Lemon Yogurt Wedding Cake with Fresh Flowers and Planning Guide
Wedding Cake for 75 to 150 Guests
Making a wedding cake for someone you love is a gift that will be remembered for a lifetime. And there will be many photographs of it! It is a lot of work, but by breaking it into manageable steps, it can be done in a reasonably stress-free manner. A good cake baker can create a cake large enough to feed a wedding party with a plan, some tested recipes, some specific equipment, and a few tricks for handling large sized cakes. Planning is the most important step.
Start a Wedding Cake Folder for ideas, lists, phone numbers, and recipes.
Planning:
Some information must be gathered and questions answered as soon as possible.
Date and time of day of the wedding (The season also dictates cake choices: whipped cream frostings are not recommended in July!)
Reception site and cake cutting table or area (Is there a kitchen or “back stage” area? Is it indoors or outdoors? If outside, might there be insects? How early can the cake be delivered? Will you have access to the site beforehand? Is refrigeration needed and/or available? How close can you get by car?)
The menu and beverages to be served (Guests eat less cake when there is a full bar. Are there going to be other desserts served? Will coffee be served?)
What flavors do the bride and groom like and are there any dietary restrictions? (We recommend asking for general preferences then making the cake that you feel most comfortable making, then, presenting it at the wedding. After all, it is a gift!)
Find out who is responsible for: decorating the cake table, providing the special cake knives, cake plates, forks, and napkins, cleaning up afterward, retrieving your cake pedestal or serving board? Is there a wedding coordinator? Who is the best person to ask about these details? Keep cell phone numbers in your folder.
If you are using fresh flowers to decorate the cake, will you get them from the wedding florist and what time will they be available?
Are you sure you really like these people enough to do this??? Okay, just kidding, but do ask yourself if you really do want to. Sometimes, it is better to have a professional take care of the cake. Also, we strongly advise against the mother of the bride taking on this responsibility. We’ve found that you will have MORE than enough to do that day and your most import job is to share the joy of your daughter’s special day.
Equipment:
Many of the items on this list a baker may already have. A few you may have to buy or borrow. If you do want to purchase two new pans of each size, make sure each size is the same brand. Different brands are made from different materials and may cause layers bake up differently. We like professional Magic Line pans. We’ve noted brands where we have a preference. Use the list below as your checklist and check off every item to confirm that you will have everything you need to bake your Wedding Cake.
Equipment Checklist:
- _____ _____ One (or two) each 14″, 10″ round cake pans
- _____ _____ Two 6” round cake pans
- _____ Parchment paper
- _____ Plastic wrap, we like stretch-tite brand which is available at Costco and Raley’s
- _____ Wide-width foil
- _____ Large cooling rack that is at least 14” by 14” (Nordicware makes a rack that is 16” by 20”) or 1 thin, flat cookie sheet, or pizza paddle (You’ll need two large, flat things to help flip the 14” cake layer over. You may use the 14” cardboard round for one of the flippers.)
- _____ _____ 2 smaller rectangular cooling racks
- _____ Stand mixer
- _____ Zester, we prefer Mircoplane
- _____ Lemon juicer
- _____ Mesh sieve
- _____ Silicone scraper(s)
- _____ Liquid measuring cup, 4 cup preferred
- _____ Pastry brush, natural bristle is best
- _____ 16” or 18” cake base (larger than the bottom tier)
- _____ 14” cardboard round
- _____ 10” cardboard round
- _____ 6” cardboard round
- _____ Wooden dowels or thick straws
- _____ Cake turntable
- _____ A long bread knife or cake saw, if splitting layers
- _____ Ruler
- _____ Small offset spatula
- _____ Large offset or straight spatula
- _____ Pastry bag, coupler and #10 plain round tip
- _____ #10 star tip
- _____ Scissors
- _____ Clean apron to wear when assembling the cake
- _____ Several bunches edible flowers, for decoration (check online for a list of food-safe flowers)
Ingredients and Sources:
A wedding is a feast, a celebration of joy. As such, there is no better time to pull out all the stops and buy the best quality ingredients you can find. But a wedding is also a bit draining on the pocketbook, so shopping wisely is imperative. In your Wedding Folder, assemble a list of local shops that can be of service to you in your cake-making quest. The phone book, the internet, friends, and local storekeepers are all good sources of information. Here are a few places that we have used for supplies:
For dairy products and pantry items, check out Costco, Cash & Carry, and Trader Joe’s.
For equipment and decorating supplies, go to Michael’s or your local baking supply store
For interesting cake bases, don’t rule out thrift and antique stores, World Market, Pier One, flea markets, and even Grandma’s cupboard.
Recipe Research:
We favor sturdy cakes that can handle the weight of the top layers. Of course, you want a recipe that makes a delicious cake! One of the main reasons to have a home-baked cake is that they taste so much better than any bakery-made cake. Consider only recipes that you are familiar with and that you know will multiply well. If you’re set on a new recipe, it’s a good idea to make a practice cake. Measure the batter to see if it works in the pan sizes chosen. Note baking times for each size. We recommend avoiding recipes by Martha Stewart and from The Cake Bible because they tend to be overly complicated and meticulous. By all means, use them as inspiration for decorating ideas. We also advise against chocolate cake with white frosting, as that combination can be a crumb nightmare. If chocolate cake is a must, frost with a dark chocolate, shiny, pourable glaze or a whipped ganache. Either frosting looks dramatic decorated with organic roses or edible tropical flowers.
Before frosting the cake, we highly recommend brushing all layers with a flavored syrup. Chose a flavor to compliment the cake and frosting. This does three things: underlines the dominant flavor, acts as a crumb coat, and adds moisture. Make up a large batch and keep it on hand to moisten cakes and use in drinks in place of simple syrup.
The following is our favorite lemon cake recipe, in quantities to make one 3-tiered cake which will feed between 75 and 150 guests depending on the size of the slices. The cakes may be made and frozen up to one week in advance; freezing actually makes frosting easier. If you want to serve additional guests without increasing the size of the cake, you may make one or two sheet cakes to serve behind the scenes. (Guests like to think that they are getting a piece of the “real” wedding cake.) A 9” x 13” cake will typically serve 28 people, in 2” x 2” slices.
Before frosting the cake, we highly recommend brushing all layers with a flavored syrup. Chose a flavor to compliment the cake and frosting. This does three things: underlines the dominant flavor, acts as a crumb coat, and adds moisture. Make up a large batch and keep it on hand to moisten cakes and use in drinks in place of simple syrup.
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