional bakers charge more for fondant on their wedding cakes. They do this on account of the extra effort required. The only advantage to fondant is that it's less likely to melt in high temperatures. Buttermilk, a common alternative, is not only easier, but according to some bakers it even tastes better. If you are making the cake yourself, you can get away with trying to use roll-out fondant yourself without the added cost.

   Self-Decorated Cakes

   • One compromise if you are unsure of the baking process is to buy an undecorated wedding cake and decorate it yourself. This gives you the satisfaction of having most of the control over the way the cake looks without being intimidated having to bake it alone. Bakers will often sell undecorated wedding cakes for cheaper than decorated cakes. If you really want to play it safe, take this route and then keep your cake minimalist and elegant.

   Planning

   • Have an idea of what you want your cake to look like. Although you should have a thorough and detailed plan, be open. Things can go wrong and it's important to know when to improvise, but having the foresight to plan will keep the process going smooth. Duff Goldman from the TV show "Ace of Cakes" says that when customers don't know what they want, he tries to narrow down their likes and dislikes. Consider looking at pictures of wedding cakes and deciding what you do and don't like about them.

   Dowels

   • When you're assembling your cake, use dowels to keep the cake together. This process can keep the cake stable and stop the tiers from sliding or tipping. Simply insert a dowel into the cake and measure where the dowel extends above. Then cut around an 1/8 inch below that point to make sure the dowel isn't visible from the top of the cake. Do this for each tier and then use buttercream to fill the holes left by the dowels.

Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: wedding cakes, your cake, keep cake, make your, making wedding