DIY Wedding Cake

By: Emily M. of Pie Crust and Pixie Dust

Did you know that an average wedding cake can cost anywhere from $450.00 to well over $1,000.00? I understand that when you are in the wedding planning mindset, spending that much can seem like a small price for the embodiment of your Pinterest-fantasy wedding cake. However, when you are on your honeymoon, you aren’t going to be thinking about that cake. In fact, you might be wishing you had saved your money for an upgraded honeymoon suite, spa package, or even as my husband said, “not to get married at all.” What?! He’s so lucky to have me. Moving forward…

The good news is, sometimes a beautifully simple cake with gorgeous fresh flowers is just as elegant, if not more than an ornate, super-formal cake. The better news is that these lovely cakes are not only gorgeous, but you can easily bake them yourself, and for well under $100.00. Let me take you though the step-by-step process of baking a beautifully simple DIY wedding cake.

The first step in creating your cake is to determine the appropriate size. Ask yourself, are you planning on feeding all of the guests with one cake, or are you doing a smaller wedding cake for you and your husband, and something unique for your guests? Once determined, you can select the size cake pan(s) that you would like to use.

Here are some examples of how the different sized pans stacked in layers appear on an average cake stand. This should give you a little clarity on which size looks best for you.

Six Inch Pans

Eight Inch Pans

Twelve Inch Pans

The second step of your DIY wedding cake is determining the type of cake you want to use as well as the type of frosting. I really like this basic pound cake recipe, because it’s so easy to make and always comes out divine. I also like a basic buttercream frosting for the same reasons. You have enough on your mind as it is, I think an excellent tasting basic approach to baking will save you time, money and your precious sanity. All of which are so important when you are nearing that momentous day.

Now, it’s time to make the list of what you will need to purchase for your cake. You can print this list to make your DIY wedding cake planning easier.

The next step in baking your DIY wedding cake is doing a small test cake. I know this seems like a nuisance, but even if you buy a four inch round pan and bake your recipe one time, you will feel so much more confident once you are baking the real cake. It’s absolutely worth the time, and the upside is a delicious taste-test of your cake!

Now, it’s time to bake the real cake! Don’t overthink this, just follow along…

Prepare your frosting a day in advance and keep in the refrigerator. This will save you time on the day you bake and construct the cake.

On baking day, preheat your oven and spray your pans, (if you are doing five layers, use five pans in your desired size). Once baked, let the cakes cool and remove from pans.

Cut the tops of the cakes off so each cake is nice and flat. You can place in the freezer to make your cakes more solid with which to work. These cake freeze beautifully.

When ready to decorate, put a little frosting on your cake stand or cake plate to allow your cake to stay secured. Now, begin stacking and frosting between each cake. This part is fun, so relax and just go for it!

Once complete, frost the outside of your cake and place in the fridge. Once chilled remove, and finish frosting the outside of your cake. For a smoother look, you can use a straight edged tool like this one to smooth out the sides, or you can frost the cake more loosely for a softer and more relaxed look.