When my stepdaughter got married in November 2009, the cheesemonger in the family had to pull out all the stops. We came up with a seven-tier beauty to feed about cater for around 110, which Annie decorated with blue touches to tie in with the florists theme. This cake is named after Dartington Hall, where the reception was held.
The base cheese here is something you can't really go wrong with: Cornish Brie. And if you're worrying about the brie carrying all that weight, don't! As long as we steer clear of really ripe cheese (and we do), there won't be a problem. Above that is a 4kg wheel of real traditional cheddar from top maker, Quickes. Then comes Robin Congdon's classic Devon Blue.
So the bottom three layers cover three cheese staples: a cheddar, a blue, a brie. Then things get interesting. The standard cake has a Miss Muffet as its middle layer (but see below for options). This is a springy, sweet cheese from Cornwall which will contrast nicely with strong cheddar. Finally three goats' cheeses: creamy sweet White Nancy (we love this one!), a vine leaf wrapped Little Wallop, and - right on top - a little Gevrik.
Middle Layer Options
Instead of Miss Muffet, what about having the washed-rind version of this cheese, Keltic Gold? Washed for several weeks in Cornish Cider, the result is gorgeously fruity. Beware, though: it's also quite a lot smellier! One other possibility here is a cheese I'm always banging on about, Smoked Woolsery (shown in the picture), a delightful smoked goats' cheese from Dorset.
Cheddar Option
Simple one this: swap your plain cheddar for a Quickes Oak-Smoked Cheddar.
