Wedding Cakes
White Flowers with a Gold Tinge Wedding Cake
A sophisticated three-tier masterpiece featuring layers of light, Champagne-infused sponge and velvety white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. This cake is finished with handmade sugar-paste blossoms, each delicately edged with edible gold lustre for a truly luxurious wedding centrepiece.
- Prep
- 240 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Serves
- 80
- Level
- Advanced
- Per serving
- 480 kcal
Method
Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Grease and line three deep cake tins (6-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch) with baking parchment.
In a large stand mixer, cream the butter and caster sugar until pale and exceptionally fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition with a spoonful of flour to prevent curdling.
Gently fold in the remaining self-raising flour, vanilla bean paste, and the Champagne until just combined. Distribute the batter between the three tins, ensuring the 10-inch tin has the most and the 6-inch the least.
Bake the cakes: approximately 45 minutes for the 6-inch, 60 minutes for the 8-inch, and 80-90 minutes for the 10-inch, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Prepare the Swiss Meringue Buttercream by whisking egg whites and sugar over a pan of simmering water until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to a mixer and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form and the bowl is cool. Gradually whisk in softened butter and the melted white chocolate.
Level each cake tier and slice horizontally to create layers. Fill with buttercream and crumb coat each tier. Chill for 1 hour before applying a smooth final coat of buttercream or covering with white sugar paste.
Use flower cutters and modelling paste to create delicate white blossoms. Once dry, use a fine food-only brush to apply edible gold lustre dust to the very edges of the petals.
Use cake dowels in the bottom two tiers to provide structural support. Carefully stack the tiers. Arrange the gold-tinged flowers in a cascading pattern from the top tier down to the base, securing them with a little royal icing.
Notes
Always use room temperature ingredients for the sponge to ensure the emulsification of fats and liquids is perfect.
Dowelling is non-negotiable for a three-tier cake; without it, the weight of the top tiers will cause the bottom layer to collapse.
For the gold tinge, mix a drop of high-proof clear alcohol (like vodka) with the lustre dust to create a paint for more precision.
Bake your sponges a day in advance and wrap them in cling film; this makes them much easier to level and handle.
