Wedding Cake

Ingredients

• Note: I have not tried this cake, so test it out by making a small version of the cake and fondant before your wedding.

Directions

Wedding Cake
(serves 50-75)

Orange Pound Cake

Solid shortening
2 pounds sweet butter
10 cups sugar (5 pounds)
2 dozen large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated orange zest
3 tbs orange extract
3 tbs vanilla extract
13 1/4 cups unleavened sifted cake flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups orange juice concentrate
4 cups sour cream

Grease with shortening 9 round cake pans, 3 in each of the
following sizes: 12 inch, 8 inch and 5 inch (all 3 inches deep)
and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar on low speed
until light and pale yellow. Beat in the eggs, orange zest and
extracts. Slowly add the flour, baking soda and salt,
incorporating fully after each addition. Mix in the concentrate
and the sour cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix to
smooth out any lumps.

Divide the mixture into prepared pans so that each is equally
full. Bake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 35-40 minutes
or until cakes pull away from the sides of the pans and cake
tester comes out clean. Check cakes after 30 minutes. (Do not
let pans touch each other or the sides of the oven. It is important
not to overcrowd the oven. Unbaked cake layers can sit at room
temperature until oven space is available.) Remove cakes from
oven and allow them to cool in their pans on a wire rack.

Baked cooled cakes can be wrapped in their pans and
refrigerated up to one week, or frozen.

Dark Chocolate Filling

3 cups heavy cream
4 tbs sweet butter
3 pounds semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

In a large saucepan bring cream and butter to a rolling boil. When
the cream mixture rises in the pan, add the chocolate, stirring
constantly. Remove the pan from heat and stir for 5 minutes.
Cover the filling and store at room temperature for 3 days of
refrigerate up to one week. Bring the filling to room temperature
when ready to use. It may be necessary to heat the filling in a
double boiler to achieve a spreadable consistency.

Rolled Fondant

4 pounds confectioners' sugar, plus extra for kneading
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
2 tsp orange extract
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cold water
2 tbs gelatin
Yellow food coloring
Red food coloring

In a large mixing bowl, sift the confectioners' sugar. Make a
well in the center of the sugar and add the corn syrup and
extracts. Do not mix.

In a small saucepan add the water and sprinkle the gelatin over
it. Let stand one minute. Heat the gelatin and water over
medium heat for 1/2 a minute or until it is hot and the gelatin is
fully dissolved. Pour mixture into the well. Quickly stir the
mixture with a heavy wooden spoon from the center out to
evenly disperse the gelatin.

When the mixture becomes too thick to stir, turn it out onto a
work surface dusted with confectioners' sugar. Knead the
fondant until smooth and doughlike. If the fondant is sticky (this
tends to happen in humid weather), knead in more confectioners'
sugar.

Knead in food coloring until desired color is achieved. Add
coloring a few drops at a time, as a little goes a long way. Store
fondant in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator up to one
week. Bring to room temperature, then knead well prior to use.
If fondant is too dry, add a few drops of water. If fondant is too
sticky, add more confectioners's sugar. Cover with plastic wrap
and let it rest in an airtight container for several hours before
using.

Decorative Icing

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1 egg white
Water

In a small mixing bowl combine sugar and cream of tartar. Add
the egg white with a hand mixer on low speed, mix for 3
minutes, or until the icing is bright white and the consistency of
very softly whipped cream. If the icing is too thick, add a few
drops of water. If the icing is too thin, add confectioner's sugar.

Keep unused icing covered with a damp towel when not in use.

Assembling the Cake

2 cups orange marmalade, warmed and strained
1 pound of cornstarch
1 of each: 12 inch, 8 inch and 5 inch round cake cardboard
Serrated knife, preferably with a round tip
Paring knife
Butter knife
10 inch icing spatula
Serving platter
Rolling pin
Pastry wheel
Scissors
25 8 inch lollipop sticks or chopsticks
Paper towels
Pastry bag with coupling to fit decorating tips
Round decorating tips, one with a 1/16 inch opening (Ateco #2)
and one with a 1/8 inch opening (Ateco #6)
Florist oasis
4 inch shallow plastic plate
Fresh edible flowers

Remove cake layers from pans by place each cake pan over medium
heat, rotating pan until its bottom feels warm, about 5- 10 seconds.
Flip layers out onto counter, make sure all cakes end up right-side
up.

Using a long serrated knife, level and trim off the top of each
cake layer. All cake layers should be of equal height. Make any
needed adjustments. Uneven layers result in an uneven cake.

Place a cake layer on each of the appropriate size cardboard rounds.
Spread these bottom layers with the chocolate filling not quite to
the edge. Place the second layers on top and spread with filling.
Top with the third layers.

If necessary, trim cake cardboards with a scissors so that they
are exactly the size of each tier.

With a spatula, thinly coat sides and top of each tier with strained
marmalade. Set tiers aside to dry until they feel tacky before
applying fondant.

Begin with the 12 inch tier. Knead the fondant icing until its is
smooth and elastic. Dust the work surface with cornstarch and roll
out about 2/3 of the fondant into a 25 inch diameter circle that
is 1/4 inch thick. If it is too thin it will tear. Wrap unused
fondant in plastic wrap and set aside. Rotate fondant every second
roll so it doesn't stick. Use additional cornstarch as needed to
prevent the fondant from sticking to the work surface or rolling
pin.

Dust the top of the fondant round with cornstarch. Roll the fondant
around the rolling pin and drape it over the 12 inch tier.

With the palm of your hand, smooth the top surface and then gently
bring in sides of the fondant to attach to the cake. With the
palms of your hands, rub slightly up on sides to form an even top
edge. If fondant pleats at the bottom, gently unpleat and smooth
out with the palms of your hands.

Place the 12 inch tier on a serving platter. Smooth the fondant
at the bottom edge to meet the platter and trim off excess fondant
at the bottom with a pastry wheel. Knead all clean scraps into
remaining fondant, rewrap and set aside.

To support the 8 inch tier, cut 12 lollipop sticks or chopsticks
to the exact height of the 12 inch tier. Trim and insert them in
a 7 inch circle straight through the 12 inch tier until they reach
the cardboard bottom. Dab a little water in the center of the 7
inch circle to act as glue.

Roll out about half of the remaining fondant into a circle 16 inches
in diameter and cover the 8 inch tier.

Place it on the 12 inch tier.

Cut 8 lollipop sticks to the exact height of the 8 inch tier and
insert them straight through, arranging them in a 4 inch circle.
Dab the center with water.

Roll out the remaining fondant and cover the 5 inch tier. Place
it on the 8 inch tier.

Allow fondant to harden at least 12 hours before moving cake or
putting on the decorative icing.

Fit the larger decorating tip into the pastry bag. Fill the bag
with decorative icing. Test the icing consistency by making a few
pearl dots on a plate. If the pearls have points, thin the icing
with a little water. If the icing is runny and does not hold the
pearl shape, mix in confectioners' sugar. Pipe all over the borders
with pearl dots.

Switch to the smaller decorating tip. Test consistency again.
Pipe side design.

Lily of the Valley, paper white narcissus and Rosa "Vanilla" with
the palest golden blush may be nestled on top (secured in a presoaked
oasis set in a plastic saucer), with a single bloom on the second
tier and frill of sweet peas circling the base. The flowers must
be arranged the day of the wedding. They will stay fresh for seven
hours if they have a long drink before they are cut for placing on
the cake.

Completed cake should NOT be refrigerated and will keep up to four
days.

To serve the cake, slip a butter knife between the tiers and separate
the cakes. The top tier is traditionally reserved for the bride
and groom's first anniversary. Wrap it in layers of alternating
plastic wrap and foil and freeze. Using a serrated knife, cut the
second tier into slices. The third tier should first be cut eight
inches from the edge in a concentric circle. Slice the perimeter
of the circle first, then the inner circle.

Slices of the cake can be served with fresh berries and vanilla
ice cream.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: www.alastra.com
Submitted By: Meryl
merstarunicorn11@hotmail.com
Wedding Cake