If you’re thinking about making your own DIY wedding cake, it’s best to keep it simple, beautiful and rustic. It needn’t send you into a cold sweat creating what will be your proudest baking memory!
This classic butter cake recipe makes delicious, tender cakes guaranteed to please a crowd. I’ve added lemon zest and berries but you could keep them plain with vanilla bean if you prefer.
To make three generous cakes, the recipe is fairly sizeable but really simple and it’s probably easiest to make it in two lots.
I literally scrambled in the garden to find flowers, making a quick wreath out of forget-me-nots and used rose petal tea leaves and raspberries I had in the fridge. Lavender works well, as do daisies and rosemary. Best of all I made all three cakes and decorated them for under $25 without compromising on quality or style.
A trio of lemon butter & raspberry wedding cakes
Makes 3 medium sized cakes (depending on tins)
500g butter, softened
4 cups sugar
Zest of 4 lemons
8 eggs
6 cups sifted self-rising flour
2 cups milk
500g berries (frozen and thawed or fresh)
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and flour 3-4 cake pans/Bundt tins.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and lemon zest and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Divide batter equally among prepared pans, leaving at least an inch to the top to allow room for rising. Sprinkle with berries.
Bake for 45-60 minutes or until done (depending on the size of your tins, some may be ready sooner). Cool in pans for 10 minutes then invert onto cooling racks. Cool completely and top with lemon drizzle made by squeezing the juice of 4-6 lemons and adding 1-2 cups of icing sugar. Whisk until smooth drizzling consistency.
I topped with extra berries, rose petals and wild flowers from the garden.
Recipe & words: Gretchen Lowe of My Weekend Table
Photography and styling: Gretchen Lowe and Amber Armitage
