Preserving Your Wedding Cake
At $3 to $16 per slice, wedding cakes are one of the more expensive parts of a wedding ceremony (on a per-inch basis, that is). And unlike other cakes, this one is designed to endure several hours of abuse: photographs, long periods of sitting out in room temperatures, being smeared on the couple’s faces, etc. Add to that the fact that most couples like to hold onto part of the cake as a keepsake….and you quickly see that it’s important that you learn how to preserve your wedding cake. Here are some suggestions for doing so:
* Obviously, you should keep the cake refrigerated for as long as possible.
* Consider using a tiered cake stand rather than a multi-stacked-layer cake. These layers can sink into one another if sitting out for more than a few minutes.
* Never use chocolate, mousse or butter cream frostings for outside weddings, as they melt faster than other choices in the sun.
* Also for outside weddings don’t put the cake in an open area. A sudden wind will topple a tall, layered cake. Or the tablecloth might blow upwards onto the cake, spoiling the design.
* As to preserving the cake for a long-term memento, here’s how to do so: Ask someone you trust to take the top layer home. First, this layer should be placed into the freezer immediately to harden the icing. In one to two hours, the cake should be frozen. The cake should then be loosely wrapped in plastic several times and placed into a cake box. The cake box should also be wrapped in plastic, and then placed into the freezer. This will preserve the taste and texture of the cake.
A word of caution: never keep the cake in a frost-free freezer, because the constant defrosting will draw the moisture out of the cake. If you are moving within the year, leave the cake with a family member or friend’s freezer after the wedding to avoid moving the cake before your anniversary. When you are prepared to eat your cake on your anniversary, remove the cake from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator for 48 hours, then place at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Your cake will be as beautiful (and tasty) as the day of your wedding!