There is no denying that the cake is an important part of a wedding. From simple white cakes to tiered delicacies decorated in unconventional and brilliantly creative ways, there is no shortage of ideas for the confection that makes the day a tad bit sweeter.
Interestingly, cakes were not a tradition back in the day. Instead, pies of various sorts were associated with weddings. For instance, the earliest recorded recipe for a wedding is for a savory Bride’s pie. It was published in the year 1685 in The Accomplished Cook.
Eventually, as sugar became more popular in the mid-16th century, wedding cakes became rightfully more popular than pies. Since it was still expensive and required refinement, using it on confections was a status symbol. In fact, it was dubbed as Royal Icing thanks to Queen Victoria’s wedding cake.
Now, wedding cakes have made up an entire industry that creates some of the most delectable cakes that are essentially the cherry on top of the nuptials.
When couples start planning their wedding and toss ideas, the cake is one of the first things considered. It’s the centerpiece of the wedding, marking your happy day.
Deciding on a Wedding Cake
There is a lot that goes into designing a wedding cake. On the surface, there are two main things to consider, the flavor and the outside décor. But when you break it down, the list grows longer.
You have to select the size, shape, the number of tiers, whether all layers will have the same flavor or not, type of icing, cake toppers, and much more. Also, the options for the décor are virtually endless.
In our effort to make your planning a bit easier, we have narrowed down some wedding cake decoration ideas that may strike your fancy.
The Naked Cake
We’ve seen this trend already taken off. As bohemian and nature-themed weddings are becoming popular, naked wedding cakes are the go-to option for many couples.
Naked wedding cakes are called that because they don’t have the usual layer of icing around the outside of the cake. It’s either completely absent or just enough that you can see the sponge underneath quite clearly.
They are often decorated with fresh fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, and seasonal fruit with some greenery to create a contrast.
If seasonal fruit doesn’t seem appealing, you can choose floral decorations. The caterer can choose either edible or non-edible fresh flowers. Either way, the colors from the fruit or flowers look incredible with a darker sponge peeking from a thin layer of white icing.
A Floral Splash
You can never go wrong with a touch of nature on your wedding cake, especially when it consists of delicate flowers. The soft hues from the petals, combined with hints of green from the leaves on a white background, screams wedding.
Adding natural elements like flowers and foliage creates an organic look and makes for a perfect cake for an ethereal and bohemian-style wedding. It works for cakes with fondant and buttercream icing.
You can use edible flowers, such as snapdragons, pea shoots, spider mums, honeysuckle, lavender, rose, hibiscus, and more. For a cake even more cohesive with the theme, you can use the same flowers as the ones in your bouquet.
Ruffles
Buttercream icing can do wonders. When prepared and piped the right way with a steady hand, they can create incredible shapes. One of these includes ruffles, which are made with a special icing nozzle.
Ruffles create a soft look and add dimension to the cake as they stick out from the surface. You can choose all the tiers to be decorated with white ruffles for a simple look. Or you can add color and decorations to make it more interesting.
You can have the baker use different colors for each cake layer or create an ombre effect by mixing different colored icing in the icing bag. Alternating ruffled and smooth layers also create a beautiful contrast.
Bling it Out
If you aren’t afraid of adding a little bit of drama and glamour in your wedding, then blinging out the wedding cake can be an interesting option. A few rhinestones, pearls, glitter, and metallic details can take the cake to a whole new level.
Not only is it a deliciously sweet addition to your wedding celebration, but it is also a glitzy and glamorous statement piece.
There are numerous ways you can take a plain white wedding cake and bling it out. Addition of a band of small white edible pearls around the bottom of each tier looks very bourgeoisie. Or you can make it understated by creating a quilted effect with a pearl in each crossover point.
For more over-the-top cakes, you can add edible glitter, rhinestones, gold foil, and glittery ribbons.
Capturing Art Deco
In terms of style and design trends, the 1920s are definitely one of the most iconic eras. With elements of the Gatsby era coming back in style, art deco is a hot trend right now.
It’s inspired by gorgeous rich colors, a bit of bling, and architectural elements that reached their zenith in the 20s.
Bold geometrical patterns, gold ornaments, lavish décor, and feminine motifs. These are the defining elements of art deco.
You can capture the true art deco essence in Gatsby-themed wedding with a cake adorned with opulent designs.
Gold detailing, intricately folded fondant icing, and geometric shapes (especially square) topped with pearls will give you the perfect art deco wedding cake.
Since the wedding cake will be devoured by you and your wedding guests, you can capture its beauty in photographs. Call Doug Burke Photography in the Greensboro area to immortalize your wedding day and the details that made it special. Call us today at 336 486 9932.
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