Jewel Wedding Cake
This wedding cake is one of my favourites. It was ordered by a friend of mine who trusted me to create a unique and stunning cake.The bride to be had been to India and loved the colours and wedding themes. She told me the sort of colours she was going for and I designed a cake in the style of a jewelled temple using the colours she decided on and edible jewels and beads.
I began the cake by preparing the bottom tier, which was fruit cake covered with marzipan and ivory fondant icing. I attached the bottom tier to the cake drum – also covered with ivory fondant.
I cut out large leaves from rolled fondant. I added powdered gum tragacanth to the fondant. Gum tragacanth enables the fondant to harden but also makes fondant more pliable and helps retain the shape of cut out pieces. I attached the leaves to the bottom tier with water brushed onto the fondant. I then scored the leaves to create veins. I then painted the leaves with edible gold paint.
I made hundreds of different sized beads and dipped them into pearlescent and gold edible paint. I also used gold heart shaped dragees and midget gems (brilliant sweets we used to buy as kids!) dipped in confectioners glaze to make them shine. I attached these around the leaves using piped royal icing.
Next I had to tackle the top tier. I began by making a support structure using white, strong card. This structure had to fit around a 4 inch fruit cake which the bride and groom wanted to keep (not sure if they still have it as the groom loves fruit cake).
I rolled out wide strips of ivory fondant (with gum tragacanth added) and laid them over the support structure attaching them to the top of the cake.
Once these were all attached there were gaps between them which were covered with more large leaves also painted gold. I then attached more beads and jewels.
The way the fondant was attached to the support structure created a well at the top of the cake which was filled with sugar coated chocolates wrapped in gold foil.
I think this is the one of the most challenging cake I have made because of the dome on the top.
I was really pleased with how perfectly the cake fitted its surroundings at the venue and the colour match with the flowers.
Alison Irwin
The only guide Amanda had was a peek at my wedding dress, and she created the MOST stunning cake I or any or my guests had ever seen - and one which was completely in harmony with the spirit of the day. I knew I could completely trust her to come up with something magical, and when I saw the cake for the first time on the day at the wedding breakfast, my jaw hit the floor! Her mastery of sugarcraft is such that it looked more like an exotic piece of fine bone china than a cake - studded with jewels and gold, and certainly so magnificent that it looked too good to eat. But eat it we did, and delicious a rich fruit cake it was too - my husband and I are looking forward to the top tier which we saved for our first child which is now on the way…!