How long does it take to make a wedding cake?

I have made some changes since the Covid-19 pandemic began in early 2020. I used to meet in person according to the customer schedules. I have a contract that I go through where myself and the customer signs. It’s really hard to make certain colors of icing so I don’t guarantee the exact color but try to come as close as I can. Now it’s through video conferencing.

During the meeting, I ask questions of how they might like their cake. Some items relating to the cake order itself requires to be ordered in advance such as a system that I use for tiered cakes called Stable Mabel designed by Certified Master Sugar Artist, Barbara Evans. I’ve been using this system for a few years and it does keep the cake stable during transportation of the tiered cake.

Because it’s just me (and at times I’ll have family members & friends help) do the baking and decorating of the cake, I devote one wedding a weekend so there are no mistakes. It’s always best to order a cake a year in advance, some exceptions can be made if the groom is in the military or the bride and they need to move their wedding up. Still, it’s always best to order a year in advance.

I do not use fondant icing, if special made flowers are needed, this is the time to have them on the list to be ordered. Many cakes require hours of physical work to prepare and create the design elements, floral elements and assemble them. I prefer to bake the cakes the same week of the event, usually 3-4 days before.

The Tiffany cake I did in 2019 took a little bit of time to get the coloring as close as possible to the color requested. Even making red buttercream roses took time for the shade to get right. I usually make the colored icing a week in advance to have the shade of the color as close as possible to order requested.

I have two large sized kitchen refrigerators in which I use to store the ingredients and finished cakes/cupcakes. Still, it’s really hard to control Mother Nature and what she decides the day to be. Six months prior to the event is when I order the items such as the Stable Mabel kit, then a couple of weeks before I contact the customer to do a final review. During the process I share snapshots of the cake progress. This is something that I do.

I draw rough drafts of what I’m thinking on how a cake could look like when I meet with the Bridal party (it can consist of the Bride & Groom, or Bride with her mother & future mother-in-law) they can at least see what I’m thinking. When the actual baking to decorating process starts to finish can lead up to over 8 hours.

Final touches can be done right up to delivery to the venue and setting up the cake & cupcakes. All of my cakes are from scratch, made with you in mind. I’ve made cakes with unusual flavors and colors. My icing is American Buttercream mainly because it can handle the changes in the weather better than the other icings I’ve tried in the past. The cost is calculated on per serving. Just remember when you go to a national bakery such as Walmart you’re going to pay for what you get and it might not be as personal as you want from a baker that owns their own business.

How Much Does the Average Wedding Cake Cost?
The average U.S. wedding cake costs around $350, according to Thumbtack, an online service that matches customers with local professionals. On the lower end, couples spend around $125 and on the higher end, they typically spend upward of $700—often over $1,000!—on their wedding cake. It also depends on the location of your cake baker.