Round Wedding Cake Display Options
Essentially, and as with most wedding cake designs, there are five display options for a round wedding cake:
A simple single standalone cake - perfect for any wedding where the guests are small in number.
Stack a number of round wedding cakes atop one another to create an imposing focul point - ideal for a traditional wedding with a large number of guests.
Use pillars to add height to a tiered round wedding cake - if you thought the stacked wedding cake was imposing, just wait till you see this one!
A tiered wedding cake, but stagger the tiers on individual stands at differing heights, or on an elaborate single stand designed for such a purpose. This visually creates more 'depth' to the cake and allows for more decorative items to be placed on top (but obviously adds to the expense!)
Serve individual round wedding cake portions to each of the guests - a contemporary twist on the norm.
Round Wedding Cake Decoration & Flavour
Whichever display option you plump for, you will still need to consider both the cake decoration and taste aspects up front.
Cake flavour is very much an individual preference and you are only really limited by your imagination and the skill-set of your cake maker. From a simple jam and buttercream filling to something more elaborate like a rum and raisin flavouring, there are a world of options out there. For more ideas, be sure to check out our wedding cake tastes & flavours articles.
Decoration-wise, you'll be pleased to know that the round wedding cake is one of the easiest of all shapes to decorate. Once iced, its uniform shape allows you to easily adorn it with any number of designs, motifs, flowers, figurines and alike. For advice and tips on this front, our wedding cake decoration articles are packed with ideas and are well worth checking out.
How to Ice a Round Wedding Cake
For those planning to make their own round wedding cake or who are making it on behalf of a friend or relative, it's crucial that you know how to ice the cake. Whilst buttercream, royal icing, fudge icing and more are used, the chances are that sugarpaste icing (also known as 'fondant icing', 'regal icing' or 'ready-roll icing') will be the order of the day. For the less-experienced, icing a round wedding cake in sugarpaste icing can be tricky to master, so to help you out, here's our handy guide:
1. First up, cover the sides and top with a thin layer of buttercream icing.
2. Roll the sugarpaste icing to around 1/4 of an inch thick, then place it centrally atop of the cake, wrapping a little around a rolling pin first to help lift it. There should be sufficient icing to form a 'skirt' all the way around the cake which overlaps the base by around 1 to 2 inches (or the board by 1 to 2 inches if youplan to ice that too). Sprinkle a little icing sugar on top then proceed to rub the palm of your hand over the top to smooth out any bubbles.
3. With a flat hand, gently press the icing into the cake, pushing from the top, and using circular motions, to get any air out - repeat until you are content with the finish. With the side of your hand, making a line all the way around the round wedding cake.
4. With a flat edge cake smoother, smooth the top and sides of the cake once more, then, using a flat knife, trim this excess icing away cutting as close to the cake as you dare! Again using the flat-edge cake smoother, go around the sides and top of the round wedding cake once more, flattening anywhere necessary
