Baking is a soothing activity that anyone can do, where the satisfaction that comes with successfully preparing something lip-smacking, is unexplainable. These wedding cake recipes from scratch will provide you with classic preparations, that will have guests praising your effort.
If you’ve ever watched a reality TV show or seen professionally made cakes that showcase artsy, whimsical, or elaborate cake creations, then you’ll know how incredibly hard they may have been to make. But we’re not here to scare you off. You’ll find wedding cake recipes from scratch that are super easy to put together, where the tools needed to assemble the cake can be bought from your nearest store, or better yet, online. Be sure you have everything that you need well in advance, before preparing your lovely wedding cake.
Wedding Cake Recipes from Scratch for Beginners
Classic Wedding Cake with White Frosting
Cakes Required: 2 (or more depending on number of guests)
Tools Needed:
- Cake stand
- Pastry/Icing bag
- Stainless steel pastry/icing bag tips (store-bought, or from websites like Royal Industries Inc. and Aliexpress)
- 2 baking trays
List of Ingredients:
- 190g – self-raising/rising flour
- 100g – softened unsalted butter
- 150g – caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon – baking powder
- 160ml – full-fat milk
- 1 teaspoon – baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons – treacle
- 2 teaspoons – quality cocoa powder
Procedure:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350° F and ready the two baking trays, lining them with butter paper. In a big bowl, combine the wet and dry ingredients, using an electric mixer to achieve a smooth, thick batter.
Step 2: Once the batter takes on a lump-free look, carefully divide the bowl’s ingredients into the two baking trays. The batter mix used will yield two cakes, so be sure to separate it evenly.
Step 3: Slip the baking trays into the oven and set the timer for 25 – 30 minutes. Sink a fork or toothpick into the side of the cake; it should be clean once removed, to signal that the cake is cooked from within.
Step 4: Remove the cakes from the oven, slip them gently out of their trays and leave aside to cool. The cakes will have a semi brownish-beige hue; the cocoa lends it that sun-kissed color.
Alternative Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour (in place of rising flour)
- Softened salted butter (instead of unsalted butter)
- Organic honey (instead of treacle)
- Stevia (instead of caster sugar)
- 1 medium-sized bar of melted dark chocolate (instead of cocoa powder)
Frosting Ingredients:
- 200gm – quality white chocolate chunks
- 125g – cream cheese (whole)
- 150ml – double cream
- 2 teaspoons – vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon – food grade lavender flowers (add more if desired)
- 1 cup – chopped walnuts, almonds, and pecans (for garnish)
Procedure:
Step 1: Heat the double cream on a low flame in a nonstick pan, and wait for it to turn scalding hot but not bubbly hot. Keep stirring after every 10 seconds.
Step 2: Take the pan off the heat and pour the hot double cream into a glass bowl with the white chocolate chunks, stirring until it melts and combines with the cream.
Step 3: Slowly add the cream cheese to the mixture, stirring continuously until well mixed. Keep the mixture aside to cool and gradually thicken.
Step 4: Use a spatula to spread a generous helping of the creamy frosting on the first cake top. Steadily place the second cake over this layer (you can use push-in pillars instead, to hold the two cakes in place). With care, carry the two cakes and place it on the cake stand. Fill the pastry/icing bag with the rest of the frosting, affixing your pastry/icing tip of choice. Ice the rest of the frosting on the surface of the second cake, in a decorative fashion. Garnish with the chopped nuts.
Alternative Ingredients:
- Nutty, caramel/crunchy white chocolate chunks (instead of nuts and plain white chocolate)
- Non-fat cream cheese (instead of whole cream cheese)
- Non-fat whipped cream (instead of whole double cream)
- Regular peanut butter (instead of vanilla extract)
- Crushed rose petals (instead of lavender flowers)
- Toppings – Hershey’s Kisses, canned fruit, edible glitter, or edible pearls
Dreamy Chocolate Cake with Rich Frosting
Cakes Required: 2 (or more depending on number of guests)
Tools Needed:
- Cake stand
- 2 baking trays
- Pastry/icing bag and flower-shaped icing/pastry tip
List of Ingredients:
- 1¾ cups – self-raising/rising flour
- ¾ cup – quality cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon – vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons – butterscotch extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup – hot water
- 1 cup – full-fat milk
- 2 cups – sugar
- 1 teaspoon – salt
- 100g – softened unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoons – baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons – baking soda
Procedure:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350° F and line the two baking trays with butter paper. Mix the dry ingredients together in a big bowl before adding the eggs, vanilla, and butter. Have the ingredients beaten into submission thoroughly, with an electric mixer.
Step 2: Add the hot water to the mixture while the electric mixer beats the batter; divide the mix between the two butter-paper-lined baking trays.
Step 3: Slip the cakes into the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. Using the same trick to check if the cake is well cooked, insert a toothpick or fork into its side, making sure it comes out clean. If it doesn’t, pop it back into the oven for an additional five minutes.
Alternative Ingredients:
- Banana/mango extract (instead of vanilla and butterscotch extracts)
- 2 tablespoons of distilled cider vinegar + 2 cups of hot water (instead of eggs and one cup of hot water)
- 2 tablespoons of salted butter (instead of salt)
- Non-fat milk (instead of full-fat milk)
Frosting Ingredients:
- ½ cup – full-fat milk
- 2/3 portion – quality cocoa powder
- 1 medium-sized bar of quality dark chocolate (like Lindt or Godiva)
- 50g – softened unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon – vanilla extract
- 2½ cups – powdered sugar
Procedure:
Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl, making sure the butter merges successfully with the rest of the ingredients. Melt the dark chocolate bar in a smaller bowl, and add it slowly to the big one.
Step 2: Using a spatula, spread the frosting on the surface of the first cake, before placing the second one above it. Cover the two cakes with the frosting, making sure to conceal any visible cracks.
Step 3: Fill the pastry/icing bag with the last of the frosting. Affix the pastry/icing tip to the pastry/icing bag and gently squeeze flower-shaped frosting along the circumference of the cake’s top. You can garnish with dark and white chocolate shavings for an artistic finish.
Alternative Ingredients:
- Non-fat milk (instead of full-fat milk)
- 1 medium-sized bar of regular milk chocolate (instead of dark chocolate)
- 3 tablespoons of corn syrup (instead of powdered sugar)
- Margarine (instead of unsalted butter)
- Toppings: Chocolate shavings, ganache, fresh fruit, or meringue.
How to Make Fondant for Wedding Cakes
Making fondant isn’t as hard as you think, as long as you have the right ingredients in front of you. Before you make a batch of this delightful colored mass, be sure to work on the fondant in room temperature. If it is too cold or hot, the chances of your fondant turning out right, are slim.
List of Ingredients:
- ½ cup – corn syrup (light)
- 1 tablespoon – regular gelatin
- ½ teaspoon – white vegetable shortening
- 1 teaspoon – vanilla extract
- ¼ cup – cold water
- 1 tablespoon – glycerin
- 907 g – confectioners’ sugar (use measuring cup)
Procedure:
Step 1: Place the gelatin in the bowl of cold water and leave it aside to soften, before placing it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, on high. Once the gelatin dissolves, add to this the vanilla extract, stirring briskly.
Step 2: Combine the glycerin and corn syrup to the mix, making sure it remains clear and lump-free during the entire process. If it isn’t, pop it into the microwave for about 20 seconds, and then give it a quick stir.
Step 3: Make a well in the center of the sugar mound using your finger, and pour the mixture into this (keep some sugar aside) before folding the ingredients with a spatula.
Step 4: Sprinkle the last of the sugar on the kitchen counter, where you will be rolling the fondant. Keep stirring the bowl’s ingredients until it takes on a doughy appearance and feel.
Step 5: Add a little more sugar if the ball of fondant isn’t malleable enough. Place it on the kitchen counter, and using a rolling pin, flatten it out before you can use it to make your icing creations.
Step 6: Use plastic wrap to seal leftover fondant, placing it in an airtight container for storage. This is to make sure the fondant doesn’t lose moisture. Put it in the microwave on high for 20 seconds approximately, if it does dry out.
How to Make Flowers Using Fondant
Anything is a cinch to make in the kitchen, provided that you have what is required at close range, from the ingredients to the tools. To make fondant flowers for a wedding cake is mighty simple, just gather the tools that you need, armed with a trusty recipe, and then get down to business.
Tip: You can use cake-styling tools to make fondant flowers with intricate work, if you want to add more detailing to them. Shaping, trimming, and engraving are all possible using these tools, to obtain unique-looking flowers with a lifelike touch.
Tools Required:
- Flower cutter and mold (from the nearest store, or online from Global Sugar Art)
- Spatula
- Toothpick/cookie scraper
- Rolling pin
Procedure:
Step 1: Before you begin, make sure you have cornstarch with you since it will come in handy while making the flowers. The first thing you need to do is roll out your fondant using the rolling pin, leaving ½ an inch of even thickness.
Step 2: Using the flower cutter, cut out the shapes of your flower, rolling the fondant out again to make more flowers with what’s left. To add vibrant colors to the fondant, use food coloring gel (not water-based), mixing thoroughly to produce the right shade.
Step 3: Gently lift each flower off the kitchen counter surface using the spatula, so that they don’t fall apart. Lightly dust cornstarch on the flower mold’s top and bottom pieces. Sandwich the fondant flower between these two pieces, lightly pressing them together.
Step 4: Remove the top mold, and using the cookie scraper, gently pry away the flower from the bottom mold.
Variations: That’s all there is to it! Using different colored fondants, create the flowers of your choice using interesting shapes and sizes too, before decorating the wedding cake. The following examples are worth looking into.
How to Make a Fondant Rose
Once you roll out the fondant, cut thin 1-inch (in width) strips along its surface using a sharp knife. Take the strip in your hand, and gently roll it with your fingertips in one direction, to acquire a cone-like shape. Pinch the end of the rose’s base, or trim the excess. You can create mold leaves to affix to the base of your rose, pinching the two together, or strategically placing them side by side on the wedding cake.
You can use edible sparkles (available in stores near you, or online from Wilton or Confectionery House) to decorate the leaves, or roses. If you’re pressed for time, ready-made royal icing flowers are available for swift delivery from online stores, or local confectioners who are willing to help.
Kinds of Cake Toppers
Cake toppers are a quintessential addition to any wedding cake, where there are myriad options to consider. Personalized cake toppers are a special, much-desired option compared to edible or ready-made ones. If you find a confectionery that can do a good job imitating the likeness of the couple, when making a cake topper from scratch, then by all means go ahead.
If you want to save time in running after someone to do it for you, you can order for it in advance from websites like My Cake Toppers, My Memory Dolls, or Dream Cake Toppers. The steps involved are amazingly easy to follow, that you’ll be recommending this option to others. These are some cute options to consider, before you go to a personalized cake topper maker.
Personalized Cake Toppers
Edible Cake Toppers
How to Decorate a Wedding Cake
There are a slew of options that one can use to decorate a cake, adding dimension, texture, and color to its entire look. From edible and real flowers, to spray-painted designs and handmade crafts, a cake can include a ton of creative features to make it stand out. Here are a few examples of how you can decorate and arrange your cakes.
The wedding cake recipes from scratch must be made using prime, fresh ingredients, since any dish’s flavor and texture depend on the quality of its ingredients. Experiment with robust flavors and out-of-the-box details (if you’re left to decide how to make the cake), using as many tiers that you see fit to prepare for guests and the newlyweds.
