I am making a wedding cake for 100...this is my strategy plan. I would suggest watching the videos and practicing a few times. Yes you can make your own cake!
2 Week-2 Days Before Your Wedding
Make The Cake:
It took me 5 hrs to bake enough cake for a 4 tier. After your cake has cooled wrap it in plastic wrap and foil. Refrigerate the cake for a few hours until chilled. This will make it easier to level.
A few tutorials to help you bake a fool proof cake.
White Almond Sour Cream Cake & Chocolate Sour Cream Cake (Recipes) OMG EASY! virtually fool proof :) It can be made in any flavor even dairy free too by using soy yogurt. (I use ck brand cake mix )
How to Bake and Decorate a Cake This video is long but has a lot of good tips and tricks!
Useful charts:
Cake Servings Guide/ Chart
Cake Baking Time and Batter Amounts 3" deep 2" deep
Cake Cutting Guide
Level Your Cake:
How to Level Tort and Fill a Cake (seriously watch the video)
I am using a Wilton lever but you can do this with a long knife. Brush simple syrup on the cake. This helps keep the cake moist in the freezer.If you decided to tort your cake(split it in multiple layers) separate the layers with parchment paper. Make sure to use the cookie sheet technique so you don't have to re bake cake :)
How to make simple syrup
Freeze the cake!
Place cake on a cake board. Wrap it up extra good and freeze it. This will save you a lot of stress. You do not want to pull an all nigher. Some cakes do not freeze well but most do.
How to Freeze Cakes
Make Your Frosting:
You can make the butter cream ahead of time. Yep, you can freeze it! Just store it in a freezer bag. When ready to use. Defrost in a mixing bowl(this takes a few hours) and re-whip with a spoon.
No Fail Butter cream
The Night Before Your Wedding
Fill your cakes:
Place all of your cakes on a cake board the same size as each cake. Make a dam with frosting so filling won't leak out. Don't over fill please!
How To Fill A Cake
Crumb Coat:
Since your cake is already frozen. You don't need to re freeze it. spread a thin layer of frosting to trap all the crumbs...don't worry about it looking perfect. If you are using the upside down frosting method you can skip ahead.
How to crumb coat a cake
Frost The Cake:
I highly suggest using a Lazy Susan it makes things a heck of a lot easier. Also a 6" bench scraper or speckling knife are a must have and viva paper towels!
*If you want a very smooth cake try the upside down frosting method...It works like a charm! tutorial
upside down video here
How to frost a cake smooth (even if you are using the upside down method this is a handy video to watch)
Stack it:
There are a million and one ways people do this. I use plastic pillars and bubble tea straws.(I picked the straws up from an Asian food store but you also can get them online)Remember to put your base cake on a cake drum or Masonite board
How To Stack A Cake (This is the video I follow)
How to cover a cake board
Part 2 Will Cover Decorating
