Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

If you was making a celebration cake ie birthday or wedding what recipe would you use if the client didn’t want chocolate? Thank you in advance.

Hi heatherdvds,
I would find out what flavours the customer was interested in first of all, and it can also depend on what type of construction they want, for example some recipes are better suited to carving and/or stacking than others, and then take it from there. Madeira is a good sturdy sponge suitable for many applications, but I have some customers who aren’t keen on it because they find it a little on the dry side. There is a good vanilla sponge recommended by many on this site here: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10860/easy-vanilla-cake.

Hello heatherdvds

Madeira cake has the longest shelf life, approximately two weeks from baking so ideal for any celebration which requires lengthy decorating time. Many sponge cake recipes recommend five days as a reasonable time for freshness after which they do begin to stale. Some fillings like low sugar jams can affect shelf life as they can be prone to molding. Fresh fruit fillings can mold as quickly as overnight. It goes without saying fresh cream should only be used if the cake can be refrigerated and eaten within a couple of days.