Tiered sponge cake

Sarah1991

Hi i'm hoping someone could help me. I've been asked to make a tiered sponge cake for a friends wedding. Would it be ok to just stack them on top of each other or would I need to use dowels?
I've never used dowels before so not sure how many I would need for a 10", 8" and 6"?
Thanks in advance!! 😊

phormium

Are you talking about one of the 'naked cakes' that are becoming popular?

You will most definitely need to dowel a three tier cake, cake cards inbetween tiers as well, depending on the size dowels you are using you will need at least four for the lower tiers. How many layers in each cake and what filling?

Not sure if you are HSE registered etc but if not make sure your friend checks with venue as some won't serve cake not made in registered premises. I know of one hotel that will display it alright but boxes it up and hands it back next day, others are fine with chocolate biscuit cake and fruit cake but won't serve sponge especially if there is any high risk ingredient such as fresh cream or cream cheese.

These naked cakes are tricky

SparkySpitfire

phormium wrote: »

Are you talking about one of the 'naked cakes' that are becoming popular?

You will most definitely need to dowel a three tier cake, cake cards inbetween tiers as well, depending on the size dowels you are using you will need at least four for the lower tiers. How many layers in each cake and what filling?

Not sure if you are HSE registered etc but if not make sure your friend checks with venue as some won't serve cake not made in registered premises. I know of one hotel that will display it alright but boxes it up and hands it back next day, others are fine with chocolate biscuit cake and fruit cake but won't serve sponge especially if there is any high risk ingredient such as fresh cream or cream cheese.

These naked cakes are tricky

Not disputing - genuinely curious - why would they refuse to let people in it if it's obvious they had no hand in making it? How would they be liable for blame?

phormium

CYA, a lot of places like restaurants etc won't allow in things like birthday cakes that they didn't make especially if coming from unregistered sources. IF someone were to get ill it is hard to prove was it the meal or the cake, the venue is likely to be blamed, bad publicity and/or compo claims. It is not as far fetched as it seems, everyone is Cake Boss these days without knowing all the ins and outs of good food hygiene and storage. Cream cheese is a classic example, people assume this is fine out of the fridge because there are carrot cakes with 'cream cheese' frosting sitting out in shops all over the country. But these are manufactured icings with artificial flavourings and no hint of real cream cheese but make the real thing with actual cream cheese and it must be refrigerated under regulations.

Imagine a wedding cake especially if covered in fondant it cannot be refrigerated as it will destroy the icing, that cake will have been made and filled at least two days before wedding to allow for decorating, then it will be sitting on display in a warm room from approx lunchtime to late evening before being eventually served at maybe 12 at night. Once you know what you are doing that's no problem, but what if someone doing a favour for a friend who likes cream cheese frosting decides to fill it with a nice home made icing containing real cream cheese. That then becomes a very risky product after being unrefrigerated for a substantial length of time, there is in fact an ongoing case at the moment where exactly that happened. The reason they are more easygoing with chocolate biscuit cake and fruit cake is that it is very hard to make them go off, they have a very long shelf life, nothing in chocolate biscuit to go off quickly and fruit cake lasts years!

Hotels won't risk their reputation and their insurance policy, at least if the cake has come from a registered and insured source it gives them some security. In fact a lot of hotels also freeze a sample of anything brought in like this in case it is needed for further investigation.

And finally there are now very strict guidelines regarding allergens, all food being provided to a venue such as wedding cake has to come with a list of allergens so the hotel can pass on the info to any customers with allergies who want it.

Sorry for the essay but you did ask

SparkySpitfire

phormium wrote: »

IF someone were to get ill it is hard to prove was it the meal or the cake, the venue is likely to be blamed, bad publicity and/or compo claims.

That makes perfect sense, and thanks for the explanation.

Does make me think we're living in a mad world these days though, I find it all a bit sad really.

phormium

It is a bit sad really, I think it was a lovely tradition for the mother of the bride or family member to make the cake but these were all fruit cakes in the past so less risk. Now we have a combination of a nanny state plus a compo culture, throw in internet/youtube knowledge rather than solid catering experience, recipe for disaster!

Bored_lad

Yes your definitely going to need dowels and cardboard cake boards between each layer. As for the number of dowels it depends on the type of cake number of layers and filling.

Also as said above check with the hotel to see if they are willing to serve the cakes as many won't serve them unless they are from HSE approved places due to the risk of food poisoning etc.

Also for the filling what where you planning to use because anything such as whipped cream or cream cheese won't be suitable due to having to make the cake around 2 days before the wedding to allow time for decorating etc.

Lastly I don't mean to sound rude but have you made a tiered cake before and done fondant decorations for wedding cakes such as detailed flowers because if you haven't its not going to be easy and probably not look the best.

Sarah1991

Thanks for your replies! Sorry I should have mentioned its a low key small wedding reception not in a hotel. They have just asked for a simple fresh cream sponge cake so I thankfully don't need to worry about decorating it!!
I'll defo buy dowels for it now.
Thanks for your help! Hopefully it turns out ok now
.

toadfly

As above you can't use fresh cream in it. They will have to do with buttercream.

hdowney

If you make it the morning of you 'possibly' make it with fresh cream depending on how many hours it is going to sit out in a warm room before cutting. Perhaps best to just tell them it is too dangerous and go with buttercream or similar instead. You can still do jammy fillings with buttercream.

Sarah1991

I was planning on making it that morning and leaving it in the fridge at the reception(the reception is in her relative's house so I've checked if I can leave it in the fridge) and then just bring it out when they're ready to cut it. Would that work? Or would buttercream be best?

phormium

It would work provided they have sufficient room in the fridge, you'll need a good bit for 3 cakes or heightwise if it is already stacked going in to fridge. There is nothing as nice as sponge with cream, buttercream is not half as nice but necessary if the cake can't be kept refrigerated.

toadfly

Would the sponge not go soggy in the fridge?

Bored_lad

Op making a tiered cake on the morning if the wedding probably isn't going to work as the cakes will have to be made baked cooled fully then filled and cooled and stacked. You will also have to find time yourself to get ready.

Also if you want to put it in the fridge you'll need to make sure there is enough space in the fridge for the cake and also remember that you will need to remember to take the cake out of the fridge a while before serving to allow the cake to come up to room temp as you can't serve cake just out of the fridge.

Lastly assuming its going to be a naked cake you will probably be decorating the cake with fresh flowers like most naked cakes. Well if you are just remember you can't just go off and stick random flowers into the cake as it isn't safe.

phormium

Can you make it the day before? What sort of sponge recipe are you using, whisked fatless type or Victoria sponge type. One with fat would be fine made the day before and filled on the morning of the wedding. It could then be refrigerated and taken out shortly before serving.

It won't go soggy, all fresh cream cakes are kept refrigerated and will be fine served cold, a victoria sponge would benefit from being slightly back up in temperature as the butter can cause a more solid cake when cold, not as spongy as you might like.

A genoese sponge would be my choice for something like this, make day before, wrap in clingfilm when cold, fill on morning of wedding and refrigerate until serving.