Emily Weddings: DIY Friday: Preserving Your Top Wedding Cake Tier

The age old tradition of preserving the top tier of your wedding cake for the first anniversary is one many couples still follow. What many don't know, is that there are variables when it comes to preserving different kinds of cake as well as alternatives.

It is important to know what the shelf life of your wedding cake is. Cakes which consist of heavier items like chocolate, carrot cake, and almond often times have a longer shelf life and will fair well in the freezer. Cakes with fresh fruit, whipped cream filling or fluffy white cakes will not last a year in the freezer. When choosing your cake flavors, consult with your baker on "freezer worthy" options if you are considering saving the top tier for your anniversary.

Some bakeries even suggest ordering a cop-cat cake for a couple's one-year anniversary. This alternative is perfect for a bride and groom whose cake will just not hold up in the freezer. This fresh copy-cat cake will be the exact same flavor as the wedding cake, allowing you to once again enjoy your cake as you remembered it, not freezer burned and stale.

"Sylvia Weinstock, of Sylvia Weinstock Cakes in New York, recommends storing cakes for no longer than two months, and forgoing the first-anniversary tradition."

-The Knot

If you do decide to be a bit nostalgic and save the original top tier of your wedding cake, here are some guidelines to follow to properly preserve your cake:

1. Remove the sugar flowers and set them aside.
2. Chill the cake well before wrapping it up so that the icing hardens. This way it won't stick to the plastic wrap and make a mess.
3. Wrap the (unadorned) cake in several layers of plastic wrap -- not aluminum foil, which can cause freezer burn.
4. Seal the wrapped cake in an air-tight bag and place it in the freezer.
5. Snag a ribbon (from your bouquet, the centerpieces, your hair, a gift) and tie it around the cake package to mark it so that you don't mistake it for anything else.

**Important Tip: Try not to expose your cake too much by opening it up in the freezer. The more often you do, the less fresh it will be on your anniverary.**

{Courtesy of the Knot}