How To Icing Mini Wedding Cakes

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Here you'll find a total recipe and cake decorating video tutorial for a DIY bootleg wedding cake. This merely decorated and elegant vanilla nuptials cake has ii tiers and comes with full assembly instructions. With the help of this carefully detailed post, this hymeneals cake recipe is perfectly manageable for any dwelling house baker.

By the request of many readers, let me present y'all with a homemade 2 tier wedding ceremony cake recipe. Adapted from my trusted vanilla cake and half dozen inch cake recipes, this from-scratch nuptials dessert is not simply beautiful– it tastes remarkable, also.

(Isn't that what counts?)

Fully equipped with complete details and recipe instructions to make this i-of-a-kind dessert, you will wow the happy couple and wedding guests alike. This post has information technology all.

This DIY Homemade Wedding Block Is:

Completely from-scratch
Manageable for any home baker
Simple, nonetheless elegant– rustic chic meets traditional
Consummate with a full list of helpful kitchen tools
Perfect for a small wedding (approximately thirty-35 people)
Wonderful for a larger wedding if other dessert options are available

How to Make a DIY Homemade Wedding Block

This is a 2 tier wedding ceremony block. Both tiers are buttery, soft, and moist. In lieu of traditional fondant, this homemade wedding cake recipe uses my vanilla buttercream, but in a college quantity. To avoid (i) overwhelming your mixer with excess cake batter and (two) over-mixing or under-mixing the batter, make each block separately.

Make each batch of frosting separately too.

Unless you have extra oven(s) or oven infinite, prepare the block batters and bake the layer cakes one at a time. Cool the cakes completely before assembling and decorating, which I cover in a separate department beneath.

Aforementioned Ingredients for Both Tiers

Both cakes utilise the aforementioned exact ingredients and each has a special task, then I do non recommend substitutions. Apply carbohydrate, cake flour, egg(s), actress egg whites, sour foam, whole milk, and proper room temperature butter. (Amidst a few other ingredients.) If needed, apply this cake flour substitute. Here are recipes that apply leftover egg yolks.

2-three batches of lemon curd, which uses egg yolks, would be fantastic as a filling between these cake layers.

The lesser cake is my vanilla cake recipe, but I swap buttermilk for whole milk and sour foam. I practice this so you don't need any varying ingredients for both tiers. (Considering the superlative tier uses whole milk and sour cream.) Sure, you could use buttermilk to replace both the whole milk and sour cream in the 6 inch cake, simply whole milk and sour cream are more readily available to most than buttermilk.

Other Flavor Options

This is vanilla flavored, which is a classic pick to please a diverseness of wedding ceremony guests. You tin can accept fun with frostings, fillings, and flavorings. Here are v other block season options:

Carrot Cake: Utilize my carrot cake recipe for the lesser tier and brand a half batch of the batter for the meridian tier. Use the same 6 inch block blistering instructions described beneath.
Ruby Velvet Cake: Use my ruddy velvet block recipe for the bottom tier. You can divide betwixt three 9-inch cake pans every bit instructed in the recipe notes. Employ my red velvet cupcakes batter for the 6 inch block. Use the same 6 inch cake baking instructions described beneath.
Lemon Cake: Employ my lemon block recipe for the lesser tier. Employ my lemon cupcakes concoction for the 6 inch cake. Employ the same 6 inch cake baking instructions described below.
Marble Block: Use my zebra block for the bottom tier. Utilise my smaller zebra cake recipe (see this 1st altogether cake) for the half-dozen inch cake on top.
Chocolate Chip: After calculation the milk in both batters, fold 1 and one/2 cups (270g) mini chocolate chips into the 9-inch vanilla block concoction and 1 loving cup (180g) of mini chocolate fries into the half-dozen-inch vanilla cake batter. Regular size chocolate chips would exist fine, merely mini chocolate fries mean more in each bite.

*These are the only flavors I've tested with tiers. At this time, I don't have a sturdy plenty chocolate version to use as the bottom tier.

Want to mix and lucifer flavors? Stick with the vanilla cake on the bottom (or other flavors listed above) and employ any cupcake recipes listed in my 6 inch cakes post for the top tier. As explained in that mail, cupcake batter yielding betwixt 12-xv cupcakes makes the perfect three layer six inch cake.

Filling ideas: The filling in my cake is vanilla buttercream, but feel free to use other frosting flavors if desired. You can add extracts to the frosting such as almond, lemon, orange, or kokosnoot. (Start with 1 teaspoon, taste, and so add more to taste.) Y'all tin can even mix a few Tablespoons of raspberry jam into the vanilla buttercream for the filling.

The 6-inch cake batter (left higher up) is light and creamy. The nine-inch cake batter (right above) is thicker because the bottom tier is a flake denser (for extra back up).

Prepare the Hymeneals Block Pans

Set up the block pans by lightly spraying the bottoms and sides of each with nonstick spray or greasing with butter. Add a parchment paper round, and then grease the round likewise. Parchment paper rounds aren't something special you demand to buy. Only trace the bottom of your block pan on regular parchment paper and cut into rounds. Parchment paper rounds guarantee the cooled cakes will seamlessly release from the pans.

See my x Baking Tips for Perfect Cakes for all my advice on blistering the BEST cakes.

Other Cake Pan Sizes

This recipe uses one ix-inch 3 layer block and one 6-inch 3 layer block. The 9-inch cake is eight-9 cups of batter and the six-inch block is 4 cups of batter. If you demand to substitute other size cake pans, see my Block Pan Sizes & Conversions post to determine the appropriate corporeality of batter you lot need for your desired cake pans.

Hymeneals Block Video Tutorial (Decorating)

Give the video a few seconds to load right below this text. Information technology's a faded horizontal image of the cake. Click on the play push button in the eye to play information technology. Make sure any ad blockers are temporarily paused on your browser.

How to Assemble & Decorate a Bootleg Wedding Block

Assembling

You are literally making 2 completely separate cakes and placing 1 on top of the other. For guaranteed back up and stability, place four cake dowels in the bottom tier. Cake dowels are sticks that will support the top tier. You'll have to mensurate and cut the dowels then they are flush with the surface of the bottom cake. Identify the small-scale tier on top. A vi inch cake lath, which I describe next, is crucial between the tiers for added support.

*As shown in the video tutorial, crumb coat and decorate both cakes separately before layering the tiers. Decorating instructions are next.

Decorating

Decorate both tiers on cake boards. You lot tin remove the cake lath from the lesser tier, if desired, before placing the block onto a serving platter or cake stand. (This can exist tricky!) Still, I usually just leave it. A piped frosting edge around the bottom of the cake hides it. Practise non remove the cake board from the lesser of the top tier. The block board sits between both tiers for added back up and stability and ensures that when you cut into the top tier, the whole cake doesn't sink down.

A wedding cake is literally the dessert of a lifetime, so it shouldn't just taste great– it should look stunning, likewise. To reduce the possibility of flaws or mistakes, stick with uncomplicated decorating. A nibble coat on both tiers is necessary to protect the outer layer of frosting from communicable whatever crumbs.

What is a crumb coat? It's basically a very thin layer of frosting around the cake earlier the beautiful outside frosting is practical. You can see me crumb coating the cakes (as shown in the video tutorial, photos, and described in the recipe below), refrigerate the cakes to aid "set" the nibble coat.

Equally you can see in the video tutorial above, it's helpful to employ a bench scraper to apply the crumb coat and exterior frosting layer. In fact, I use a demote scraper for decorating all layer cakes. I also like to use an icing spatula for the tiptop of the cakes. (I employ a modest icing spatula for the small block and a large icing spatula for the large cake.)

Afterward crumb coating the cakes, they must be refrigerated to help "set" the nibble coat. This is some other reason why cake boards are necessary– to help transfer/transport the cakes around.

The textured look of the exterior frosting is very piece of cake. (A large shoutout to my assistant, Stephanie, for suggesting this look!) As shown in my video, utilise a pocket-sized icing spatula and run it around the cakes while spinning with the cake turner. Y'all will love this wait because it'southward very easy, merely resembles cute ruffles.

Piping

After placing the small tier on top, you tin pipe frosting around the lesser of information technology. This covers up any spaces or smears that may have appeared when arranging the peak tier. I pipe dots of frosting with a circular piping tip between the tiers as well as effectually the lesser of the whole cake. They resemble pretty pearls. To smooth any peaks on these "pearls," moisten your fingertip with h2o and gently press down on the peak.

More Decorating Inspiration

Naked Cake mode with flowers and berries
Buttercream Flowers
Two-Toned Frosting Roses

We'll utilise my vanilla buttercream recipe (an increased amount, of course) for the decoration. Make two split up batches of frosting, 1 batch for each tier. There'south as well much frosting for i batch– it volition overwhelm your mixer.

You need at to the lowest degree viii-nine cups of frosting full which includes the filling, crumb glaze, exterior ruffled frosting, and pipe. If y'all desire other flavors of frosting, be sure to find a recipe that yields or adapt to yield viii-nine cups.

How to Keep Air Bubbling Out of Your Buttercream

Over-whipping vanilla buttercream creates air bubbling. The taste is no different, but the buttercream is no longer smooth and velvety.

Here's how to get rid of air bubbles in your frosting: Ditch the mixer. Grab a wooden or metallic spoon and begin stirring the buttercream past hand. Mash the frosting up against the side of the bowl to "pop" the bubbles. Exercise this until most of the air bubbles pop, about i-2 minutes. This play a trick on requires a lot of arm muscle!

Recommended Special Tools

(Chapter links)

Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer )
Egg Separator
iii 9×2 inch Block Pans
three half dozen×2 inch Cake Pans
Cake Boards (I employ i 6 inch and i 10 inch. 9 inch works for the lesser cake, as well. Or purchase this fix which as well includes cake dowels.)
Cake Dowels (You need 4. You can use plastic block dowels too. Plastic dowels are easier to cut.)
Large Icing Spatula (for large cake)
Small Icing Spatula (for small cake and for ruffled edge)
Demote Scraper
Cake Turner
Piping Bag (dispensable or reusable)
Circular Piping Tip
Artificial Blossom Decor (I used "Cozy Blush" color. Love these!)
Large Serving Platter or Cake Stand (Pictured is a wooden cake stand up I found at Target last year.)

Clarification

This is a recipe for a completely homemade two tier wedding cake. For all-time taste and texture, and to avoid overwhelming your mixer, make each tier (block) and each batch of frosting separately.

9-Inch Bottom Tier

three and 2/3 cups (433g) cake flour (spoon & leveled)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
ane and 1/2 cups (3 sticks; 345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 loving cup south (400g)granulated sugar
3 largeeggs +two additionalegg whites, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
3/4 cup (180g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
3/iv cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature

vi-Inch Top Tier

ane and 3/4 cups (207g) cake flour (spoon & leveled)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/four teaspoon blistering soda
i/ii cup (1 stick; 115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
one cup (200g)granulated sugar
1 largeegg + ane additional egg white, at room temperature
2 teaspoonspure vanilla extract
i/2 cup (120g) full-fatsour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup (120ml)whole milk, at room temperature

Frosting for 9 inch cake & piping

2 cups (4 sticks; 460g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
eight cups (960g) confectioners' sugar
vi Tablespoons (90ml) whole milk or heavy foam
i and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Frosting for 6 inch cake

ane loving cup (2 sticks; 230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
iv –5 cups (480-600g)confectioners' sugar
1/iv cup (60ml)heavy creamorwhole milk
i teaspoon pure vanilla extract
salt, to taste

Before beginning this recipe, watch the video tutorial above, read the unabridged blog mail, read the recipe instructions, and review the recipe notes. Make sure you're prepared with the recommended special tools, which are listed right higher up this recipe.
Make each cake separately. Start with the lesser tier (9-inch cake). Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9×2 inch block pans, line with parchment paper, so grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.
Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and blistering soda together. Ready aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until polish and creamy, virtually 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and upward the bottom of the bowl with a condom spatula every bit needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, near 2 minutes. (Mixture will wait curdled every bit a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Shell in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and upward the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer yet running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not over-mix. Whisk it all by hand a few times to make certain there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will exist slightly thick. You'll have viii-9 cups of cake batter. Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 23-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's washed. Permit cakes to cool completely in the pans attack a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool earlier frosting and assembling.
Go on the oven on.
For the top tier (6-inch cake)prepare three 6×2 inch cake pans only as you did with the 9-inch cake pans in step two. (Greasing with parchment paper rounds.)
Gear up the six-inch cake batter the same exact way as the lesser tier. You'll have about 4 cups of block concoction. The batter will be thinner than the bottom tier'south cake batter. Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Counterbalance them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 18-22 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To exam for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the block. If information technology comes out clean, it's done. Permit cakes to absurd completely in the pans assail a wire rack. The cakes must be completely absurd earlier frosting and assembling.
Using a large serrated knife, slice a sparse layer off the tops of all the cakes to create a apartment surface. This is called leveling off the cakes. Discard the leveled off slice (or crumble over ice cream!).
Make the frosting for the ix inch cake (which is enough for the pipage particular, besides): In a large bowl using a paw-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle zipper, trounce the butter on medium speed until creamy, well-nigh 2 minutes. Add together confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla excerpt, and salt with the mixer running on depression. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add together more confectioners' saccharide if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra compression of salt if frosting is too sugariness.
You lot tin prepare the rest of the frosting now (step 11), if desired, or begin decorating the 9-inch tier. Identify your ix-10 inch cake board on your cake turner. Identify 1 cake layer on your cake board. Using a large icing spatula, evenly cover the elevation with a scant one and 1/2 cups of frosting. Superlative with 2nd cake layer and evenly comprehend the peak with a scant 1 and i/two cups of frosting. Top with the tertiary cake layer. Using about ane-1 and 1/four cups of frosting, spread it all over the acme and sides in a thin layer, also called a crumb coat. A large icing spatula and bench scraper are helpful for applying the crumb coat. Gear up leftover frosting aside at room temperature. If you lot are decorating this cake in stages over 1-2 days, cover and air-condition this leftover frosting.
Using the cake board to pick up the cake (be conscientious, it's heavy), place the cake in the fridge to assistance set the nibble coat as you piece of work on the acme tier.
Brand the frosting for the 6 inch cake, just every bit you prepared the 1st batch of frosting. (Step eight.) Earlier adding any common salt, gustation the frosting, and so add together a pinch if desired. I always add a small compression.
Identify your six-inch cake board on your cake turner. Identify ane half dozen-inch cake layer on your cake lath. Using a minor icing spatula, evenly embrace the height with a scant 3/four cup of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly comprehend the pinnacle with a scant iii/4 cup of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Using nearly iii/4 cup of frosting, spread information technology all over the top and sides in a thin layer, besides called a crumb glaze. A small icing spatula and bench scraper are helpful for applying the crumb coat. Set leftover frosting bated at room temperature. If you lot are decorating this cake in stages over 1-two days, cover and refrigerate this leftover frosting.
Using the cake board to pick upward the vi-inch cake, advisedly place the block in the fridge to assist prepare the crumb coat equally you lot work on the exterior frosting on the superlative tier.
Remove the lesser tier from the refrigerator (forth with the block board) and identify on the cake turner. Apply the remaining frosting for the bottom tier on the cake, reserving about 6-8 Tablespoons for piping detail. I recommend a large icing spatula and bench scraper to apply the outer layer of frosting. For the decorative textured frosting as pictured, see my video to a higher place. As shown in the video, employ a minor icing spatula and run it around the cake while spinning with the cake turner. Y'all volition honey this wait because it's very like shooting fish in a barrel, simply resembles beautiful ruffles. Carefully lift the block (with the block board) and place on your serving platter or cake stand.
Wash and dry 4 cake dowels. Measure the pinnacle of the bottom block. Measure and cutting the cake dowels to match. Staying within a 6 inch circle diameter (you lot can use another half-dozen inch cake board to "banner" a 6-inch circle in the very center of the top of the ix-inch cake), insert the dowels into the cake, spacing them most 2 inches apart to form 4 corners of a foursquare. Push button the dowels direct down until each touches the lesser block board. Set aside.
Remove the top tier from the refrigerator (along with the cake lath) and place on the cake turner. Decorate but equally you did the bottom tier, including the ruffled textured frosting. I also turn the cake on the cake turner and apply this ruffled look on elevation of the half dozen-inch cake, as well. This is optional. Along with the cake board, advisedly lift the small cake and gently place it in the very center of the bottom tier.
Piping: Afterwards placing the small tier on top, you can piping leftover frosting around the bottom of it. This covers up any spaces or smears that may have appeared when arranging the superlative tier. I pipe dots of frosting with Wilton piping tip #12 between the tiers as well equally around the lesser of the whole cake. They resemble pretty pearls. To smooth downward pointy peaks on these "pearls," moisten your fingertip with water and gently printing down on the peak.
Add whatever decorative pieces, such as artificial flowers.
Cake is best enjoyed within 3 days. Refrigerate block until ready to serve. After a few hours, the frosting will "set" and you can lightly cover with plastic wrap.
Cover whatever leftover cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 calendar week.

Notes

Make Alee & Freezing Instructions: Assembled cake is best enjoyed inside 3 days. Refrigerate assembled block until ready to serve. After a few hours, the frosting volition "set" and you can lightly embrace with plastic wrap until ready to display and serve. You can make the block ahead of time before assembling it, besides. The cake layers tin can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting tin can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit down at room temperature to slightly soften for 20 minutes before assembling and frosting. (You may demand to trounce the refrigerated frosting in the mixer for 1-2 minutes if it's peculiarly solid. Feel free to add a Tablespoon of milk or heavy cream to soften information technology upward every bit it mixes, as well.) Nibble-coated cakes tin can be frozen up to ii-3 months. Comprehend with ii layers of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. When ready, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Unfrosted cake layers can also exist frozen upwards to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions on freezing cake layers.
Cake Flour: If y'all can't get your hands on cake flour, apply this cake flour substitute.
More flavors, fillings, sizes, and decoration ideas: See blog mail service above.
Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature then the batters mix together easily and evenly. Read here for more data.

Keywords: hymeneals cake, layer cake, tiered cake, vanilla block