Recipes for a wedding cake take center stage with choices of traditional white cake, decadent chocolate, or exotic lemon mousse. Choose the recipe that you like best for a wonderful masterpiece to show off at your wedding reception.
Traditional White Wedding Cake
If you're having a traditional white wedding, make this white wedding cake to accompany it. This is a very dense cake, perfect for decorating with columns or lifts.
The recipe makes a three-tiered cake with 6-, 7- and 10-inch layers. Consider decorating it with pure white fondant.
Ingredients
- 6 cups sifted cake flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 cups butter, softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 12 egg whites
Instructions
- Sift together the cake flour and baking powder.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a separate bowl.
- Add the milk and vanilla extract to the butter mixture.
- Slowly add the cake flour to the butter mixture, beating well until fully incorporated.
- Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks in a separate bowl.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, mixing gently with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Pour the batter into 6-, 7- and 10-inch prepared cake pans.
- Bake the pans at 325 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, with only a few crumbs holding. It is easy to over bake this cake; check frequently and remove just before the toothpick pulls out completely clean.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from the cake pans and assembling.
Chocolate Cake Recipe
The combination of chocolate with vanilla frosting is a popular wedding cake flavor. This combination gives guests the taste of a rich devil's food, but with the appearance of a white cake. Add a burst of flavor with either a rich chocolate or berry filling.
This recipe makes two 10-inch layers.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1-1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
- 3 cups sugar
- 2-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
- 1-1/2 cups sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon King Arthur black cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Place the chocolate pieces in a large bowl and pour the hot coffee over them. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Sift together the sugar, cake flower, cocoa powders, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl until lemon colored and smooth.
- Slowly add the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and chocolate mixture to the eggs and beat well.
- Add the sugar mixture to the egg mixture and beat thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl periodically.
- Pour the batter into two prepared 10-inch cake pans and bake at 300 degrees for approximately one hour.
- Allow to cool completely before turning out of pans and assembling.
- The cake layers may be made a day ahead of time and wrapped in plastic; the chocolate taste intensifies when allowed to sit for 24 hours before eating.
Lemon Mousse Cake
Lemon is a more exotic flavor for wedding cakes that is beginning to gain in appeal. Assemble this light cake with lemon curd and lemon mousse as fillings and top with a buttercream frosting.
The recipe makes a three-tiered cake with 12-, 9- and 6-inch layers.
Ingredients
- 11 cups sifted cake flour
- 11 teaspoons baking powder
- 2-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6-1/2 cups sugar
- 1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 2-1/2 cups egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Combine the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a second bowl.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the oil to the butter mixture and mix well.
- Combine the butter mixture with the flour mixture and beat well to combine.
- Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a separate bowl until the egg whites begin to hold their peaks.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the batter and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for approximately one hour and 25 minutes or until the centers are set.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from pans and assembling.
Marble Cake Recipe
Marble cakes are a blending of two flavors, and this compromise can symbolize marriage. Fill this rich cake with chocolate cream and top with vanilla fondant.
The recipe makes a three-tiered cake with 10-, 8- and 5-inch layers.
Ingredients
- 4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 7 cups sifted cake flour
- 8 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1-1/3 cups milk, room temperature
- 1-1/3 cups heavy cream, room temperature
- 4 cups sugar
- 12 large eggs
- 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1-1/3 cup best-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup boiling water
- 8 tablespoons instant espresso powder
Instructions
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
- Combine the milk and cream in a small bowl. Whisk well and set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
- Add in vanilla.
- Alternately add the flour and milk mixture to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Combine the cocoa powder, water, and espresso powder in a separate bowl.
- Add three cups of batter to the cocoa mixture and stir well to combine.
- Spoon the vanilla and chocolate batters in a checkerboard pattern into the prepared cake pans.
- Swirl the batters together with a butter knife to marbleize.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until set in the centers.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from pans and assembling.
Create the Wedding Cake of Your Dreams
Making your own wedding cake can be a wonderful way to bring a personal touch to the reception. Try any of these decadent recipes and start your new life off sweetly.
