Horseshoe-Layer Wedding Cake

My husband, Richard, and I "got hitched" in a little country church. His sister, Donna Epperson, made our wedding cake using this delicious white cake recipe. It's moist with wonderful homemade taste and texture.

100 ServingsPrep: 1 hour Bake: 1 hour 20 min. + cooling

Ingredients

Baking Pans—two 6-inch round, two 10-inch round, two 14-inch round and six 12-inch horseshoe-shaped
Waxed paper
3 cups butter, softened, divided
3 cups shortening, divided
18 cups sugar, divided
24 cups all-purpose flour, divided
12 tablespoons baking powder, divided
6 teaspoons salt, divided
12 cups milk, divided
6 cups egg whites (about 42), divided
4 tablespoons vanilla extract, divided
1 cardboard cake base (6-inch round)
Bridal Cake Frosting (recipe also in Recipe Finder)
2 round separator plates (one 14 inches and one 12 inches)
3 covered boards (two 16-inch square and one 20-inch square)
2 pastry or heavy-duty resealable plastic bags
Pastry tips—#48 basket weave and #21 star
4 Grecian spiked pillars (7 inches)
4 Grecian spiked pillars (9 inches)

2 of 3

Horseshoe-Layer Wedding Cake (continued)

Ingredients (continued)

Dowel rod (3-feet x 1/4-inch diameter)
Silk or edible fresh flowers

Directions

Line baking pans with waxed paper; grease and flour waxed paper and
set aside. Note: Cakes may need to be baked in batches depending on
number of pans and oven space available.
In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup shortening and 4-1/2
cups sugar. Combine 6 cups flour, 3 tablespoons baking powder and
1-1/2 teaspoons salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with 3 cups
milk. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
In another bowl, beat 1-1/2 cups egg whites and 1 tablespoon vanilla
until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Repeat three times.
Pour into prepared pans, filling each 6-in. pan with 2 cups batter,
each 10-in. pan with 6 cups batter and each horseshoe-shaped pan
with 4 cups batter. Bake the 6-in., 10-in. and horseshoe cakes at
350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the
center comes out clean. Fill each 14-in. pan with 10 cups batter.
Bake 14-in. cakes at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until cakes test
done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to
cool completely. Level tops of cakes.
To Begin Decorating the Cake:
Each frosted layer of the wedding cake consists of two cakes with
frosting in between. Place one 6-in. cake base; spread with frosting
to within 1/2 in. of edge. Place second cake on top. Frost top and
sides with a thin layer of frosting to coat crumbs. With additional
frosting, frost top smooth. Place 10-in. cake on the 12-in.
separator plate and one 14-in. cake on the 20-in. covered board.
Frost and layer following the directions for the 6-in. cake.
Place one horseshoe cake on the 14-in. separator plate and each of
the 16-in. covered boards. Frost and layer following the directions
for the 6-in. cake. Also frost the sides of the horseshoe cakes,
smoothing with an icing knife until surfaces are flat.
For Basket-Weave Design:
Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry of plastic bag; insert
basket weave tip. Fill bag with frosting. Pipe one vertical line
down the side of the 14-in. cake. Working from the top edge, cover
the vertical line with 1-1/2-in. horizontal lines, leaving 1/2 in.

3 of 3

Horseshoe-Layer Wedding Cake (continued)

Directions (continued)

space between each. Pipe another vertical line to the right of the
first vertical line, overlapping ends of horizontal lines. Starting
to the right of the first vertical line, pipe 1-1/2-in. horizontal
lines over second vertical line to fill open spaces. Repeat process
until entire side of cake is covered with basket-weave design.
Repeat procedure for 10-in. and 6-in. layer cakes.
For Rope Border:
Prepare another bag; insert star tip. Fill bag with frosting. Touch
tip to top edge of the 14-in. layer cake. Pipe frosting down, up and
around to the right forming an "S" curve. Tuck tip under bottom arch
of first "S" and repeat procedure. Continue joining "S" curves to
from a rope border. Repeat on bottom edge. Pipe a rope border on top
and bottom edges of each horseshoe cake.
To Assemble Cake:
Mark pillar placement by centering the separator plate with the
horseshoe cake over the 14-in. layer cake; gently press onto cake
surface. Lift plate off. Repeat procedure with 12-in. separator
plate over the horseshoe cake. Insert 7-in. pillars into marks on
14-in. cake and 9-in. pillars into marks on the horseshoe cake.
Cut dowel into six pieces, about 1/8 in. above the height of 10-in.
cake. Insert dowels 1 to 2 in. apart into 10 in. cake center to
support 6-in. layer cake. Center and place the 6-in. cake on top of
the 10-in. layer cake. To assemble, place separator plate with the
horseshoe cake on the 7-in. pillars. Center separator plate with
6-in. and 10-in. tiered cake on the 9-in. pillars. Pipe rope border
along top and bottom edges of 6-in. and 10-in. layer cakes. Arrange
one horseshoe cake on each side of wedding cake. Decorate cakes with
flowers. Yield: 100 servings (60 cups batter).

Editor's Note: Decorated cake does not need refrigeration.

Print Options

Include these items:

Horseshoe-Layer Wedding Cake

Ingredients

Horseshoe-Layer Wedding Cake (continued)

Ingredients (continued)

Directions

Horseshoe-Layer Wedding Cake (continued)

Directions (continued)