The joy of being a bespoke Wedding Cake Designer is that I am afforded the opportunity to work with some genuinely interesting couples. Charlotte and Matthew are that! I can honestly say that I learned so much in the hour or so that we sat together for their wedding cake consultation!
Matthew is passionate about the study of astronomy – not astrology… as I have to stop myself saying each time I describe this cake and the groom… these are very VERY different things – and came to our meeting with printed illustrations of his favourite constellations. Already, I was learning.
Particularly special to the couple is a constellation called Lyra, the stars from which forming the shape of a harp-like musical instrument. They were engaged beneath this constellation, visible in the skies over Africa where they were holidaying (how romantic!).
I sketched out a pretty extreme cake for the couple in deep blue shades of a night sky, embellished with the artistic representations of Matthew’s favourite constellations.
It’s always a treat to put together a sketch like this. I was beyond thrilled when Charlotte and Matthew loved the concept!
The cake was decorated using an airbrush. Lighter shades of blue and purple were swirled over three tiers of white sugarpaste and allowed to dry before cut-outs in the shape of the constellations were fixed to the cake. Layers of blues and purple were then built up to create a deep night sky finish. When removed, the cut-outs left lighter shapes to be further decorated.
I used dark blue edible paint to add detail to each constellation, as each one has a character built from the shape of their stars – for example, Scorpio is a scorpion and Ursa Major is a bear. I thoroughly enjoyed this portion of the decoration, painting quietly in my busy little kitchen.
Each constellation was then marked out with gold dragees in the place of the major stars in each one. I was as accurate as I could be and hope that this passed with an expert astronomer like Matthew! You should be able to get a sense of the back of the cake, reflected in the glass cabinet, from the picture below as the constellations carried on around the cake.
The feedback that I have had from Charlotte and Matthew and their friends has been incredible. This cake was extra special to me as it was one that was very much a joint effort between Chris and I. Yes, Restoration Cake is very much a family business with my husband playing a huge role in design, support, and logistics! However, what you may not know is how amazing Chris is with an airbrush… these swirling shades of blue and purple were created by Chris, not me. I am more than happy to collaborate when I have such talent sharing my home.
Chris also delivered and set-up this cake, equipped with a spirit level and edible glitter pump to provide a final astro-flourish! Having the support of my partner means the world to me, I feel very lucky, and I couldn’t help but think on this and wish them all the love in the world as Charlotte & Matthew begin their newlywed journey.
Stay gorgeous!
Cxx
