The main treat and decoration of any wedding is the cake. And many newlywed couples take the choice of this attribute very seriously. Although at first it may seem that there is nothing complicated here. You order your favorite cake, only in a large size and in festive gear. But this is where many people encounter pitfalls. After all, cake is a perishable product. And it must be stored somewhere before serving. Plus, butter-cream icing, which is usually used to decorate cakes, tends to melt at high temperatures. It's good if your wedding is in winter. But as a rule, most couples enter into an alliance from April to October, and at this time it is quite hot. Many newlyweds choose cottages, halls, or small restaurants for a banquet. And not every one of these sites can provide a refrigerator for the cake, where it can calmly wait for its turn. Another important point in our time is food additives, which are quite often included in the list of unsafe ones. And it’s stupid to think that multi-colored glaze will be deprived of them. This is probably why young couples in the West are increasingly choosing a naked cake for their wedding. And today we will try to figure out what this miracle is and why it is better than traditional confectionery products.
What is a naked cake
Naked cake came to us from the West. Today in Europe, this type of cake is rapidly breaking all records and is slowly replacing the classic versions with mastic. But in Russia it has not yet gained such popularity. Although every year more and more couples order this beauty for their celebrations.
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Naked cakes are treats with open layers. And, despite the prostate of such a decision, he looks very appetizing. After all, it is the sight of cakes smeared with cream that evokes that very pleasant feeling of holiday sweets. But a cake covered with glaze can sometimes be smoothed with plastic. And many people associate them with plastic models of confectionery shops. Naked cake, on the other hand, exposes everything we eat it for. And skilled confectioners will easily emphasize this naturalness and appetizingness.
"Naked" cake from Andy Chef
Naked cake, also known as naked cake, from popular food blogger Andy Chef is not so difficult to prepare as it requires attention to detail and proportions.
Ingredients:
- flour – 300 g;
- chicken eggs – 2 pcs.;
- cinnamon – 1 tsp;
- nutmeg – 1 tsp;
- ground ginger – 1 tsp;
- butter – 200 g;
- sugar – 100 g;
- cream – 1 pack;
- baking powder – 1 sachet;
- honey - 12 tbsp. l.
Preparation:
- Mix all the dry ingredients and then beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy.
- Melt the butter and add cream to it, mix everything well.
- Combine the eggs with the dry mixture and pour in the butter and cream, knead and add honey.
- Pour the finished dough into molds and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Cool the finished cakes and cut them in half, coat each of them with cream cheese, laying fruit on top of it: pear, strawberry, banana. Repeat until the cakes are finished.
Decorate the top of the cake with fresh cherries and lemon balm leaves.
Thus, a naked cake is the perfect solution for any occasion.
Benefits of a wedding cake
So, a naked cake for a wedding is unusual and interesting, but that’s where its benefits are just beginning.
- Beauty and aesthetics. Nowadays, more and more naturalness and naturalness are in fashion. Even wedding dresses, which used to look like meringues, are gradually becoming a thing of the past. And they were replaced by more sophisticated and comfortable ones. The same applies to cakes, especially since decorating naked cakes is fundamentally different from traditional ones. They are much more natural, because for this confectionery masterpiece it is customary to use only natural decorations. Which makes them look more like ikebana than a picture from a Disney cartoon.
- Environmental friendliness. Another significant advantage of delicacies in this style. After all, nothing artificial can be added to naked cakes. No chemical dyes or additives. Only natural products, eggs, milk, cream, flour and fruit. Even the decorations for this cake must be natural. If the pastry chef wants to decorate it with flowers, they must be fresh.
- Healthy. Traditional mastic contains a lot of butter, cream, and chemical additives. What makes such a cake high in calories and even harmful to the body. If there are health-conscious people among the guests, they will not be able to enjoy the traditional treat. But the naked cake, from this point of view, is much safer and healthier.
- Practicality. Another good feature of the stripped cake is that it is less picky about temperature. Everyone knows that oil mastic can melt or leak if storage conditions are violated. And if the confectionery shop monitors this properly, then in the restaurant or cottage where the banquet will be held, there may simply not be a place with the necessary conditions. And while your treat is waiting for its turn, the mastic may begin to melt and ruin the appearance of the product.
- Price. Despite the fact that the naked cake is a new product, it, like other confectionery masterpieces, is sold by the kilogram. And the hardest thing about the cake is the butter and butter mastic. Therefore, confectionery products devoid of all this pretentious beauty are much lighter, and therefore cheaper.
- Just. A naked cake is quite simple to create. And any good housewife can easily bake it herself. And this is another way to save on wedding preparations.
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"Naked cake" or naked cake
I started making the cake spontaneously, so I decided to make it from what I had on hand. Namely, bake a classic sponge cake according to my recent recipe for a sponge cake in a slow cooker, make the simplest cream - sour cream, add canned peach inside (the jar has stagnated). At first I planned to decorate the cake with protein custard, so in the photo there is a bag of citric acid, which in the end was not useful, but there is no lemon, I simply forgot to put it out. And this time I used corn starch for the biscuit, not potato starch in the same proportion, everything turned out great!
The very next day, shortly before serving, I managed to buy fresh berries and mint, which I used for decoration. That's why they are in a separate photo, since they weren't there yesterday! By the way, I think that since the berry season is starting now, it is not necessary to add canned peaches inside the cake (I used all the syrup from the peaches to soak the cake), but you can layer the cake with fresh berries or fruits: strawberries, raspberries, black currants, apricot pieces , peaches, and boil sugar syrup to soak the cakes!
So, let's start with preparing the sour cream! Line a sieve with two layers of gauze, place it in a deep bowl and pour in all the sour cream. Next, there are two options: either put the structure in the refrigerator overnight, or hang it for 6 hours, so we will remove the whey and get a thick sour cream curd. I went with the accelerated option, after 6 hours of weighing I had a glass of 250 ml of serum.
You can see how to bake a sponge cake here; using the same recipe, you can bake a sponge cake in the oven. The sponge cake needs to be tall so that it can be easily cut into four layers, so it is advisable to take a cake pan with a small diameter of 20-22 cm. I don’t have such a shape, but the bowl of the multicooker is 21 cm in diameter, so I am happy to bake the sponge cake in her, besides, it comes out even. When baking a sponge cake in the oven, do not grease the side of the mold with oil, only the bottom, so that the sponge cake holds on to the walls and after baking, it must be turned upside down along with the mold and left to cool on a wire rack in such a position that it does not fall off after baking. The finished biscuit must be cooled completely and while the sour cream is being weighed out, let it rest. And then cut into 4 cake layers, if your sponge cake is not too tall, maybe the mold is larger in diameter, then you can cut it into three cake layers.
Drain the syrup from the peaches, which we will use for soaking (I got 200 g of syrup), cut them into pieces. If we use fresh berries and fruits, we also cut them into small pieces (except for small berries, of course), but then we need to prepare the sugar syrup. To do this, mix 9 tbsp. l. water and 6 tbsp. l. sugar and heat until the sugar is completely dissolved; if desired, you can flavor the syrup with a spoon of cognac.
Place the weighed thick sour cream in a mixing bowl, add some of the powdered sugar and lemon juice, beat with a mixer at medium speed, adding the remaining powder. I added 120 g of powder to the cream, since the peaches were sweet; if you prepare a cake with sweet and sour berries, you can make the cream sweeter by adding 150 g of powdered sugar to it! The cream comes out lush, smooth, moderately thick, and does not spread.
Assembling the cake: lay out the sponge cake layer, soak it in 1/4 of the syrup (I used 3.5 tablespoons of syrup per cake), cover with 1/4 of the cream, place a third of the chopped peaches on top (the top cake will be without peaches) . Cover with the second cake layer, soak in syrup again, then cream and fruit and do the same with the third. Having covered the cake with the last fourth layer, soak it with the remaining syrup...
... and cover the top with the remaining cream, lightly with one or two tablespoons of cream, carelessly coat the sides of the cake so that the cakes are visible. In my opinion, it turns out more interesting if you add more cream to the top of the cake and leave the sides uncovered.
The final touch is berry decoration! I simply placed a pile of berries (washed and dried) in the center, added mint sprigs and dusted them a little with powdered sugar.
To complete the look, I added more berries and mint to the base of the cake :))
Now you can present “Naked cake” to those gathered for tea!
A piece can be easily cut off with a sharp knife right along with the berries. Bon appetit!
Jewelry (photo)
I would also like to talk about decorating naked cakes. Since mastic is not used for them, and most traditional treats are decorated with it. The second feature of naked cakes is their environmental friendliness, which practically eliminates the use of a number of confectionery decorations. Although several elements are still allowed. For example, figurines of the bride and groom, their initials made of glaze, the main thing is that there are few such objects. Still, you need to focus on naturalness.
Berries
By decorating a cake with berries and fruits, you get not only decoration, but also a tasty addition. It is worth noting here that the naked cake is decorated in such a way as to emphasize its naturalness. And the bright colors of fruits, which are usually avoided in traditional wedding treats, are more appropriate here than ever. Therefore, when ordering a naked miracle, you need to think carefully about its decor so that it fits into the overall concept of the holiday. For example, if you are having a pastel, romantic wedding, bright red fruits may not be appropriate.
Flowers
A naked cake is usually decorated with fresh flowers. Such decorations not only look elegant and delicate, but also easily fit into the overall style of the holiday. Flowers can follow the floral theme of your wedding, and the food will be a harmonious continuation.
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Minimalism
As you know, the biggest decoration of a naked cake is the play of contrasts. And beautiful dark cakes, smeared with a thick layer of cream, are a decoration in themselves. Therefore, if you do not want a clearing of living, but not edible flowers, or a composition of bright fruits, feel free to choose minimalism for your cake.
As you can see, naked cake has a lot of advantages over its traditional counterparts. But before choosing this treat for the holiday, order trial options for tasting to immediately evaluate the taste characteristics of the product. Also discuss the decor of your work of art with the pastry chef in advance. Tell him about the wedding and its concept. All this will help the professional make your cake not only delicious, but also a masterpiece that can highlight the mood of the wedding feast.
Types of fillings and decorations
Whipped cream is usually used as a layer for cake layers. Sometimes pancakes or sponge cakes are coated with cream mixed with fruit jelly. And along the edges, for beauty, they lay out strips of white whipped cream. This creates the effect of slight negligence.
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An additional decoration can be liquid chocolate and caramel poured onto the top layer, or the layer between the tiers.
When it comes to decorating a cake with open layers, almost any fantasy can come true. The absence of food-grade sugar mastic in no way detracts from the beauty or even luxury of such a cake.
What is used for decoration:
- One of the most popular types of decoration is berries and fruits. The berries are placed on top, between the cake layers, and the surfaces between the tiers are covered with them.
- Dry and dried fruits, dates, nuts.
- Green sprigs, rosemary.
- Fresh flowers - roses, peonies, daisies, gerberas, lavender and heather branches.
- An unusual solution - succulent plants
- All kinds of edible and inedible figures - birds, newlyweds, hearts
- Toppers – inscriptions with the names of the newlyweds, words of declaration of love, words of a wedding vow
Wedding cake with open layers
A wedding cake with open layers (“naked” cake) is a great choice for a summer wedding! Tasty, light and still a rare guest at domestic weddings - it will become one of the bright accents of your celebration.
Wedding cakes with open layers in the West became popular in 2014 and, we are sure, in the next few years they will become worthy competitors to cakes decorated with fondant.
The growing popularity of naked cakes is explained not only by the fact that they are not yet very common at domestic weddings. A cake with open layers has many other advantages.
Firstly, it weighs much less than a fondant cake. This means you can save on this expense item in your wedding budget. After all, mastic is quite heavy, and the cost of a wedding cake directly depends on its weight.
Secondly, you can make such a cake yourself (especially if you are having a small family wedding). Few people know how to work with mastic, but even novice confectioners can bake cakes and make cream.
Thirdly, on a hot summer day, the mastic may begin to melt and requires more careful storage.
Fourthly, a naked cake without mastic also means minimal harm to your figure. If you adhere to the principles of a healthy diet, then mastic will definitely be superfluous for you and a cake with open layers is best suited for you.
And, of course, a naked cake is an ideal choice for a wedding in a rustic, boho, or eco style.
However, such a cake is also suitable for a classic wedding (you can choose a more “elegant” option).
The design of cakes with open layers can be very diverse - from minimalism to luxurious desserts in several tiers.
For a summer wedding, the best choice would be open cakes with berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and other berries will not only decorate a wedding cake, but also make it incredibly tasty.
For a classic and delicate romantic wedding, you can order a naked cake with flowers.
Can't choose - berries or flowers? Then order a cake with both berries and flowers :)!
Do you like chocolate? Then give preference to chocolate cake with open layers.
Like classic fondant cakes, naked cakes can be decorated with figurines of the bride and groom or a pair of birds.
You can also choose a variety of inscriptions (“love”, the initials of the bride and groom or their names, a small phrase or several words that have meaning for you).
And here is another small selection of original cakes with open layers:
This cake would be ideal for a lavender wedding.
Naked cake with fresh fruit - delicious and healthy.
If you are planning to have a burgundy and gold wedding, then pay attention to this option:
Cooking process
It's summer, and around the wedding, Mendelssohn's march is constantly playing in my kitchen, because I'm making a wedding cake again! This time it's a naked cake! Why naked? Yes, because without coating, in the most cakey nature! The young couple didn’t want a cake with cream or sugar mastic after a hearty feast, but I didn’t mind!
So, let's start preparing a naked wedding cake with berries and fruits with a sponge cake.
I concluded that the eggs don’t need to be refrigerated for this sponge cake, because I didn’t notice much of a difference. If you have a great kitchen machine, then don't think about it! Place the eggs in a bowl and add a little salt (on the tip of a knife). Beat until increased by 3-4 times!
Then add sugar and vanillin in two additions, constantly whisking.
Pour the flour and baking powder into the egg mixture in two additions and stir only with a spatula - using the folding method. Gently work from bottom to top so that the mixture retains its airiness.
Pour in 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the same amount of boiling water, mix with a spatula, and our tender biscuit dough is ready.
Decorate
You can decorate a naked cake with fresh berries, flowers and whatever your heart desires. We admire the result of our work. We remember that since the cake is not completely covered with cream, you need to eat it within 24 hours, since the cakes will quickly dry out and the berries will flow. And chocolate lovers can safely take out bubble wrap and use it to make
- Ingredients needed to make Naked Cake at home.
- Add eggs one at a time.
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Combine soda with kefir, stir and combine with ingredients in a mixer. - In a convenient container, combine all the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking powder, vanilla sugar and coloring. Stir everything.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients one tablespoon at a time. Let the dough mix completely and turn off the mixer.
- We bake the dough in one layer in a springform pan with a diameter of 26 cm. The oven is preheated to 180 degrees. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
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Prepare sour cream soufflé. Pour gelatin with a small amount of water and leave to swell for 10 minutes. - Beat the cream at maximum mixer speed until thick.
- Without turning off the mixer, add powdered sugar in several stages.
- Then, in a thin stream (as shown in the photo), pour in the gelatin melted in the microwave or in a water bath.
- Lastly, add sour cream 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Assembling the cake. Cut the finished, well-cooled red velvet cake into three equal parts.
- Leave the bottom part of the cake in a springform pan and place half the strawberries on it.
- Place half of the sour cream soufflé on the strawberries as in the photo.
- We increase the side of the springform pan.
- Cover the soufflé with the second cake layer. Then we repeat: strawberries, soufflé and the last cake. Place the assembled cake in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Beat the softened butter until white at maximum mixer speed. Without reducing the speed of the mixer, add sugar in several stages.
An unusual and original naked wedding cake is becoming a hit with modern newlyweds. The turn of general fashion towards naturalness and naturalness is also reflected in confectionery art. Weddings with cakes without fondant are a new trend that is growing in popularity.
Tips for those who make their own naked cake
In order for the cake to turn out beautiful and last as long as necessary at the wedding, pastry chefs use some tricks.
- The cakes must be chilled for assembly. It is advisable to bake the cakes today and start assembling tomorrow.
- Before placing the first cake on the tray, the surface must be greased with cream.
- Each sponge cake is cut into 2-4 parts over the entire surface.
- The middle between the biscuit is coated with cream mixed with some kind of filler. It could be fruit or berry jelly, cognac.
- The edges must be covered with white cream.
- The first tier is the widest. In order for it to stand straight, the middle can be pierced with several cocktail straws.
- If the cake is multi-tiered, all parts are assembled separately. And only then they are installed on top of each other.
- After assembling all the tiers, a long skewer is inserted in the middle, which is then decorated.
- Decorating a cake is an individual flight of imagination of the master.
- An additional touch is a sprinkle of powdered sugar. A casual effect is definitely created to highlight the beauty of the cake itself.
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