Royal wedding cake: Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's 400-egg treat
As Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s wedding guests mingle around Friday's afternoon’s reception inside Windsor Castle, the centrepiece is bound to be the five-tier cake.
Designed by cook Sophie Cabot, the royal wedding cake features enormous quantities of eggs, butter and flour.
To ensure it was ready on time, Ms Cabot began baking in earnest in Buckingham Palace's kitchens on Wednesday ahead of the big day.
The giant red velvet and chocolate cake contains up to 400 eggs, at least 53 packs of unsalted butter, 15 kilograms of organic self raising flour and 20 kilos of sugar.
Ms Cabot, 33, admitted she felt "very honoured" to be selected as baker for the royal wedding.
She first met the couple in the summer, when she brought cake samples and said: "The couple were very relaxed, very comfortable. I got the feeling the cake was something they were very excited about.
"It was a fun meeting as well because I don't think it's every day you have a meeting about cake and you get to try cake."
The cake designer, who is based in Fulham, west London, has created a cake that consists of three tiers of red velvet and two of chocolate sponge cake. The cake is covered with buttercream, white icing and decorated with sugar work with an autumnal theme.
Although the choice of cake is not traditional, Ms Cabot said the couple insisted on it. She said: "They were very excited about having red velvet, during the tastings red velvet and chocolate came out top.
"It's a lovely thing to have at this time of year as well - it's a nice rich cake.
"Not one cake is ever the same and this was extra because of the time of year and they wanted to keep it so seasonal - it was a real joy."
After meeting with the couple several times to finalise the design, the professional baker began working on the cake in July, starting with detailed sugar flowers and foliage, from ivy and acorns to white flowers and maple leaves, which will decorate the five tiers of the cake.
"With such a big cake, you need to start well in advance - especially with all the sugar work, so it was important to get going quite quickly." she added.
