The First Becky BakesWell Wedding Cake...

It has been nearly two months since the confetti was thrown and my beautiful polka dot wedding cake was baked, decorated, stacked and sliced. It is based on a design by the esteemed Peggy Porschen, chosen to compliment the polka dot silk tulle of my wedding dress.

There were four tiers, each comprising of different flavours of cake. The bottom tier was chocolate sponge, filled with chocolate ganache and Black Forest syrup. The next tier up was a vanilla Victoria Plum Sponge. The vanilla sponge was drenched with Creme Brulee syrup and filled with vanilla ganache and Victoria Plum jam. The third tier was a lemon sponge sandwiched with fragrant lemon buttercream and lemon curd. Finally, the top tier was a traditional fruit cake in honour of my Nan, as she doesn't think a wedding cake is complete without a fruit cake!

It was without doubt, the most exciting and nerve-wracking challenge I have ever set for myself. However, the moment when I finally finished the cake and I stood back, tired, drained and with more than a touch of Wedding Eve nerves, I also felt a sense of quiet pride that I've never really experienced before. For the first time, I felt I had achieved something that I had previously thought was a bit beyond my ability. I recognised too, the sense of elation that a creative person gets when you see your dreams and ideas standing before you in reality.

In my previous career as I teacher, the sense of achievement I was meant to feel on exam results day when my students had done well and passed their exams was present, but it always felt slightly hollow, as it felt a bit conceited to believe that my students' achievements were my own achievements - after all, they had taken the exams, not me. When I bake, I feel that I am at my most authentic, so it was nice to finally feel comfortable in accepting credit for my work from those most important to me.

Here's to the first Becky BakesWell wedding cake - hope there are many more to come...

Becky B x