Yes you can make a wedding cake

Have you ever scrolled through a friend’s wedding registry and been uninspired by the cavalcade of appliances and trinkets? Consider going rogue and asking the couple if he can give them something important: a wedding cake.

With their dizzying tiers, sculpted sugar roses, and fondant as smooth as clay, professional wedding cakes are designed to look good for long periods of time—some even come with a stealthy layer of Styrofoam—but they can fall short on flavor. A more personal homemade cake subverts expectations and can feel less formal in the best possible way: big, lush, and festive.

Baking a tiered wedding cake may seem ambitious, but you can break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks over a few days. in this recipeEverything—the tender chiffon cake layers, the sturdy buttercream, the savory citrus compote, the sesame crunch—can be refrigerated for days or even frozen for weeks, without any ill effects.

On the big day, the cakes are frozen and transported unstacked to reduce anxiety on bumpy car rides, then assembled and decorated on location. The elegant and edible decoration is added in the final moments.

Worried about wobbly cakes? Many thin layers stacked together are more structurally sound than a few thick layers glued together with frosting. So here, the citrus syrup-soaked pies and creamy filling are tucked into plastic-lined pans, ensuring straight sides and a flat bottom.

Nervous about dropping the icing on your wedding day? These cakes freeze overnight and gently come to temperature on the big day, helping to keep the finish fresh and set. And, because there’s no butter in the dough (the cakes are leavened with rippling egg whites), the layers don’t fall apart or dry out when thawed under the sturdy Swiss meringue buttercream.

While more labor-intensive than its American cousin (butter and whipped icing sugar), a Swiss meringue buttercream is ideal for topping tiered cakes due to its weight and stability.

To make it, beat the egg whites and sugar in a bain-marie until emulsified, thick and hot; the mixture cools briefly before receiving a generous amount of butter. It is then whip-whip-whip until a silky buttercream emerges. Like the cakes, the buttercream (and citrus compote) can be frozen and thawed at your convenience. Thaw them in the fridge the night before using them, then place them at room temperature for another hour for spreadability. (It also doesn’t hurt to beat again to obtain a shiny and optimally floating texture). The crunch can be taken straight from the freezer and spread over the cake layers.

If you’re not up for such a big project, you can still offer to do something smaller, but just as special, for the wedding.

Inspired by the Victorian tradition of groom cakes, this tender cocoa and olive oil cake it’s baked and served right out of your pan. Still popular in the American South, groom cakes — typically with a more robust flavor profile, like chocolate and aged liqueurs — they’re a cheeky addition to more classic wedding spreads, a chance to get weirder, boozier, and funnier.

Instead of thin, alternating layers of cake, buttercream, and jam, this sheet cake is drenched in a whiskey-and-coffee-enriched milk, then topped with a shimmering boiled caramel glaze and a final layer of cocoa powder.

Like any homemade gift, a handmade wedding cake is emotionally rich and allows its creator’s effort, care and creativity to come through. Imperfections are unavoidable, but they’re also kind of the point.

Sure, ordering a toaster oven is quicker, but the memories of a homemade wedding cake will outlast any appliance.