Wedding Cakes
Contemporary Black and White Wedding Cake Recipe
A striking three-tier masterpiece that balances the drama of deep black cocoa with the purity of crisp white finishes. This contemporary wedding cake features a moist Madagascan vanilla sponge layered with silky white chocolate ganache, designed for a sophisticated modern celebration.
- Prep
- 180 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Serves
- 80
- Level
- Advanced
- Per serving
- 480 kcal
Method
Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C fan)/Gas Mark 3. Grease and double-line three deep cake tins (6-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch) with baking parchment.
In a large stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and exceptionally fluffy. This should take at least 5-8 minutes.
Gradually beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with each to prevent curdling. Stir in the vanilla bean paste.
Gently fold in the remaining self-raising flour and the milk until just combined. Divide the batter between the three tins, ensuring they are level.
Bake the 6-inch for 45-50 mins, the 8-inch for 60-70 mins, and the 10-inch for 80-90 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on wire racks.
Prepare the white chocolate ganache by melting the white chocolate into the double cream. Allow it to set to a spreadable consistency for the internal filling.
Create the black buttercream by beating icing sugar and butter together, then adding the black cocoa powder and a touch of black gel food colouring if a deeper midnight hue is desired.
Levelling the cakes: Trim the tops of the sponges to create flat surfaces. Slice each tier horizontally to create layers, filling with the white chocolate ganache.
Crumb coat each tier with a thin layer of buttercream and chill for 30 minutes. Apply a final smooth layer of black buttercream to the bottom and top tiers, and crisp white icing to the middle tier for the monochrome contrast.
Stack the cakes using plastic dowels in the bottom and middle tiers for support. Finish with contemporary accents like edible silver leaf or wafer paper sails.
Notes
Use black cocoa powder rather than just food colouring to achieve a deep black without a bitter chemical aftertaste.
Ensure your dowels are cut exactly flush with the top of the icing to prevent the tiers from leaning or sinking.
For sharp edges on your buttercream, use a heated metal bench scraper while rotating the turntable.
Freeze the sponge layers for 20 minutes before levelling to ensure clean cuts and fewer crumbs.
