A couple of months ago I was extremely lucky to create a wedding cake in Essex for a reception at Ye Olde Plough House.
A picture of the final cake had the greatest reach of any picture posted to my facebook page at that time. As it was so popular I’ve decided to share the story of that wedding cake. From the moment I first met the bride, Melissa, to the day that I delivered the cake to the reception venue.
Sept 2014: It was during a wedding fayre at London Excel, where I was exhibiting, that I first met Melissa. During that fayre I met and spoke with hundreds of brides, so I must admit, that first meeting was a bit of a blur. However, following the wedding fayre, Melissa arranged a consultation to further discuss her wedding cake requirements. The date of Melissa’s wedding was not until March 2015, so there was ample time to plan for the cake.
Prior to the consultation Melissa sent through various images of cakes that she liked and provided important information, such as number of expected guests.
Oct 2014: The day before the consultation the sample cakes were prepared for the tasting session, vanilla sponge with white chocolate ganache and chocolate cherry sponge with white chocolate ganache. During the previous few weeks, I had been researching different cake designs based on Melissa’s requirements and using the example pictures she had previously provided. On the day of the consultation, all relevant information was to hand including my own portfolio of designs.
The consultation went really well, Melissa was absolutely lovely and extremely organised! During the consultation I found out more about her wedding, the flowers being used, type of venue, reception times, basically anything that would impact the design or set up of the cake on the day. I shared the images I had found on the internet with her and by the end of the hour, she decided on combining two designs to achieve the look of her dream cake. The first was an image I had found on Pinterest and the second, a cake from my own portfolio.
Using the two designs I sketched a new design which incorporated key elements from each. As you can see, I’m no artist!
Feb 2015: During the month of February the sugar flowers were made. These were made well in advance as each flower takes anywhere from 30-45mins to make and they needed plenty of time to dry. Edible petal dusts were used to shade the flowers and make them appear as realistic as possible.
Mar 2015: The month of the wedding! Two weeks prior to the wedding, I personally contacted the venue to ensure that everything would be ready for the cake on the day and find out what time I could deliver and set it up. The week prior to the wedding the cake fillings were made and the cakes baked. The cakes were put together 2 days before the big day, a very intense process of filling cakes, covering with fondant, stacking and then decorating. Once completed the cake was ready to be delivered. .
THE BIG DAY!: On the day itself the cake was transported to the venue in two parts, which would be assembled on site. Transporting a cake to the venue is THE most nerve-wracking experience ever! I always make sure I have plenty of spare decorations and that the cakes are securely packed to limit any damage. For this cake the sugar flowers were also transported off the cake and attached to the cake on site. After the cake was fully assembled the final touches were added to the cake table by the florist. The small additions made everything come together perfectly.
