How to decorate and assemble a wedding cake 1. Make all layers of the cake in advance. Trim layers and brush each so there are no crumbs. Layers can be made two days in advance and refrigerated, or earlier and frozen. Wrap extremely well in single layers, using plastic wrap. When ready to frost the cake, thaw all layers in their wrapping. If the cakes are slightly cold, the icing will set better. 2. Cut cardboard rounds the same size as exactly as each of cake. 3. Have an empty space in the refrigerator ready so layers can be chilled while you are decorating the cake. This is especially important in warm weather. In any event, the cake will need a very large space in the refrigerator where it can be kept until serving time. Cakes frosted with meringue buttercream do not sit well out of refrigeration. 4. Make the icing one batch at a time. The first batch will be for the undercoating and successive batches will be used for actual decoration. 5. Undercoat each layer with an even, thin layer of white (or chocolate) icing. Refrigerate each layer after coating. 6. Decorate one layer at a time. Decorate first the sides and then the edges. 7. To stack the layers atop one another, cut wooden chopsticks or heavy plastic straws 1/2 inch longer than the thickness of each layer (if spaces are desired, or the exact size if no spaces are wanted.) Insert seven or eight chopsticks 1/2 inch from the perimeter of each layer so the next layer will sit atop supports. The small space between the layers prevents the icing from being damaged and also provides a place to insert the flowers without sticking them to the cake. To make sure the layers do not move once they are stacked, put a long bamboo skewer down through the middle of the entire cake. This locks the layers together. 8. To move the cake from one location to another, either carry the layers separately, on large trays and assemble the cake where it is going to be served, or completely assemble it, refrigerate it until it is very cold, then place in a large packing box. Cut one side of the box down and slide the cake into the box. The side can be taped back in place and the top of the box secured with tape. If the weather is very hot, you can line a shipping cartoon with 1-inch-thick sheets of Styrofoam and use this insulated box to carry and store the cake until it is to be served. 9. Always take a repair kit to the place where the cake is to be served to fix any disturbed frosting and decoration. Garnish the cake with flowers right before it is to be put on view. Flowers should be kept in water up until the time the cake is to be decorated.
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