‘A party without cake is just a meeting’ – Julia Child
Remember those days when wedding cakes were pretty but kind of gross? In fact, till about 10 or so years ago, caterers often told their clients that they would only need enough cake for about half of their guests, as most people would avoid the cake that they assume is dry and tasteless. Here’s some good news: those days are long gone!
The wedding cake has evolved a lot over the last 10 years. People have started looking beyond what they used to see as a “traditional” wedding cake, and are opting for cakes that suit their style, and that, most importantly, taste delicious.
There’s so much to choose from. We had some of our cakes on display last weekend at Sydney’s One Fine Day Wedding Fair, and I thought I’d share some them with you to spark your wedding cake imaginations!
Here we have 3 Wedding Cake Trends in One:
STRIP IT DOWN
People are loving naked cakes, or (like the picture above) semi-naked cakes. They do say, “it’s what’s underneath that counts!” and by leaving the layers of a delicious cake exposed, the cake can really speak for itself! For those of you who aren’t into the flavour of fondant, or who might find a lot of buttercream to be too rich for your taste, you should consider a naked or semi-naked cake for your wedding!
DRIP, DRIP, DELICIOUS DRIP
Probably one of the hottest trends in cakes at the moment is the drip cake. The drip adds a pop of colour, and just screams “I’m a really fun cake!” You can have a semi-naked drip cake, like the one above, or drip cakes can also be iced with buttercream or covered in fondant. The drip itself can be chocolate, or caramel, or lots of other flavours, and colours!
KEEP IT FRESH
Flowers and wedding cake go together like nutella and a spoon. And although it’s still wonderful to have sweet, edible flowers on your cake (see cupcakes below), having fresh flowers on your wedding cake is just beautiful! They can be bunched together or placed sporadically or they can cascade down the side of your cake. They can go on top or just around the bottom edge of the cake… the possibilities are endless. And it just looks fresh and exquisite! At a wedding I catered earlier this year, we decorated the cake with the same flowers as the bride’s bouquet and the table centerpieces. A really great way to tie everything together! And btw – for those of you looking to save some money, fresh flowers (as opposed to fondant or sugar flowers) is a great way to save.
MAKE IT SHINE
Metallic cakes are also trending for weddings, and it’s not hard to see why. The metallics add an element of glam to any wedding cake. And if an entire gold or silver cake seems too much for you, as you can see in the pic above, having only one layer shine, still makes a huge, stunning statement.
So, apart from the gorgeous fresh flowers, this cake also incorporates 2 other really great trends:
TAKE IT BACK TO SCHOOL
The chalkboard cake is another big trend for those who are having vintage or rustic-style weddings. The look of the cake is pretty much what it sounds like. A chalkboard, with any chalk design or message that you’d like on the cake! Once combined with colourful flowers, this is the kind of cake your guests will remember for years to come!
TOP IT OFF WITH ANOTHER DESSERT
Why not decorate your delicious cake with something just as delicious? Adding macarons as a decoration to your cake adds style, colour, and well, as I said before, more deliciousness!
AN OLD FAVOURITE
Lastly, we had reliable and trustworthy cupcakes! They aren’t as popular as they were a few years back, but that shouldn’t deter you. Who doesn’t love a cupcake? Small and moist, they are an easy addition to your dessert table so that a) you don’t have to worry about cutting it up like a regular cake, and b) your guests can help themselves. It’s also easier for them to take home a cupcake, rather than a slice of cake, if they’re too full from your wedding feast! For a more rustic look, cupcakes can be frosted with buttercream, or can also feature fresh flowers. For a more streamline look, we can top them off with fondant, as well as sugar or rice paper flowers.
