Today I (Natasha) am going to show you how to save the top layer of your wedding for a future date, by freezing it,  so you can have your cake and eat it too!

It has been tradition over the years to preserve the top layer of a wedding cake until a couple’s first anniversary or even until the christening or baby dedication of a first child.  But exactly how are you supposed to achieve this feat?

If done correctly, the cake can actually turn out in pretty good considering its year-long hibernation.  Fruit cakes particularly, can even taste even better than the wedding day, with 365 days of further fermenting – if indeed, you managed to get any more than the bite-size amount you and your partner fed each other for the photographs!  However, if done incorrectly, the cake might taste like sweetened cardboard!

TOP TIP:  Cakes with cream or cheese fillings, do not freeze well.  Buttercream freezes well as an icing but not for as long as a year.

You will need to be pretty organised, as in advance of your wedding you will need to speak to the catering staff or whoever is assigned to do your cake cutting to ensure that your instructions are followed, or you could find that your top tier gets cut up along with all the rest!  Ensure it gets boxed up right away and given to your designated “cake-keeper” (CK) so it’s ready for you straight after the honeymoon.

Step 1: You will need to ask them to remove the top layer and remove any items that may not freeze well, for example flowers or fruit.

Step 2: Ask your CK to freeze the cake immediately for about 2hrs to harden the icing if it is not already hard as this will avoid causing any damage to the cake when wrapping.

Step 3: Remove from freezer and wrap in cling film about three times. TOP TIP: DO NOT USE FOIL!! ONLY CLING FILM!

Step 4: Place the cake back into the box and wrap the whole box in cling film about three times too.  This should ensure the texture stays as close to your wedding day experience as possible.

Step 5: Place the cake back into the freezer and leave it there until it is ready to eat next year!  You should avoid removing it from the freezer until it’s ready to defrost and it.  If you have to move it as your CK doesn’t have the space to hold on to it for a whole year, then simply transport it as quickly as possible as disturbing the moisture levels too much may ruin your cake.  N.B.  Once a cake has defrosted, even partially, DO NOT REFREEZE!!

Step 6: When you are ready to use, on your first anniversary, allow the cake to defrost gradually for 48 hours in the refrigerator.  This will prevent condensation forming on the icing.  TOP TIP:  Be sure to remove the cling film first to avoid the icing sticking to the wrap. Then leave to defrost further at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

Submitted by Natasha Orumbie, Director of N.O. Cakes R Better (and Editor of this blog!)  All cakes featured in this Blog Post are by N.O. Cakes R Better.

Photo copyright: http://www.nocakesrbetter.com/

Tune back next week, for Natasha’s article on how to choose the design for your wedding cake!