Cutting the wedding cake in style

By Esther Muchene

When it comes to cutting and serving the wedding cake, most people have no clue of the proper way of decently cutting it to avoid the cake looking like it has been butchered.

There are instances where the cake was cut from the wrong tier leading to a collapse of the top tiers. To prevent this from happening, here is basic information on how to go about it:

• Nobody except the couple should be the first to cut the cake. Using her right hand, the bride should hold the handle of the knife and the groom puts his hand over hers. In unison, they should start cutting the bottom tier of the cake using the pointed part of the knife and make two cuts. Remove the small slice and place on a plate. From there, the bride and groom will then feed each other to symbolise their commitment to share and support each other.
• Should you give the responsibility of cutting the cake to someone else, be it the cake matron, maid of honour or the cake vendor, make sure they know how to cut it in advance. For those who are not aware, start with cutting the bottom tier, followed by the second tier, which you should pass the knife slightly on the surface to prevent a cut that will cause the cake to tumble because of its weight.
• After the bottom layer has been cut all the way around, you will begin working on the second layer. When the second layer has been cut all around, you will remove the top tier for the bride and groom to save for a later date. The cutting continues in a circular pattern until all the cake has been cut and served.

If someone is in charge of the cake session, let him or her know if you plan on keeping or giving away any tier of the cake, otherwise, they may serve it to your guests. Don't assume everyone knows.

The bride and the groom should serve their parents slices of cake as a symbol of acceptance into each other's family and unity.

Ensure the the cake supply provide the serving sets, which can be engraved with your names. They can be used later for birthdays or your children's weddings. In short, this can be a family heirloom passed down to every generation.

Traditionally, most couples keep one cake to celebrate their first anniversary and this means storing it in the freezer for one whole year.

To ensure the cake stays fresh for long, here are some tips:

i. Remove the decorations such as flowers and toppers from the cake and make sure the cake board is wrapped with a foil paper.

ii. Place the cake in the freezer for about 20 minutes so as to make the icing hard.

iii. Wrap the cake with an airtight plastic wrap.

iv. Wrap it with two or more layers of foil to prevent the frozen taste.

v. Place the cake in a storage container.

Cutting the wedding cake:

• Let the bride and groom be the first to cut the cake.
• If the cake is tiered, cut round the bottom tier first followed by the second tier, exercising caution so that the top tiers will not come crumbling down.
• To preserve the cake for a year, ensure you wrap it in an airtight plastic wrap.
• Prior to this, place the cake in the freezer for half an hour to ensure the icing is hardened .
• The cardboard the cake sits on should be wrapped in a foil paper to ensure it does not cause the cake to go bad