The average amateur decorator would probably not consider attempting a complicated project as decorating a wedding cakes. If you have followed he simple steps in border work and flower technique you should realize by now that all these simplified designs may be easily used for a wedding cake. You can decorate your wedding cakes as completely and as beautifully as the ones shown here by following the instructions given in the previous chapters. All of our cakes illustrated on the following pages are iced in either buttercream or poured with a fondant. Most of the decorating is done in boiled icing. A few have been done in buttercream. The ingredients used in a wedding cake can be your own favorite mix or one of the many ready-mixes. We prefer a very light mix. Each tier is normally baked in three layers with buttercream between each layer. Each tier is iced sepa-rately and placed upon the preceding tier, The old idea of decorating a wedding cake entirely in white icing is giving way to the use of pastels. Depend-ing on the colors the bride or attendants are wearing, the same pastel colors can be worked into the wedding cake design.

VALENTINE'S DAY WEDDING

Those are a three-tiered wedding cakes made from a 12, 10 and a 6 inch cake. Each tier is made up of 3 layers and was iced in a white icing. Very simple borders were used to decorate this cake and are illustrated in steps under Border Work. An interesting idea that may be carried out here is to have your florist make up 3 dainty nosegays. They are placed on the side of the cake between the first and second tier. Your florist may also prepare the white heart with ruffled netting, tiny pink roses worked around either side of the heart. After placing this on the top tier with royal icing, small icing flowers are worked around the base. The candle holders were made by placing two large candles in a regular candle holder, the smaller the better. These are placed on a sheet of waxed paper and covered with royal icing. Small tea roses which have been made up ahead of time and allowed to dry are then placed on this mound of icing. A small green stem is worked around the candle and tiny rose buds are placed on the stem.

SWEET PEA BOUQUET

Those are a 10 inch and a 6 inch wedding cakes. Each cake is made up of three layers. The cake was iced in a white boiled icing. A spatula knife dipped into warm water was used to get a smooth finish in the icing. White ribbon with pink netting were ruffled and stuck to a cake tray. The cake was then placed on the ruffled edging. A large star tube with a delicate pink icing was used to trim all of the borders illustrated in this picture. The bottom border is a simple series of back and forth movements as you continue around the cake. The next borcjer is a simple rosette with a silver dragee placed in the center. The inside border, at the bottom of the 6 inch layer, is made by simply squeezing and stopping as you move away from the cake. The side border on the top tier was made by a simple series of squeezing and stopping. These tiny individual stars are placed into a drop design. The top border is made using the same tube in a series of small back and forth movements as you move around the cake. The sweet pea bouquets may be made up ahead of time. After drying they are placed on the cake by adding a small amount of icing and placing in position.

The sweet peas were made on a sheet of waxed paper in pink and white royal icing. After drying they are placed in the center of a small circle of ruffled pink netting.

A small curve of wire was used to form the arch over the bride and groom. The wire is placed flat on waxed paper and covered with royal icing. The ruffled netting is then stuck to the royal icing. After this dries, it is placed in an upright position over the bride and groom, Using royal icing for the base, tiny rosebuds may be worked around the archway.

LILY OF THE VALLEY WEDDING CAKE

The unique thing about those wedding cakes is the tiered arrangement. Realizing that the average house wife does not have large pans needed for a big wedding cakes, the following procedure may be followed. Three 8 inch layer cakes are used for the base tier. A 10 inch cake is then placed on top of these. The last tier is made from a 6 inch cake. Each tier is made up of three layers. Because all of these borders are illustrated and explained in detail under Border Work, we will not go into detail on the various borders; but you will notice they are all simple. The flowers used for this cake are chrysanthemums and are made up ahead of time with a No. 16 tube using royal icing. The ribbon and netting may be ruffled together and stitched with needle and thread. After putting the ribbon into position, a small mound of icing is piped on and the bouquet of flowers is then worked in. A small opening may be cut into the top tier of your cake large enough to insert a narrow glass, Using this glass, your florist may furnish you with the necessary amount of flowers and the illustrated floral arrangement may be copied.

FLORAL BOUQUET

All the borders on this cake were made with a No. 30 tube. The tube is held at a slight angle on the edge of the cake, and simply by squeezing and relaxing pressure as you move away a star like drop is formed. This procedure is continued around the entire edge of the cake as illustrated. The tiny drop flowers were made up ahead of time on waxed paper in pastel pink royal icing. Starting at the bottom tier, small mounds of icing are piped around the side of the cake to simulate a draped effect. The drop flowers which have been made up beforehand are then placed on the mound of icing. These should start out small and gradually build up and then diminish in width as you come back up to the cake edge. Pastel green leaves are worked around into the flower garland to cover up any rough edges. At the base of the next tier, six small mounds of icing are piped on the cake. Pastel green stems and leaves are then worked from the mound. Using the same pastel pink drop flowers, the mound is then covered to simulate a bouquet. The flowers for the top piece are pink and white mums. These were made from royal icing using a No. 16 tube and a nail covered with a square of waxed paper. This entire top piece may be made up in advance and placed on the cake after decorating. Using this method the bride may slip a spatula knife underneath and slip it off and save it for a keepsake.

A small cardboard circle is used for the base. A mound of icing is piped in the center of the cardboard circle approximately 21/2 inches high. The flowers are then placed into position using the colors and sizes to give the top piece a natural life-like effect. Pastel green leaves were then worked around the flowers.
This is a two-tiered cake. Each tier being made up of three layers. The first tier has a diameter of 10 inches and the second has a diameter of 6 inches.

SQUARED BASE WITH DOUBLE RINGED TOP

This is a 12 inch square base, a 10 inch round, and a  6 inch round. Each tier is made up of three layers. The border work is illustrated in steps under Cake Borders. After the borders are completed, the cake is decorated with tiny pink drop flowers which were made from royal icing using the No. 30 star tube. These are made up on waxed paper and allowed to dry. The comers of the bottom tier were decorated with small ruffles of pink netting. A small mound of icing is then piped in the corner and draped down over the side of the cake. This is covered with tiny pink drop flowers and green leaves. The double wedding ring may be made by your florist to carry out any particular flower arrangement that you desire.

"SWEET SUE" CAKE

Featuring a large tilted bell. A simple shell border, double dropped string border, lattice scallop border, fluted garland border, colonial scroll border and re- verse shell border decorate this little beauty. Dainty pink roses between the two tiers and tiny clusters of sweetpeas around the bell give a fantasia-like appearance.

ROSE BOUQUET

A four tiered wedding cakes with a double wedding ring top piece. The unique and unusual idea on this cake is the use of roses starting at the base and winding up around the cake. These roses are made up ahead of time and placed on the cake after they dry.

GOOD LUCK WEDDING CAKE

A full garland border with fluted edge and lattice work make up the base of those wedding cakes. A large rose vine and buds were worked around on the bottom tier. The sugar bells are dipped in silver dragees. The horseshoe top piece (of gumpaste) completes this lovely design.

DOUBLE WEDDING RING

These two ring cakes were iced with a fine layer of buttercream and then covered by pouring fondant over the entire cake. One small tipped bell covered with silver dragees was placed in the center of each ring. The bride and groom are placed in the middle with a bouquet of roses and lilies of the valley working around the sides of the cakes. Two dainty love birds were piped in front of each ring completing the double wedding ring cake.

DOUBLE HEART CAKE

Two heart wedding cakes were placed side by side and trimmed with a simple shell border using the No. 30 star tube. Two dainty slippers of sugar are filled with tiny rosebuds and placed on top of the two heart cakes. The cake top was then finished off with a spray of small pink roses with lilies of the valley in the background.

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