Let Them Eat Cake
Want a centerpiece that looks good enough to eat? How about a gift idea that is bound to leave a sweet impression? Stacking tins to look like a cake adds whimsy and style. The options are endless but here is an easy way to create a lasting effect and this project is sure to stack up! Read more about this project
Let Them Eat Cake
By Susie Coelho
Read Susie's Bio.
June is the perfect month to get married! Beautiful weather, flowers in bloom, what more can you ask for?
How about Mr. Right! Always a bridesmaid, never the bride? No worries, you can be the hostess with the mostest and throw your girlfriend a fabulous and elegant bridal shower. One she’ll never forget! Of course you’ll want to do it on a budget as bridal showers can get expensive.
Getting married is a time of great transition in a woman’s life. It can also be very stressful. Nothing helps make this a more beautiful and easy process than being surrounded by good friends whom you can share this time with.
Along those lines, I wanted to create a simple yet classy project that can be made to store gifts for the bride, for the bridesmaids, or to simply be used as a centerpiece at the gift table.
Since it’s all about style, you’ll need to know the style that the bride has chosen for her wedding whether it be classic or contemporary so that you can align the shower to her style. I love versatility, and creating a cake out of tins is so simple and yet leaves room for so much creative interpretation. Take your cue from gourmet cake decorators, and recreate their masterpieces with spray paint, ribbon and fresh flowers on metal tins. Use colors that reflect the bride’s wedding colors or go totally girly and use pinks and springtime pastels. Add a cake plate and fancy cake knives to add to the effect. You will definitely have a conversation piece that will make the bride-to-be feel so special. Never fear, you can still have your cake and eat it too! I have also included a recipe for an edible wedding cake that is both simple yet divine.
You may also serve as an inspiration for your friend when she starts putting her wedding together. Looking for another way to inspire her? (Here comes the shameless plug…) Why not give her a copy of Style Your Dream Wedding which is chock full of beautiful photography, helpful tips, and even a style quiz that will help her fine tune her vision of her perfect wedding style! It’s my gift to all the lovely brides out there.
Featured Recipe
Wedding Cake with Raspberry Filling and Butter Cream Frosting
From Susie Coelho’s Styling for Entertaining
-Serves 50 people
9 cups all-purpose flour
8 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
12 large eggs, room temperature
10 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups unsalted butter, softened
5 ½ cups sugar
4 ½ cups plus 6 tablespoons sour cream
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup whipping cream
Filling
4 cups raspberry preserves
Butter Cream Frosting (see recipe)
Position 1 rack in top third of oven and 1 rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Butter one 6-inch by 3-inch cake pan, one 9-inch by 3-inch cake pan, and one 12-inch by 3-inch cake pan.
Line bottoms with parchment paper.
Sift 4 ½ cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt into large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk 6 eggs and 5 tablespoons vanilla.
With an electric mixer, cream 1 ½ cups butter and 2 ¾ cups sugar until light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Add 2 ¼ plus 3 tablespoons sour cream and beat until smooth, about 20 seconds.
Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended, about 30 seconds; do not overbeat. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons oil. Add egg mixture and beat just until blended. Add ¼ cup whipping cream and beat just until combined, about 15 seconds. Spoon 1 ¼ cups batter into 6-inch pan, 3 ½ cups batter into 9-inch pan and remaining batter into 12-inch pan. Smooth tops.
Place 12-inch cake pan on lowest oven rack and 9-inch and 6-inch pans on upper rack. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean; about 35 minutes for 6-inch cake, 45 minutes for 9-inch cake and 1 hour for 12-inch cake (cakes will not rise to tops of pans).
Transfer cakes to racks and cool completely. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto waxed paper-lined work surface and set aside. With remaining ingredients, make second batch of batter as described above.
Bake cakes, cool, and unmold following the same instructions.
BUTTER CREAM FROSTING
(You will need to make two batches to frost all cakes)
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
2 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting whitens slightly, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Gradually beat in 1 cup cream. Continue beating for 1 minute. Mix 1 tablespoon vanilla into 1 cup cream. Gradually beat cream mixture into frosting. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add remaining ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cream and beat until fluff, about 15 minutes. (You may add food coloring now, if desired. For a pale sage green use 7 drops yellow food coloring, and 4 drops green)
Transfer frosting to large bowl. Cover and set aside; do not refrigerate)
ASSEMBLY
Using serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place one 6-inch cake, cut side up on plate. Spread with ¼ cup of preserves. Top with second 6-inch cake layer, cut side up. Spread with ½ cup white frosting. Continue alternating layers with preserves and frosting until all four 6-inch cake layers are added. Spread ½ cup white frosting over top and sides of cake. Repeat process with 9-inch cake layers on a separate plate, using ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons raspberry preserves and 1 cup frosting for each layer. Cover top and side with ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons frosting. Repeat process again with 12-inch cake layers on a separate plate, using 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon preserve and 2 ½ cups frosting for each layer. Spread 1 cup frosting over top and side of cake.
Chill all cakes until frosting sets, about 1 hour. (Can be made ahead. Wrap cakes tightly and chill 4 days or freeze up to 2 weeks. Thaw frozen cakes in refrigerator overnight before continuing)
Bring cake to room temperature before serving and decorate with fresh flowers.
