Holy Smokes! Would you look at that! A finished wedding cake.
You’ve been here from the very beginning. You’ve been here for the clay and the extracts. You’ve seen the baking. And now!? Well dang…. I’m going to show you how I put the whole thing together.
It’s a long story. I’m glad you’re here.
First things first: cake and frosting recipes for this three tiered 14-inch, 10-inch and 6-inch monster.
Chocolate Cake Recipe multiplied by four.
*note* Next time I’ll use a different chocolate cake recipe. This cake, because it’s egg-less, didn’t have a firm enough crumb and was a little fussy to work with.
Vanilla Butter Cake Recipe multiplied by four.
*note* This cake baked up perfectly even and flat and was durable enough to hold up to flipping, flopping and frosting.
Whipped Vanilla Buttercream Recipe multiplied by a million (no… I think about twelve). I needed a lot of frosting.
*note* I love this frosting recipe because it’s not too sweet. It can, however, be a little funny to work with. I had a batch seize up and break… so look out for that. It’s also not the best frosting to use in super hot weather and does not hold food coloring. Diva frosting.
*note* The old stand-by. Butter. Powdered Sugar. Milk and vanilla extract. This frosting holds food coloring and can be further stabilized for hotter weather by substituting some vegetable shortening for some of the butter.
White frosting. Red frosting and two shades of willow green frosting.
These are plastic dowels. These little suckers are important. They allow the heavy cakes to be stacked on top of one another.
Plastic dowels are cut to a height just slightly taller than the layered and frosted cake. They’ll help disperse the weight of the cake layers. Don’t try to stack cakes without them. Disaster.
More on dowel measuring and cutting.
I took a dowel and carefully shoved in down into the two layered frosted cake. Easy, right?
Sort of. There are two hard parts about doweling a cake: cutting the dowel evenly and…. shoving a big plastic tube into your neatly frosted cake in the first place. I kinda hate that part.
I marked the dowel just above the frosting line with a Sharpie. Not so tough.
I removed the dowel from the cake. Yes… there’s cake in there. That’s ok.
I used a serrated knife to cut most of the way through the plastic dowel. I used kitchen sheers to cut the rest of the way through and to even out the dowel as much as possible.
Use the dowel you just measured to cut the rest of the dowels for this cake layer….
then shove them all into the center of the cake so that the weight of the two cakes that will go on top of this guy will be evenly distributed.
For this 14-inch base cake I used five dowels.
This is the 10-inch, center cake layer. It has four dowels. Yep. On top of those four dowels will sit the top 6-inch cake tier.
Cakes are layer and frosted. I stuck dowels in them. Cakes won’t be collapsing onto other cakes.
Now… decorating frosting.
I like to add two similar colors to the same piping bag. It’s the hippie in me. The two colors give whatever I’m piping a little more interest… and little more pizzazz. That’s a lot of z.
Using Nicole’s wedding invitation as inspiration… I practiced my decorating on the kitchen counter.
And just like that we’ve gone from my kitchen counter to the wedding location. That was easy, right?
What this picture doesn’t show you is how neurotically and carefully I boxed up the cakes, and:
a) how slowly I was driving on the 101 freeway.
b) how I tried to turn my car into a refrigerator by blasting the heck out of the air conditioning…. freezing my toes in the process.
c) how I cranked up the hip hop to calm my nerves.
d) how that didn’t work.
e) how much I wanted a beer. No… two beers. And a shot of tequila. And a taco.
But I got there. I did. And I unboxed the cakes.
I laid out my piping bags, some cleaning supplies and the spatula I used to stack the tiers on top of one another.
I would loved to have shown you how I stacked this middle layer on the cake base… but I was using the two hands that God gave me and all of the luck and good wishes I could muster.
Let me just tell you that I shoved the (very sturdy) spatula under the middle later… said a prayer… let the middle cake tier hover over the larger cake bast… centered it over the dowels… and slowly lowered it down. I then thanked Jesus and went about my business.
See that space in between the first and second tiers? I want that there. Not to worry… I’m going to cover it with a frosting border… but that little space will keep the frosting from the base layer from sticking to the bottom of the second tier.
I put the third tier onto the cake using the same spatula and prayers I used for the middle tier. I brought extra frosting along for a few touch-ups. Handy.
Are you still here? Is this still fun?
Here I am 15 minutes before the ceremony… my hands shaking… trying to put the finishing touches on the cake.
Why didn’t I just do all of this decorating at home well before the ceremony?
Well… what if the design got futzed in the boxes on the way to the location site? No good. I didn’t want to have to deal with the corrections so I just did it all onsite… now you know.
Two toned green trees. Red hearts. Precious.
Almost too precious…. but don’t fight it.
With the trees done, it’s time for the border. Quickly please… it’s almost wedding time.
Ps- The top I’m wearing is too low cut for a funeral but somehow not inappropriate for a wedding. I did the research. It’s all good.
Here’s a peak of what was going on outside as I was finishing up the cake…. and I did finish up the cake….
duh.
This is my dear and darling friend Asher. He helped me unpack the cake, took all sorts of pictures and helped me calm my shaky hands. I’m there in his glasses.
Weddings are always so pretty. How does that happen?
I love weddings for scenes like this. Love and beauty… for everyone.
Everyone takes pictures because everyone wants to remember all the love and beauty…
and the picture perfect couple.
Geez, I love you two.
And it’s all love and beauty…
even when it’s blurry and cake smashy…
because there’s cake kissing in the end.
And that’s the story of how I made a wedding cake for two people in love.
The End.
Kently
Hi there,
I’m making my first wedding cake, and I am a little nervous! The wedding is in topanga, which means I’ll be traveling up the 101 quite a bit, which is only one of the concerns. Just curious- do you have any helpful hints for traveling to the site? Did I mention that they want an all-buttercream cake and the wedding is outside at the end of May? Definitely nervous about the elements conspiring against me! Suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Nuuuuuuuur
omg this was amazing! thank you for posting!!! <3
jessica
Hi Joy! Quick questions…for each size cake pan, did you make 2 of each and stack them? Or just one of each, and then slice in half to insert frosting between the layers?
Briana C
OMG! Is that Gibson from Ant Farm?!?!?!
Dawn
So pretty! My son saw a picture of the bride and groom and he yelled “GIBSON!” lol
When I first saw it, I thought it was Zach, too, but wasn’t sure. He confirmed it before I saw Pheobe’s comment with your reply. HAHA!
Great blog!
joythebaker
yep… totally zach!
Andrea
Joy,
I fully intend on following this blog to make my own wedding cake, but since you said the chocolate cake was a little difficult to work with, do you have a suggestion for a better chocolate cake recipe? Thanks so much!
Andrea
Phoebe
Is that Zach Steel from A.N.T. Farm?!?!?
joythebaker
hahahahaa! yes.
Rose LaGarde
Great blog!!! Glad I came across it…beautiful photos are a bonus with explanation. Thanks!!
Anna
I wish I had found your blog earlier and read this post! I made a wedding cake back in September for a friend.. it was my first wedding cake ever and was totally nerve wracking. The bride had a lot of trust– I didn’t have a clue what I was doing! But it turned out pretty good I think (if you want to check it out, here’s the link: http://bakingandmylife.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-very-first-wedding-cake.html).Your cake looks absolutely gorgeous.. and those clay toppers are so, so cute! I just recently found your blog, it’s awesome. You definitely have another follower in me :)
Anna
So I just realized I screwed up the link, haha. Here it is again: http://bakingandmylife.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-very-first-wedding-cake.html
Sarah Rachel
This is so cute!
Funny thing is that this fall I made a wedding cake of the exact same proportion with the same chocolate cake recipe (but I had to make vegan frosting. lame, I know.)
Melissa Reginelli
What an artist you are! Very beautiful and impressive. I just found you while surfing around, I look forward to more of your work, you have a gift rarely seen. Plus such a great camera!.
Anna
That’s a beautiful cake! I am also making a wedding cake for a friend of a friend right now and I used your frosting recipe because it’s much quicker to make then a swiss meringue buttercream. I ended up cutting the sugar even more, adding a strawberry puree and some paste food coloring. It came out lovely. Diva frosting is a diva no more :D Thank you for the inspiration!
Tanya
beautiful cake!!!
Vivian Lindsay
I cried just reading your notes!!! How beautiful and lovely!!! Wow, you are amazing!
Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes)
Congratulations, Joy!!
Sue
I never doubted you! It’s just beautiful!
jordan
This is awesome!! Congrats, lady.
joyce
Awwwwww, so cute!
DLC
Joy,
your cake was a beautiful success on a multitude of levels. Congratulations!
Alejandra
I’m making my own wedding cake (for my January wedding) so this was actually super helpful! Did you leave each tier on a cake round or was it just cake?
Alicia
I love it!! Your cake turned out beautiful!!!!
scatterbrain
WOW! I am amazed! I am awed beyond words…. (actually no… since Im writing down a few words now!)
Anyway, great job! you rock. And Im a fan!
nicole
Wow that’s gorgeous! I just made a wedding cake, too … just last week! Mine was a bit more rustic than yours as I ran out of time to properly smooth out the buttercream (did my best) but I think the bride and groom liked it that way :) I love the piped detailing — definitely something I will keep in mind if (if? when) I do it again. ps: the transporting part I think is the most nerve-wracking, although the dowel/stacking thing was a bit scary as well … and yet, it always works! Congrats to you.
Sheila
All I could think about is “where is your apron?” as you are decorating the cake on-site with your good clothes on!!! I am addicted to aprons with pockets such a handy place to wipe your frosting covered hands. You are an inspiration! The cake is AMAZING! I can so relate to this entire story. I’ve done a few wedding cakes and it is stressful no matter what. Thank you for letting me know that I am not alone with the worries and nightmares.
Ruby
OMIGOD! I love this post. I love the cake! I too did my first wedding this weekend…photography, that is….aren’t weddings lovely? Thanks for being so fabulous Joy!
Danger Kitten Bakes
Joy,
Thank you for this edgy and inspiring post! I love your wedding cake story, and the finished cake is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
DKB
Henna
the cake looks very good, while it is not soo big or so decorated like the typical wedding cakes but it got that touch of emotions and love needed for a wedding cake, very simple yet elegant
Jess
I’ll be making two wedding’s worth of cupcakes in December. Your post has given me hope that anything is possible. Even when I have to transport one batch from St. Louis, MO to Estes Park, CO via rental car. May the wedding cake gods be merciful.
You did an amazing job, Joy. So lovely. I wish I could commission you for my wedding in May. :)
archipelago
so beautiful – well done!
so much effort and an amazing thing to be able to do for friends
Dyanna
I have been commisioned to make my brothers wedding cake next May….my question is…
Is this 1 14 inch, 2 10 inches, and 2 6 inch cakes?? 5 layers total??
Jenny
Hi Joy,
I love love love your site! Check it religiously! The wedding cake is absolutely amazing!
A quick question for you… i’m looking for a perfect basic vanilla cake recipe for cakes/cupcakes. I just tried the one you used for your cake, but found that when baked in cupcake for, it split over the edges of my cupcake paper despite only being filled 2/3 of the way. Does it have to do with any ingredients? Also, would you have any other suggestions?
Thanks so much,
Jenny
Dajda
Amazing, all of it: the cake, the story, your perseverance. You made me believe it is after all possible to make a wedding cake. :)
Diana
It’s beautiful!!!!! SO impressed! :-)
Vicki B
Really pretty cake!
The cake in the tubes are an easy way to taste test, so says Cake Bible lady extraordinaire, Rose Levy Berenbaum.
Sort of like barrel tasting wine.
Gen
Such a hard work! It looks really perfect, congrats!
Alison
Hey Joy,
question… how did you know how much batter to pour into each cake pan? I’m using the same 14, 10, and 6 inch pans but square. I’m just not sure how to make sure I pour enough batter into each pan.
Brandy
Wonderful! You are such a great friend. I love reading the posts, your personality is so fun.
Kathy
How adorable! thanks for the play by play! A yummy wedding cake that tastes good too…mmmmm
drika
Wow!! You’re awesome!! Great job!!
Bettye
Joy,
What a terrific job you did on the wedding cake, you are just an expert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the pictures and the story are as beautiful as you are!
Christyna
Beautiful! Great Job, Joy!
Eleonora
Your blog is super. So are your photographies. They make me hungry. I have spent a nice moment when seeing them. Thanks a lot.
patricia
Bravo Joy! Buen trabajo! Siempre es un placer leerte!
Mireya
So beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
Deese
That was awesome Joy, just as I knew it would be. I recently used your whipped frosting with the cooked flour to decorate my sisters graduation cake. I had no trouble coloring it, and it tasted great!
I can’t wait for the next cake adventure!
Gayle
cool pics.. Love your skirt!
Thanks for the detailed description and so ends my desire to make a wedding cake LOL no just joking
Steph
Love it.. thank you for sharing. This will be me & my sister tomorrow..doing her future sister in law’s wedding cake for their Sunday wedding. I’ll need a few beers, a shot of tequila & a taco too. :)
Anne @ the doctor takes a wife
Great job!! The cake is gorgeous and totally fits their garden wedding theme :)
Judy
haha “Diva Frosting” that got a giggle out of me. Your blog is so much fun to read and you have lovely photographs!
stefanie
wow – you did a fantastic job! thanks for sharing every step!
Rocky Mountain Woman
Wow, I have catered several weddings but I’ve never been brave enough to tackle the cake!
Maybe next time I will with your excellent step by step instructions…
Teresa O'Connor
Bravissima! You should be sooo proud!!
jane
Ohhh, it’s so precious! Beautiful, beautiful job. A tip about the dowels – I’ve started using plastic drinking straws and find they offer just as much stability but require far less work. And they’re cheaper. :)
Sues
It’s beautiful!!! Awesome work :) I love it SO much more than most wedding cakes I’ve seen!
Max
You are the best!!!! I imagine your friends also are, to deserve such a cute cute cake! I wish them a happy happy life together and hope they don’t eat that “hughness” all alone! (did you get to eat your own cake too?!)
Thanks for the post, the ideas, the inspiration and the laughs… u rock!
Sheryll_P
Hi Joy! I’ve been following your blog for a few months now, but this is my first post. I’m still a “baby” baker and I dream of making a wedding cake someday…Maybe on my 10th wedding anniversary? I’ll force my hubby to marry me again so I can make my own cake. Hehe. But enough about me…that cake is just AWSMAZING!!!(Awesome + Amazing…i got this from a cartoon my kids watch). You’re friends are just super blessed to have you. =)
fragolina
great story, great job. Congratulations for the newlyweds.
the cake is so beautiful..
Anne
You are incredibly brave, kudos to you and great job. The cake is adorable (and the most important part… it looks yummy too!) :D
Adrienne
Is Asher the famous “red-haired boy”?
joythebaker
um… no. but he’s my favorite ginger… ever.
Rita
So glad to see pictures of the cake all put together! Awesomeness! Love it!
Betsy Bradley
Aww, so sweet! You did a great job Joy!
Tara
this cake is so freaking adorable. I love the colours and everything about it!!!!
Chrissy
joy amazing! thank you for sharing, i have to admit i was checking your blog about 15 times everyday to see if you had posted the finished cake!
really enjoyed reading this :)
Shawn
I love the pretty ruffles on your skirt – perfect for a beautiful, sunny, happy wedding day. Thanks for brightening my day!
Lucy
I’ve read your blog for years. You are an amazing story teller. And baker. Wow.
Jason Sandeman
Indeed, very bold and brave move, making a wedding cake. I have done it on two occasions, and let me tell you:
The first one was rolled fondant. Not terribly bad, but finicky. I did it for a friend who did not understand what the cake would taste like. I remember seeing everyone exclaim over the cake, then it all turned to disgust in the end.
The second was for my best friend. A simple cake this time, buttercream. Problem was the 32 degree heat, and the 4h30 hour trip. Trnaslation, in a strange city, with split buttercream. I fixed it with Duncan Hines, a system D move if I ever heard of one!
Kudos to your cake! It looked lovely, and the bride and groom looked ecstatic.
Donna
The cake looks awesome! Thanks for sharing the process with us.
Simone
Wonderful!!!! thanks for sharing a part of your joy with us.
Deanna
You did an awesome job and it looks like you had a great time at the wedding too!
sher
Could NOT stop chuckling!! The SWEETEST cake! Kudos,Joy! Love the ‘loving’ pics! I sucked in my breath when I saw them smashing that gorgeous cake…but then I remembered that’s what’s supposed to happen & tried to bear it! Thanks for sharing! You’re so much fun!
sher
Meredith
nice job joy,hats off to you!
Alma
The cake looks beautiful Joy! Thank you for sharing. :)
Marissa
I was lookng forward to see the finished product and some pictures from the wedding. Wow, what a lovely couple. The venue is so beautiful. And the cake is awesome. You look so pretty and cool while finishing the cake decoration. Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! Love your posts. Love the way you share every li’l details with us…you’re amazing.
Dskco
Ahhhh soooo cool! I love it, and great job. Very cute and looks like it matched the couple and feel of the wedding very well =)
Stacey
BRILLIANT!!
veronica
Beautiful wedding, beautiful couple, amazing cake. :) You’re the bomb, Joy!
pookiep17
Awwwwwww…. I love that you tell us all your secrets and make us feel like we were there too! You are just too cute and sweet….just like that awesome cake!
Natasha
I’ve been waiting patiently since Sunday, in fact since you whet our appetites with this project last week. Worth the wait, go Joy!!!
millys mini kitchen
I love this cake, its simple and looks tasty! I bet it was, and it looks like it was a wonderful day
Elizabeth
Amazing!!!! You rock joy!!!!
Ju'eta
love it! love it! love it! Makes me want to get married again!
Danielle
How adorable! Your cake turned out absolutely perfect!
Teri
What a beautiful cake! I love your color choices, and now I want a piece of cake! Great story too!
marti
ohmigosh. i want a bite of that cake right now!
Hannah
Oh Joy,
this cake looks so beautiful. you made it perfectly. the cake is pretty, not like other ‘boring – always – looking – the – same wedding cakes’, shiny aaaaand it looks definitely very, very yummy.
it must have been a wonderful wedding.
and thanks for the inspiration with the two color frosting. i tried to get two color swirls on my cupcakes today. but i failed a bit. just because i didn’t check ur blog before decorating x)
Jenna / Eat Drink Pretty
Amazing. I love every detail of this cake. You are an inspiration!!!
Jessica
Gorgeous cake! I could never have the guts to do something like that and indeed you looked very calm and full of poise!!
Will there be a post about the emulsion you used? Everyone is so perplexed by it and I am admittedly very curious!
Nina T.
LOVE it!!!!!! What a great job!
Janet
Congratulations! What a feat!
Esther
Thank you for sharing your story and the pictures. I am in awe of your awesomeness at pulling this off so well :)
Angel
Let me just say, “WOW” I am so proud of you for taking on such a task. I think that, although it was a difficult and daunting task, you were able to pull through and conquer it because it wasn’t just for business but for people you care about. There is just something about wanting to bless your friends and family that makes it even more special. I guess that is my we say it was made with love! So happy for you.
Katie @ Cozydelicious
Too cute!!! But geez… a wedding cake is more like a construction project than a baking feat. Scary!! And so, so impressive that it arrived in one piece and looksd perfect. My terror of wedding cake topple is why we had cucpakes at our wedding!
Laura Lou
Bravo, Joy!
Sandy
I love weddings. I love cake. And in my (self appointed) expert opinion – your cake is amazing! And congrats to your friends, may they relive this Happiness everyday!
Tiffany
‘diva frosting’–that’s the best thing i’ve heard all day.
beautiful cake.
Lindsey @ Hot Polka Dot
Wow Joy, that was a lot of work. It’s all worth it of course. I’m going to be baking hundreds of cupcakes for two weddings next year. I both dread and look forward to that.
Whitney
You did such an amazing job! I love how the cake worked with the style of the invites and looked classy without being cheesy. I am currently planning my own wedding and it is inspiring to see such creativity out there.
cute kitty punk
wow… thanks for the mini tutorial… i’m sending this to a friend who wants to make cakes for a living
such cute wedding toppers too :)
jenny
Awesome! You rock! I love the way it came out!
I’m doing a wedding this weekend, and I think I’ll be ok, but I totally understand that shaky feeling and the wanting several beers! Thankfully this one is mostly cupcakes, lets hope they stay in fashion for a good long time!!
drew
This looks like a lot of fun! What an honor to make their cake… and what a lucky couple to have a great friend who would do it.
Heather @ chiknpastry
gorgeous! looks like loads of work, fo sho :).
Regina
I love the part of your story about transporting the cakes to the location, trying to make your car a refrigerator, and driving so slowly all the way there. I can totally relate. It may be one of the hardest parts! Your cake looks beautiful!
erinm
You Rock! What a priceless gift that will never be forgotten. (my F.I.L. made ours)!
linda
kudos! you created a fantastic = fab = wonderful = lovely = beautiful wedding cake & in the process you showed me great tutorials for making celebration cakes with dowels…so thanks for that tip as well as the piping 2 similar colors in one bag (truly cool)…thanks joy!!!
Avril @ http://bakingandcreatingwithavril.blogspot.com
My heart sings HIGH HIGH praise to you Dear Joy for such an amazing job on this wedding cake!!! You must have slept sooooo well that night….the cake was finally finished, lovingly cut into by the bride and grown and eaten with happiness by soooo many! Bravo Darlin’!!! Bravo!
Stephani
Absolutely beautiful! And what a wonderful gift.
I can sympathize with the terror that is driving a wedding cake to the site. I was the handy helper when my sister made a friends cake and that was the longest twelve block drive of our lives.
Yet it seems our terror was unnecessary since all our slow walking and not-tipping was thrown to the wayside when the Church Ladies threatened to hack into it with a kitchen knife. My sister and I flew it back to the kitchen in safety and elucidated the Ladies on construction methods of dowels and cardboard.
Margaret
joy, thank you so much for this wonderful story! your cake is downright beautiful. now i really want to a. go to a wedding and b. eat a slice of cake. hopefully those things will both happen at some point this summer!
Kirsten
You’re a goddess. It looks awesome.
Melissa
I actually used this same frosting for a wedding cake recently and I discovered a few things. I had made the frosting a few days in advance and refrigerated it. When I took it out the day of and tried to mess with it with my spatula to get it softer quicker it immediately seized up and was ruined. I had other batches in containers, so I decided to level and tort my layers while I allowed those to come COMPLETELY to room temperature…that seemed to work great! So a tip with this is to make sure that when you are working with this frosting, it has to be room temperature and not a degree above, or it will seize.
I found that mine held food color (gel not liquid) ok, but when for the last batch I broke out the powdered food coloring (luster dust or similar) that’s when the color REALLY came through, and the frosting was not affected at all.
Great job on the cake, so so pretty! Hope my experiences can help you with the frosting in the future, it’s such a great recipe!
Lauren
So wonderful
1. Where do you get such cute dresses?
2. Not to stress you out but I’m going to need you to make my wedding cake as well.
3. Asher-bear, adorable.
4. Great pictures and blog, as usual.
Well done! Success!
joythebaker
sister!
it’s a skirt and top… kinda from urban outfitters. don’t judge me.
and duuuh. of course i’m making your dang wedding cake.
i. love. you.
joi
Tissue please!
Love your blog and especially this story.
Question: The cute little elements pinned on the line? Place cards? Favor holders? Are you able to share? I’m working on a wedding myself and it has the potential for a great idea if we can ‘wedding-lift’ it might be just what I’m looking for.
joythebaker
those little heart things hanging on the line were table placement card things… you know… the things that tell you where to sit your butt down to eat dinner.
Prerna
You have no idea how much I was looking forward to this post!
I guess I was even more desperate than you were to see the end result..hahaha
LOVED LOVED LOVED your work! Good Job!
Kim
Lovely wedding, lovely cake, love your OUTFIT! So cute.
Mika
Wow, you are great! and really brave to wait until the wedding day at the location to do everything…great!
Jenny
The cake turned out great. I loved seeing how it was all put together.
Tori
I heart you Joy the Baker!
lisa g
thanks so much for posting this whole process– i love to see that freakin “Joy the Baker” gets nervous about wedding cakes too. makes little ol’ me feel a bit better :)
joythebaker
so glad i can help.
Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes
Awww Joy! You made a *14 plus 6 plus…* 30-inch cake! wow! Its so adorable. I think I would have wanted such a cute cake rather than some of the overbearing ones that look a little bit too much like old overdone hotel wallpapers. Here’s to modern beautiful Joy-like cakes! Also cool that you did all of that on that site. Trust me; I know what you mean by potential smears. That has happened to me before. Not cool.
Emme
LOVE!!!
Sharlene
Love it! It’s such a huge undertaking to make a whole wedding cake but yours turned out so beautifully and I’m sure it tastes amazing too. Such a beautiful, happy, and lucky couple!!
Anna Burns
This is so great. I teared up at the end!!!
What a great journey…. you are AWESOME.
Cookie
What a beautiful cake, Joy. Thanks for sharing it!
Heather
Joy – it has been so much fun watching you prepare the cake this past week (well, and a little nail biting too!). I can’t thank you enough for walking us through the instructions. I’m going to attempt to make one of my own and now I feel much more confident. :)
When Pigs Fly
I made a wedding cake in cooking school once. It was a stressful process. I can’t believe you waited until the wedding day at the location to do all the decorating. You do have nerves of steel.
JoVonn
Congratulations on this accomplishment. The cake looks great!
carrie
What a fantastic post and story! I have learned a lot from you and this website and now wedding cakes make a little more sense to me. Not enough to try it myself…but I still loved this post. What a lovely cake, what a lovely gift.
Stef
what a lovely story! the cake looks delicious!! way to go, Joy!!
Creatchie
Congrats on this beautiful cake! Such a great accomplishment and also awesome step by step on the assembly. I felt nervous FOR you thinking about you driving it there in one piece :) Love your site and your style.
Megan (megabite)
I love everything about this! Thanks so much for showing how to stack cakes with the dowels. I was wondering about all that. And the cake is the perfect amount of precious and I love the red hearts and the diva frosting and the beer wanting.
<3
Jill B
Wow, that was great! I’ve enjoyed the journey, the tips I would never think to ask/know, and all the lovely pictures. Thank you.
kayla@ Lets Live Wholesome
Oh, Joy! This was the most beautiful, wonderful post I’ve seen here yet. Good golly, what a lovely cake :-) Thank you so much for sharing!
Mary
Joy, I am in the process of researching wedding cake recipes, construction, and ideas in preparation for my brother’s wedding in September. Thank you so, so, so much for this post! It has given me some good pointers, yummy recipes, and adorable decorating ideas, and seeing how cool you were under all that pressure is calming my nerves and giving me the confidence to make my own wedding cake!
This is just beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
joythebaker
go girl… you can totally rock your brother’s wedding cake in September!
Candice
sniff ~ sniff ~ I always cry at weddings !
Loved the cake and I know I would have loved it more if I had a taste of it !!
Too bad we don’t have Smell-O-vision or Taste-O-vision :)
Melissa
Thank you for sharing – it’s a beautiful cake! I also really appreciate this post since I’ll be making my soon-to-be sister-in-law’s wedding cake over Labor Day weekend!
Betsy Gluten Freedom
I love it! It has been so fun to walk with you on the journey to creating a wedding cake. The photos from this particular post are great.
What a gift of love for your friends. Thanks for sharing your stories on your blog. I always enjoy reading them.
Shush-mi
Thats a beautiful cake! I love the cream and the greens. and the design was so simple but so very pretty! You did so well. ooh that was a lot of ‘so’s. and of course you looked as beautiful as ever in the pics.
Allison
How beautiful! Gret instructions, photos, cake, and wedding! Congrats!
Evan B
So exciting to see the finished product!! I am doing the same thing for friends in a couple weeks.. the bigger catch.. I am traveling from Texas to GA (airplane).. WITH CAKES!! wish me luck :/
joythebaker
uuuhhhh….. that sounds awful.
Krissy
i love everything about this. the cake looks AMAZING, the happy couple looks adorable, and it seems like a good day was had by all.
GrapeSugar
Yay! Awesome! Great job!
shelly (cookies and cups)
so pretty! great job and thanks for the step by step. I have never done a tiered cake like that so your process really helped!!
Beth @ 990 Square
Joy it looks great! Congratulations!
Jen-
What an awesome success! CONGRATS JOY!!!
Now did you have to take a shot? Or a xannax after all that? I would…both ..lol
Sherine
Damn, girl! Good job!
CELIA
Joy, you are a pro! Cake looked INCREDIBLE! I also adore your skirt with all the ruffles. It was fun watching the process.
Lia
Amazing cake. Congratulations!!
Love,
Lia.
Erin
Congrats! The cake looks wonderful!
The Nerd
1) I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Adorable cake!
2) I’ve also complimented your clothing on numerous occasions, but this ensemble??? Gorgeous.
joythebaker
i like you.
Saida M Latigue
That was a great job. The cake looked delicious, and the wedding was beautiful. Congrats to the happy couple and you for the cake. YUM!!!
Leah
What a gorgeous wedding cake! Thank you for sharing all the steps with us!! It matches the wedding perfectly!
Shauna
This post ranks up there with my most favorite-ist posts of yours. The tutorial? Perfect. The pictures? Perfect. A group of totally happy, really beautiful people having a fabulous time with an awesomely decorated cake from someone they love? Super perfect.
High-fives all around. :)
dani
joy it is a beautful cake and i think u done a wonderful job!
if u dont mind, i have a couple of questions (i am transporting and assembling my own wedding cake next month):
1. did u put each layer on a carboard base?
2. how long did it take you do unbox, assemble, and dress the cake on site?
i think thats it but if u have any other advice u wanna send my way, feel free :)
dani@sweettreatsdani.com
joythebaker
yes…. why did i not mention this!?
each cake is on a cardboard cake base the exact size o the cake.
and the unboxing and assembly and such took about 30 minutes.
congratulations! best of luck on your cake!! and wedding… duh!
jess
What a beautiful cake and a perfect wedding day! Just wonderful.
Tameka
I’m making my first wedding cake next month, so I thank you so much for your wedding cake posts. I love the green border and trees you put on the cake, very pretty. And the different tones in the green icing defintely gave it more texture and character.
Thanks!
T
Alaina- The Fairhope Foodie
Love it! Although I’m not sure which part I like better…the cake or the story :)
Champa
Good that you traveled with unstacked tiers. I was thinking you are going to stack them and travel with it. I know people do it all the time, but my heart stops when I have to move a tiered cake from one place to another in the house. Forget about driving with it. Beautiful pictures.
Noêmia
But what a beautiful cake, Joy!
Congratulations on your creation!
:)
Tay
That’s great! All that hard work paid off. I suck at decorating. I try, but it really just looks like a two year old went to war with the icing and the icing lost. Oh well, I’ll have to settle for good taste…
Andrea
Awwwww now I wanna get married so I can have some caaaaake!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
It is fabulous, Joy!
Paula
great job! that looks so yummy!
Annie @Pastis&PeanutButter
*Applause*
What a sweet, whimsical cake to match a sweet, whimsical wedding!
Wei-Wei
That’s gorgeous! I love how story-like and perfect the story is. A job well done! It looks beautiful :)
Wei-Wei
Marisa
Oh yes – and I forgot to ask – how do you get the cakes stacked so perfectly? I mean I know you use dowels, but what prevents the top layers from resting on the bottom layers?
Marisa
You must have nerves of steel!! I would never have been able to do that. Well, there’s also the fact that I’m not a pro baker, but you know, that’s a tiny little detail.
Well done on a lovely looking cake – I love the whimsical details of the branches & little hearts.
PS: Did you get that nerve-calming taco after the ceremony?
kangli
WOW. Love the elegant design. Love you for your bravery(demonstrated in the smooth border you did in 15 minutes. Or less?) Loved the series of updates on the cake! :)
joyo
GORGEOUS!!! and the drama of the cake assembly read like a jason bourne movie, not even kidding. i found myself holding my breath!! :D you did a beautiful job for a beautiful couple…triumph!!
Fiona
Well done Joy, the cake looks fantastic.
Loved reading this series of posts :)
hugo
lovely !!! i like it, can i order from you ?
joythebaker
no way.
Sharlene (Wheels and Lollipops)
Congratulations !!!!! It looks perfect and I love that you included your notes. Looks as though everyone had a lovely day and the stars of the day were happy , funny how simple smiles and stars in the eyes can make up for all the nerves before :)
notyet100
lovely story with a perfect ending,..
Heather(eatwelleatgreen)
I love the cake but what I really love is how the details of the figurines look like the actual bride and groom, right down to the big hair and yellow bow tie on the groom. Gorgeous.
Lotta
The cake looks amazing! I can understand if it’s nerve wracking.
Thanks for all the tips! My big girl wants a tiered cake for her birthday – now I know how to go about it.
It looks like there is a layer of thin cardboard underneath each cake? Am I right?
I always thought you’d stack them immediately on top of each other making them into a unit sort of. One huge cake.
Silvia
Thanks for showing us everything, I was really looking forward to it; you did really a great job, must been a lot of stress though. What a wonderful cake!
Love your dress, you looked great!
Clarissa
GURL!
congratulations on a lovely cake. Main reason i’m commenting is I have that skirt, I love that skirt, I feel closer to you over shared ownership of clothing.
morgana
You did it !!!! And the cake was great. ;-)
CONGRATULATIONS.
peachkins
Great job, Joy! Love the cake!
Colleen
I very love this post!! I’ve always been curious about how to do a wedding cake. And now I know! Beautiful, beautiful cake. Super cute top too. And I think the low-cutness works for weddings because it’s a perfect place to pick up a man. Funerals . . . well . . . it might be a little awkward to pick up a man at a funeral.
sheree
i. love. your. creativity. you are amazing, joy! now…how can i get a wedding cake even tho i’m already married is the question! ;)
Katrina
The cake turned out perfect! Thanks for sharing the whole process with us.
Roxy
Wow the cake looks amazing! Love your dress too :)
Memoria
What a lovely, lovely post! You did an amazing job, Joy! I’m glad that everything worked out so well.
Sassy Molassy
Awesome job, Joy! I love your outfit for the wedding. Stressful moments decorating that cake I’m sure.
Bec Clarke
Wow, I hope that you realise how worth the effort that amazing cake was. I am lucky enough to have an Aunt who made my wedding cake with lilly’s and the little people as well, it’s talented people like you 2 who make the special day extra special.
Anh
The couple must have been so happy! I love the design of the cake!
Rosa
It is beautiful! Great job! What a nice couple.
Cheers,
Rosa
Cindy
Reading all of this sort of made me feel the stress you had whilst making the wedding cake. Everything looked beautifully accomplished. Well written. Whimsical. And I will try, try me best to make this cake since cakes are always fun -and stressful- to make. Wonderful job Joy!
Shwe
Lovely! :) I was waiting for the updates.
Nads' Bakery
The cake matched the theme of the wedding beautifully. Job well done!!