Cake Help!!!

Ok, so i've been trying to find places online that can do the kind of cake we have in America! I don't even know what it's called......white cake? I thought that they called our cake, sponge cake, but that's not the case, as sponge cake is I believe like angel food cake. My wedding is on July 15th and I only need it to feed 40 people. I do not want a fruitcake, but if I can't find the type of cake I want, then I probably will end up with a fruitcake :/

If any of you know of anyone in London (I live in the Southwest part) that does do this type of cake, I would be ever so greatful! 

As far as I know they call "our" cake sponge cake. I know sponge to us means more of an angelfood, shortcake consistency but a white sponge is how I know the cake in the states to be described. The other thing, I bet you want to make sure is that you don't get that disgusting fonduant icing stuff. That's nasty. I call it plastic icing as you an literally peel it off.

Yes, I would ask for a white sponge cake too.  I don't like the royal icing either!  Blah!  Not unless you want to chip a tooth - lol.  Our cake was a small chocolate sponge cake with creamy-colored buttercream icing and summer fruits garnish all over.

whispersarah is right -- sponge cake isn't the same as angel food cake.

Yes, I would ask for a white sponge cake too.  I don't like the royal icing either!  Blah!  Not unless you want to chip a tooth - lol.  Our cake was a small chocolate sponge cake with creamy-colored buttercream icing and summer fruits garnish all over.

Royal icing and fondant are two very different things! Royal is hard, fondant is the peel-y stuff!

Royal icing and fondant are two very different things! Royal is hard, fondant is the peel-y stuff!

Oh I thought they were the same.  I know what royal icing is then, but I'm not sure I know what the fondant is -- peel-y stuff?

I just ordered a birthday cake for myself (sad I know..but dh is hopeless!) and I have ordered a chocolate sponge with white buttercream icing....

hate HATE fruit cake and roll'y out icing...blech!

Oh I thought they were the same.  I know what royal icing is then, but I'm not sure I know what the fondant is -- peel-y stuff?

I've never made my own fondant, but you see it in the baking section of the supermarket in rolls. It's cooked icing and is sort of soft. But I don't care much for the consistency of it. Granted, homemade would probably be better, but still ...

Royal icing is great! It has egg white and icing sugar in it and can be shaped into all sorts of wonderful things! You can make flowers, animals, etc. All sorts of lovely icing decorations!

So that white 'blanket' of icing that seems to be laid over (UK) traditional birthday cakes, wedding cakes, 'Christmas' cake -- is that royal or fondant?  'Cause usually on a prefab cake (not homemade) it tends to seem kind of hard?

That's one of the things I DO love here!  I loved wedding cake all made of fruitcake - yummy! 

Yes, I think everyone is right, sponge cake is what you want.  Hope you have a great wedding!  Happy Planning!

So that white 'blanket' of icing that seems to be laid over (UK) traditional birthday cakes, wedding cakes, 'Christmas' cake -- is that royal or fondant?  'Cause usually on a prefab cake (not homemade) it tends to seem kind of hard?

I've only ever seen fondant come in a "blanket" -- but perhaps pre-made royal icing does as well? My mother always used royal icing on our Christmas cakes.

When DH and I were picking out our wedding cake, we wanted to go all sponge, but the cake lady chastised us, saying that the tradition is to provide a cake that your guests will enjoy, as it's your way of "giving back" to your guests.  (I think that giving them dinner and a party was enough, but whatever.)  So we went with 3 layers.  The bottom was white sponge with vanilla buttercream, the middle was chocolate sponge with fudge, and the top was the fruitcake.  That way, everyone got what they wanted.  Everyone thought it was cool that they could have chocolate wedding cake.  It had that hard white icing, and I thought that it would be gross, but I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it.

Anyway, have you checked with many local bakeries and/or wedding-cake makers?  We found that most places were surprised when we said that we wanted a sponge cake for our wedding, but they were all more than happy to oblige.

So we went with 3 layers.  The bottom was white sponge with vanilla buttercream, the middle was chocolate sponge with fudge, and the top was the fruitcake. 

That's a great idea! My bf is already threatening that he wants a three-tier pork pie. 

We had a two tier cake all matching for our UK blessing.

But the bottom layer was the traditional fruitcake and the top was the lovely sponge with strawberries in the middle. 

I kind of liked it as it was like us a marriage between two traditions and cultures.

Though after our US wedding my mom made the cake and it was a traditional vanilla cake with lovely fluffy buttercream frosting.

Ah, so they call our american white cake, sponge cake? That's what I thought. And I agree with you StuzMrs, that the party and company is enough, but my fiance feels exactly the same as your DH does. Conflict of interest for us.... so since the sponge cake is not actually what we americans call sponge cake, then we'll probably go with one tier of fruitcake and one tier of sponge..... I thought maybe one tier would be enough, so if it will be, then I definitely want sponge - I feel like people should try something new.... which would be the sponge and not the fruit. But the partner feels like people should enjoy it. :/ And ew, I know, I do NOT want that hard icing, no offence to the people who like it.

I'v been looking at this site, as this is the cheapest I've seen online so far, without having to go hunting down a good bakery to do it :p

http://www.cakesbyjackie.co.uk/

Like I said, the cake only needs to be big enough for 40 people, so maaayyyyybe, half sponge, half fruit might be do-able? I'll have to see. But you think I should go with her then? Tha's if she can do it in such a short time, if not then I'm back at square one :/

Looks good!  Incidentally, our cake came from "Cakes by Jacqueline."