If you know how to bake a cake, you know how to make a wedding cake—but there's still pressure to get it right. With proper planning and some stress-relief tips, you can deliver the perfect wedding cake.
How to Bake a Homemade Wedding Cake
Published on May 16, 2025
When I was in high school, I worked at a popular cake boutique in town. Every Saturday morning, opulent, multi-tiered wedding cakes would emerge from the back, freshly decorated for their big debut.
Fast-forward 10 years, and the status quo has changed. Couples are opting for smaller weddings, or traditional ones with a twist. And the standard wedding cake was the first thing to go. Those tiered cakes I grew up seeing are a thing of the past. Instead, couples choose smaller, simpler cakes to accommodate their intimate parties, or they splurge on an extravagant dessert table.
The cakes are so stripped down that they no longer cost a fortune, and they’re a lot less work for the baker. That’s where friends of the couple come in. I’ve had the true honor, twice, of being asked to make the wedding cakes for my friends’ weddings. You might be in that same position now, too!
Yes, I went to culinary school, but I am no aficionado of fondant work or sugar flower-making. But that’s not what people want anymore. If you know how to bake a cake, you know how to make a wedding cake. It’s the same process, albeit a little more stressful. If you’re feeling it, fear not. We’re here to help.
Tips to Bake a Successful Wedding Cake
I’ve learned a lot about the process of making a wedding cake, and I’ve crafted this guide to set you up for success. These are my biggest takeaways and the steps I follow to reduce stress and perfectly execute a homemade wedding cake.
Consult with the couple
Before you do anything with the actual cake, set up a cake consultation with the couple—ideally months in advance. This is the time to talk about what the cake should look and taste like, and to discuss logistics for the big day. If you really want to go the extra mile, set up a mini cake tasting with different cake, filling and frosting flavors. But if that’s too much work, it’s totally not necessary.
Before the meeting, ask them to bring inspiration photos if they have a specific or loose vision for the cake. If they’re leaving that up to you, bring your own photos. Whether you provide ideas or not, you should definitely bring a notebook, pencil and the following questions:
- What do you have in mind for the cake’s look? Take a look at the inspiration photos and decide, together, on a design that fits their vision but is ultimately achievable for you. If something feels outside of your wheelhouse, tell them!
- What are the ideal cake flavors? Talk all things cake, filling and frosting here. They may already have an idea, but if not, suggest flavors you’ve made before so you know you can pull it off.
- How will the cake be displayed? I always like to decorate my cakes right on the serving platter or cake stand. If you feel the same way, ask the couple if they have a specific plate, platter or stand in mind. Otherwise, build the cake on a cake board so you can place it almost anywhere. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to take the cake off the board, and the cake will be cut on it.
- How big does the cake need to be? In other words, how many people will be eating the cake? Write down the number and get the right-sized cake pans for the job.
- Do you want a cake topper? Who will provide it? You might have gone over this already with the first question, but if not, ask now. Both of the wedding cakes I made had custom cake toppers, provided by the couple. One couple gave me the cake topper in advance so I could decorate around it, while the other couple wanted to add it at the last minute at the wedding, so I left space for it.
- Where, to whom and at what time should I deliver the cake? Logistics are so important. Do not wait to ask the couple for cake logistics the week before, day before or, even worse, the morning of the wedding. Knowing all of this beforehand allows you to prep and plan, which reduces stress in the long run. If you’re delivering it to someone specific at the venue, make sure to get their phone number ASAP.
- Does the venue allow outside food? This might be the most important question of all. You won’t be able to make the wedding cake if the venue does not allow outside food. I was supposed to make wedding cakes for both my sister and my cousin, but we found out (early, thankfully!) that neither venue allowed outside food and drinks.
Invest in the right equipment
Now that you’re armed with a cake flavor and cake design, use this time to invest in the right cake decorating supplies and frosting tools.
These are my absolute must-haves for decorating a cake. This isn’t an exhaustive list, though, especially since you may have a very specific design requirements, but it should get you started.
- Cake turntable: One of these will make frosting a cake so much easier. The turntable allows you to spin the cake as needed to frost it evenly.
- Mini offset spatula: A mini offset spatula is the only tool I use to fill and frost a cake. Its size offers control and precision for smooth sides or fun swirls.
- Bench scraper: Run a bench knife around the frosted cake to make sure the cake sides are as smooth and sharp as possible.
- Piping tips and bags: The couple might want some piping work on the cake. If so, invest in disposable or reusable piping bags, and make sure you have the right piping tips for the requested designs.
- Cake platter or cake stand: Refer to the couple’s wish for display. If they’re leaving it entirely up to you, use a plate or stand that you feel comfortable decorating on. I like to decorate right on the pretty cake platters and cake stands that I’ve thrifted over the years.
- Parchment paper: I love to lay down parchment in a windmill pattern underneath the bottom cake layer just before decorating to keep the platter clean. Once the decorating is finished, just remove the parchment, et voilà! A perfectly clean, frosting-free cake platter.
- Serrated knife: Be sure to have a serrated knife to cut off any cake domes or to cut cake layers in half.
- Mixer: Whether you use a stand mixer or a hand mixer, you’ll need a mixer to make the frosting as smooth and spreadable as possible.
- Cake carrier or cake box: If you’ve been haphazardly balancing cakes in your hands as you move from place to place, now is the time to invest in a cake carrier or box to protect the cake while en route.
Practice, practice, practice
If you’re feeling nervous about the cake, consider doing a trial run, especially if you’re trying out a new type of cake, frosting or decorating technique. This is a really great time to work out any kinks, test out piping techniques, plan arrangements of fresh fruit or edible flowers (take a picture so you remember!), write on the cake or experiment with any other cake decorating ideas the couple requested.
Give yourself time to make the wedding cake
Do yourself a favor: Prep as many things in advance as possible. Whenever I make a layer cake, I bake the cake layers about three days to a week in advance and freeze them. That way, I know the cake layers are up to my standard and ready to go on decorating day.
Once the cake layers are baked, allow them to cool to room temperature, then wrap them tightly in storage wrap. Freezing cake layers locks in moisture and retains freshness. Never put the cake layers in the fridge, or they’ll dry out.
Frost the cake the day before the wedding and decorate it with any piping designs you may be using. The absolute last thing you want to do is to wait until the morning of and have a frosting snafu happen, with the wedding mere hours away. Fully frost the cake the day before the wedding, then store it in the fridge. The frosting seals the cake layers so they won’t dry out.
The only work you should do the morning of is to arrange any fresh flowers on the cake, if you’re using them. Buy the flowers the day before and keep them in water. Do not decorate the cake with fresh flowers ahead of time or they will wilt. It’s an extra step in the morning, but it’s totally worth it! Fruit left on the cake overnight will bleed onto the frosting, so wait on that step, too.
Final thoughts
It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed by the pressure. I’ve felt it every time I’ve made a wedding cake. But planning and prepping ahead really set me up for success. Let me reassure you, your loved ones probably aren’t expecting perfection. They’re likely just happy to have you as part of their big day. If they really were looking for a picture-perfect cake, they would’ve just ordered one. So take a deep breath, start making the cake ahead of time, and remember, your loved ones are going to adore their wedding cake, no matter what.
Our Best Cake Recipes
Here are a few cake recipes that would make excellent wedding cakes. Some are traditional, while others are a little unexpected. If your couple is giving you free rein, stick with something that feels true to them and their wedding.
Lemon cake
Lemon’s bright flavor shines in every component of this cake, from the lemon frosting to the lemon cake layers soaked in lemon simple syrup. Decorate it with lemon slices, lemon curd and edible flowers for a light, airy, wedding-esque presentation.
Pineapple carrot cake
Isn’t everyone’s favorite cake secretly carrot cake? The addition of pineapple keeps the cake layers super moist, and the cream cheese frosting creates a clean backdrop for piping, decorations or a fun wedding cake topper.
Chocolate cake
Why save chocolate cake just for birthdays? If the couple loves chocolate cake, it’ll taste all the more special on their big day. This is Taste Recipes‘s best chocolate cake recipe, so you really can’t go wrong.
Mango cake
Only real mangoes go into our mango cake. On the outside, it looks as beautiful, simple and elegant as a typical wedding cake, but on the inside, it has a surprising tropical twist of homemade mango filling.
Key lime cake
This simple-looking cake has so much flavor thanks to real Key lime juice (though regular limes are fine!), graham cracker crumbs and cream cheese frosting. If the couple is from Florida, definitely pull this one out as an homage.
Earl Grey cake
Earl Grey cake is like vanilla cake’s sophisticated cousin. Real Earl Grey tea is steeped in milk and simple syrup to infuse the cake layers with the tea’s flavor. The cake is then decorated with vanilla buttercream, making a simple backdrop for any and all decorations.
White chocolate raspberry cake
With a fluffy, almond-scented cake, raspberry filling and homemade white chocolate frosting, this fancy flavor combo has strong wedding cake potential. Decorate it simply with raspberries, or go all out with intricate piping.
