| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr |
| Prep: | 1 hr |
| Inactive: | 2 hr |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 30 to 40 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 boxes (18.25 ounces each) lemon cake mix
- 3 3/4 cups grape juice
- 1 (1-ounce) bottle Champagne extract*
- 3 containers (12 ounces each) fluffy white or lemon frosting
- 1 jar raspberry jam
- 1 1/3 cups lemon curd, stirred to loosen
- Several bunches mini green grapes
- Powdered sugar
- 1 (14-inch diameter) round cake pan with-3-inch high sides
- 1 (10-inch diameter) round cake pan with 3- inch high sides
- 1 (6-inch diameter) round cake pan with 3-inch high sides
- 3 cardboard cake rounds (1 (14-inch), 1 (10-inch) and 1 (6-inch))
- 3/8-inch diameter plastic dowel rods
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- Cake Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray each cake pan with non-stick cooking spray, line with parchment paper and spray again. Follow directions on cake mix boxes to create 3 cakes of each size, but substitute grape juice for water in cake recipes. Bake each cake as per directions on box or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on cooling racks and cool completely. After removing cakes from pans and parchment paper, cut each cake in half horizontally and level off tops of each section by slicing thin layer off top.
- Filling and Frosting Preparations: In a large bowl, combine frosting with a few drops of Champagne extract, stirring well. For each size cake, place bottom layer atop cardboard round of matching diameter. Pipe a ring of lemon frosting around top edges of bottom layer. Fill in center with raspberry jam. Stack next layer of cake atop this and repeat ring of frosting. Fill in center with lemon curd. Stack top layer of cake atop this with smooth edges facing upward. Spread icing over entirety of cake. Repeat this process to create a 14-inch cake, a 10-inch cake, and a 6-inch cake, which will make up finished wedding cake. Stack layered cakes atop one another from largest to smallest.
- To Assemble: Without removing the cardboard rounds from underneath the cakes, place the 14 inch cake onto serving platter. Cut dowel rods into 5 sections the height of the 14 inch cake, and 5 sections the height of the 10 inch cake. Carefully insert 4 dowel rods around the middle perimeter of the 14-inch cake and 1 in the middle. Stack the 10-inch cake atop the 14-inch cake. Repeat dowel insertion process for the10-inch cake. Stack the 6-inch cake atop the 10-inch cake. Cover up cardboard by piping icing around perimeter base of each cake. Dust mini green grapes liberally with powdered sugar and adorn cakes with them. Further adorn cake with white ribbon. Find mate, wed, serve.
- *Champagne extract is available at most specialty baking and cake decorating stores. .
Reviews
I have made this several times but scaled down the size. I made low fat lemon curd from Cooking Light and it was terrific. I decorated it with raspberries and mint. Turned out beautiful and has been a hit at my friend’s wine party. My friend asks for this cake every year. We call it “the cake.” Yum. Thanks Sandra. This is definitely a keeper.
This is a beautiful cake and has turned out well each time I’ve made it. Originally I did it for my daughters rehearsal dinner. We took it to the restaurant and everyone LOVED it.
I BELIEVE ALL SHE DO IS REALLY EASY AND GOOD!
If you don’t like using some pre-packaged things, then obviously these aren’t the recipes for you, so stop whining and look at different recipes. I have found that almost all of her recipes have been simple and delicious.
Tasted like chemicals. For the same amount of time, you could make a really good cake that tastes good.
That’s a clue from the title of the show, folks – if you can’t handle the use of pre-packaged foods in recipes, I suggest you stop watching the show. And definitely stop posting negative reviews about recipes that you obviously haven’t even tried, just because you want to denigrate Sandra Lee. Please do us all a favor: if you don’t like canned frosting or boxed cake mixes, don’t use them, don’t try recipes like this, and don’t ruin it for those of us who sometimes need to rely on such convenience foods. Clearly, those who wrote positive reviews actually tried the cake and were pleased with the results.
Oh mY goodnes….the cake was delicious i made it and it was great!!!
I hadn’t decorated a cake in over 20 years.I made this cake for my daughters wedding.It turned out great, the flavor was outstanding. It was enjoyed by all.I will defintly make it again.Even someone who has never decorated a cake before would do well with this cake.Guest commented that they had never seen or eated a better cake.
I used this recently for my friend’s wedding. I think people are stupid to think that this will taste like a bakery cake. Everyone commented on how much they enjoyed it.
i also scaled it down and it was very moist and had a wonderful taste.