anyone make wedding cakes?

[isaac]

so my friend is getting married... she asked if i could do her wedding cake. i have it all planed out. she wants it to be drapped in fondant. i know i need a pound cake but i am not sure if i should use an old recipe for pound cake or not. i know that pound cake can be dry.. at least that is what i remember when i was in school.

is a pound cake a good type of cake to use if i need to drape it with fondant?

can anyone recomend a good pound cake?

also, i was wondering how i go about figuaring out how much cake batter i will need for each tier. is there liek a rule of thumb... how much batter per inch?

thanks.

[LotusCakeStudio]

Fondant covered cakes don't need to be poundcake. I cover the light fluffy type cakes in it with no problem. Go with whatever flavor the bride wants and also whatever is within your capability. How much batter you use depends on how many layers per tier and how tall you want each tier to be. Four inches total is a good height, but if she wants a certain type of decoration on the side, it may look better on a 5 or 6"+ cake. I dunno what kind of pound cake you made in school, but when I think of pound cake, I think of something buttery and dense, yet with a fine crumb, and very moist. I'll dig up some recipes I have, but I'm sure someone will beat me to it by the time I find them.

[momoreg]

Pound cake is fine to use, but as Lotus said, you can use any kind of soft sponge cake. Pound cake, when baked in large pans, can end up dry, so if you have the choice, go for a moister, lighter cake.

[isaac]

i guess i always had the misconception that if you were goign to use rolled fondant then you needed a heavier cake liek a pound cake for stability.

do you recomend icing it with buttercream first and the ndraping the fondant over it?

[Spoons]

I use soft moist butter cakes and also chiffon cakes.
Yes, ice it with a thin layer of buttercream, chill cake to firm, then drape it with fondant. Fondant needs to adhere to something.

[Anna W.]

The reason you may have thought that you needed a pound cake was because of the weight....traditionally, in Europe and Australia, they cover thier cakes with fondant that is 1/2" thick. You definitely don't need it that thick and so it saves on the weight.

[panini]

isaac,
Is this a good friend? If so, you might want to consider having someone who specializes in wedding cakes do her cake and maybe do something else in the way of food that your really good at. I appologize in advance if you have experience, but I can't tell you the number of times I've been called by chef friends at the last minute because they have promised a cake and have gotten overwhelmed. A tray of handmade chocolates on each table or as favors is just as personal as a cake. Just a thought, definately not a slam.
jeff