Couples are mixing it up this year when it comes to wedding cakes. Some want cakes with new designs or elements, like cupcakes, while others are going back to classic styles. There are many options to suit a variety of preferences.
Julie Shuler, owner of The Cake Shoppe in Springfield, has received multiple requests for a one-tier cake surrounded by gourmet cupcakes. The wedding couple cuts the cake and guests help themselves to the cupcakes.
"The cake is presented with the cupcakes, which are arranged on decorative cake stands," she says. Couples report that "guests are very pleased with the arrangement and variety of options."
Dessert tables are becoming more popular, too, according to brides.com. This is the stuff of dreams for sweet lovers and can include a cake as well as cupcakes, specialty cookies, mini-cheesecakes, brownies, pies, candy bars or doughnuts. The key is to keep the desserts easy to carry and eat. Couples may want to choose the desserts around a theme, such as the state fair, and serve mini-doughnuts and funnel cakes, or they can simply pick their favorite sweet treats.
If a cake will be your only or featured dessert, some couples are opting to add texture to the cake layers. "Some of the ways to add texture are with spatula marks, piping stencils or by creating fault lines, or ruffles made with gum paste," says Shuler. "A few of the textures I'm loving right now are shag, beading and the knitted look."
To add color to a cake, some couples want "color blocking, often in gold or rose gold, painted on florals and paint brush strokes, and colored drip cakes," she adds.
Rustic cakes are popular now, too. They are also called "naked cakes" because they have little to no frosting on the sides of the cake for a bare look. "The rustic cakes are often displayed on natural wood stands and are accompanied by similarly decorated cupcakes and other desserts," says Shuler. Some are adorned with pine boughs, leaves, fruits or flower sprays.
Flowers, and lots of them, is another current trend, according to theknot.com. Wrapping spirals of flowers, frosting or ribbons around the whole cake or layers of cake is stylish. So is decorating your cake with details from the bride's wedding dress.
Shuler predicts more couples will want each layer of a multi-tiered cake to have a different flavor and filling. "This trend has been increasing over time, and I only expect it to become the new normal," she says.
In addition, couples are opting to put decorations, such as small chandeliers or flower-filled glass containers, between cake layers, according to theknot.com.
But old is new again, too. "I expect to see a return to classical styles that typically include elegant or dramatic piping and multiple tiers. Examples of this classic look include filigree, string work, swags and lattice," Shuler says.
New cake decorations include angular shapes, according to brides.com. You'll find geometric shaped cake stands and toppers, as well as triangles and chevrons made with fondant or frosting. How about block-shaped cake layers? It's been done.
When it comes to the cake, you probably have more choices than ever before in terms of flavors and style. It's your day, do what you want. This is one time when you can have your cake and eat it, too!
