5-Tier Black and White Damask Cake

Brittany had always dreamed of having a large wedding cake even though she technically didn't need that many servings of cake. She also thought a black and white damask pattern would be a beautiful design for the cake along with some fresh, deep red roses to top it all off. The cake was massive, especially with the 6 or 7 inch tall base on which it sits and so I think Brittany and I both agreed that we needed to keep the design heavy on some tiers and not on others.

I get a lot of questions about how to do stenciling. In order to do the stenciling on this cake, I did a lot of praying :) That's the key! haha. Actually, I had the cakes covered in homemade marshmallow fondant, then I used black buttercream as my "paint." I held the stencil up against one side. I used a paint brush to "paint" the black buttercream all over the stencil, being extra careful to not let the buttercream seep out of the edges of the stencil. I used a straightedge to scrape the side of the stencil in order to gather the excess and to give it a smooth look. This is when the praying comes in. I gently pulled the stencil away from the cake and hoped for the best. I have to say, I was VERY anxious when I applied the first stencil but wouldn't you know it, it came off beautiful, no smudges, no errors, no problems to fix. Yay! One down, 26 stencil jobs to go (there were four sides for four tiers and then the middle tier had three separate stencils for each side). Phew! In the end, I was so happy with the outcome that I actually carried the cake to my man-friend for him to see if (yes, I usually just ask him to come see it but I was OVERLY excited that I wanted to carry it to him!).

Now on to the flavors. The couple chose Ruby Red Velvet Cake (Red velvet cake layered with cream cheese frosting) and White Raspberry Kiss Cake (white chocolate cake layered with raspberry cream filling and rich white chocolate ganache). I love how The Gathering Place at Gardner Village set up the cake table against this beautiful backdrop with the great lighting here making the cake a focal point at the reception.

I wrote this next part for the last post I made about Brittany and Spencer's golf groom's cake and wanted to add it here because I was so pleased with the venue...

"I have a take a second and talk about Brittany & Spencer's venue, The Gathering Place at Gardner Village in West Jordan. I have visited the location several times in the past but never at night when it was set up for a wedding. Oh my gosh. I walked in with the wedding cake and it was absolutely magical! As you walk in the giant doors, you see a breathtaking fire place that sets up the feel of rustic and warm venue. The ceremony was held right next door to the reception site which was so convenient for the wedding guests. I walked into the main reception area that was decorated with the bride and groom's wedding colors and I was totally wowed. I've delivered quite a few wedding cakes in my time and this venue was one that I left saying, "wow, I would totally get married there!" The room was large but not overly large so that guests would feel lost. It had a cozy and warm feel, especially with the white, black, and deep red color scheme. I wanted to stick around after delivering the cake because it was so inviting! I just have to say, well done, Charlotte & Shauna! The Gathering Place is truly amazing!"