Wedding Cakes
How to Make a Professional Black, White and Silver Rose Wedding Cake
This avant-garde three-tier masterpiece combines dramatic charcoal-infused velvet sponge with pristine white chocolate ganache and handcrafted silver-tipped sugar roses. A sophisticated choice for a contemporary UK wedding, this cake emphasizes sharp edges, architectural height, and a striking monochromatic palette.
- Prep
- 480 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Serves
- 80
- Level
- Advanced
- Per serving
- 485 kcal
Method
Prepare three deep cake tins (10-inch, 8-inch, and 6-inch) by greasing and lining with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan).
Cream the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla bean paste.
Sift the self-raising flour and charcoal powder together, then gently fold into the wet mixture until a deep black, uniform batter is achieved. Divide the batter between the tins (filling about two-thirds full).
Bake the cakes. The 6-inch will take approx 45 mins, 8-inch approx 65 mins, and 10-inch approx 90 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks, wrap in cling film, and chill overnight to firm up.
Make the white chocolate ganache by heating the double cream until just simmering, then pouring over the chopped white chocolate. Stir until smooth and let it set at room temperature until it reaches a peanut butter consistency.
Level each cake and torte into three layers. Fill with ganache and stack. Apply a thin crumb coat of ganache to each tier and chill for 30 minutes. Apply a second, thicker layer of ganache using a bench scraper to achieve perfectly vertical sides and sharp edges.
Knead the sugarpaste until pliable. Dust your surface with icing sugar and roll out to a 4mm thickness. Carefully drape over each tier, smoothing down with cake smoothers to maintain the sharp top edges. Trim excess at the base.
Create the silver roses: Roll out flower paste thinly, cut petals using rose petal cutters, and soften the edges with a ball tool on a foam pad. Assemble the roses around a foil cone. Once dry, use a dedicated food-safe brush to apply edible silver leaf to the tips or entire petals.
Dowel the 10-inch and 8-inch tiers using heavy-duty plastic dowels cut flush with the top of the cake. Stack the tiers using a small amount of ganache as 'glue'.
Arrange the silver roses in a cascading spray from the top tier down to the base. Secure with stiff royal icing.
Notes
Use ganache plates slightly larger than your sponge to achieve perfectly sharp, straight edges before applying fondant.
The charcoal powder can be messy; wear an apron and sift carefully to avoid black dust clouds.
Apply silver leaf using a static-charged brush or tweezers, as it will stick to your fingers instantly.
For the smoothest finish, let the ganache-covered tiers set for at least 12 hours before covering with sugarpaste.
