A Roundup of RHC Wedding Cakes

For the grand finale of the second round of the RHC bake-through, Jenn gave us the option of baking any of the wedding cakes in the book. At first I think many of us were wondering how to gather 100-150 people to eat a three-tier wedding cake, but later Jenn specified we could bake any one of the three layers.

I think this will be the first and last time I will lazily point to my previous efforts in this category, instead of skipping the week altogether or baking something new. I hope you will forgive me for simply doing a round-up.

DEEP CHOCOLATE PASSION WEDDING CAKE

I made the 9-inch version of this cake for my friend Brains' birthday in April 2010. The only modification I made was to use my favorite raspberry ganache instead of the regular ganache called for in the recipe. My lacquer glaze was a bit thick when I poured it over the cake, so I needed to smooth it out with an offset spatula. Brains waxed poetic about the lacquer glaze, and loved the contrast between the milk chocolaty insides and the dark chocolaty outsides.

GOLDEN DREAM WEDDING CAKE

This is the 12 inch tier of the Golden Dream Wedding Cake, for the bottom tier of Sam and Andrea's wedding cake this past July 2011. This is when I finally accepted that my little 4 quart KitchenAid cannot successfully mix the batter for a two layer, 12 inch cake. Although I filled the cake with the White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream called for in the recipe, I frosted with Italian Meringue Buttercream. People were initially hesitant about this cake layer, but once they tried it they loved it! I got asked if I was single and hitting the after party after one guy tried this layer, and one of the photographers exclaimed, "how can it be so dense and yet so light?!" I know, how does Rose do it?

I also made the 6 inch layer of the Deep Chocolate Passion Wedding Cake--but filled it with Midnight Ganache and frosted with Italian Meringue Buttercream.

I have had a wonderful two years participating in this bake-through. The techniques I have learned, the complicated cakes I never would have attempted have made me a better and more confident baker. Most enjoyable, however, was sharing this journey with so many amazing bakers. I have loved looking at and reading about all of our adventures in heavenly cake baking--our beautiful successes, our brilliant modifications, and our witty write-ups. We've watched kitchen remodels, babies grow into children, couples get engaged and married, and it wouldn't have happened without Rose, Marie, and Jenn. Virtual cakey hugs to you all--see you for Rose's Baking Bible bake-through!

(If you, like me, feel this is such an anti-climatic way to go out, don't worry. I still have THREE cakes left in Rose's Heavenly Cakes, and I will finish! I promise!)