A complete guide to wedding cakes: tips, trends, tiers and tastings

When you imagine a wedding cake, what do you see? Three tiers of fruit cake covered in thick white icing, decorated with piped white flowers? A ceramic bride and groom perched on top?

Wedding cakes have come a long way since that was the norm. They can be any flavour, any sponge, any shape or size, and they can be decorated in countless and ever more beautiful ways. And with the huge array of designers posting their cake creations to social media, brides and grooms can drool over dreamy bakes to their hearts’ content.

Cake maker Alessandra Estrada worked at Ladurée and for Alain Ducasse before setting up her west London based company Cake Me Baby and is beloved of the fashion industry for her often off-the-wall designs (having made Star Wars and Vivienne Westwood inspired wedding cakes, no brief is too bizarre). She thinks the wedding cake industry is really opening up. “I feel it’s starting to look more painterly than it ever has,” she tells me. “This crazy cake is a piece of art unto itself and doesn’t look like anything else you’ve ever seen before.”

Rosalind Miller, who has twice won Wedding Cake Maker of the Year and whose refined and elegant cakes have featured at many weddings of Middle Eastern royals, agrees. “I think cake designers and bakers are starting to see the possibilities of cakes as an art form,” she says. “They’re really starting to explore what can be done using an edible medium.”

So the sky is the limit for what you can do. Whether you’ve already got a good idea of what you want or you’ve never given it a second thought, read on for the biggest trends as well as tips on how to choose.

Types of icing

Fondant

This smooth all over iced look is the most traditional and formal style of cake decoration, and while it might conjure up images of a chintzy affair, fondant iced cakes are anything but. Plus, they cope better with adverse (too hot or too cold) weather conditions better than other types of icing. Whether you go leftfield or stick to a classic look, this cake suits most weddings.

Buttercream

Many people prefer the flavour of buttercream icing and it’s definitely become increasingly popular ever since the cupcake explosion of the early 2000s. It’s fun and frivolous and Miller believes it will only grow in popularity. “I think with the royal wedding they’re going to have a buttercream covered cake and fresh flowers, so we’re going to see a lot more of that,” she says. “It is much less formal, much more relaxed”

Just beware, however, that as it means keeping butter out of the fridge you can run into problems on a very hot day if you don’t have access to refrigeration.

Ten cake trends to consider

1. Naked / semi-naked

This style of cake has been an Instagram star for the last couple of years. The sponge and fillings remain on display as either only a light dusting of icing sugar is shimmied over the sides, or some barely-there buttercream is smeared across. “I think it’s a very good cake because it is very organic,” says Estrada. “If you have an outdoor, farm style, festival, camping wedding, naked cakes totally fit the brief.”

2. Hand painted

Cake designers are artists so why not let them take a brush to your cake? Think floral illustrations or a romantic quote or lyrics that mean something to you. Watercolour brushstrokes in the colour of your wedding theme are also popular.

3. Sugar flowers and rosettes

A classic choice for traditional wedding cakes but again don’t be fooled into thinking that this is an old fashioned option. Cake makers are so skilled that each hand crafted sugar flower will look real and they can achieve some stunning results. All-over rosette designs are a more modern take on this look and will make you want to reach out and pick a rose right off the top. Try to resist until after you’ve cut it though.

4. Drips

White or dark chocolate dripping from the top tier of your wedding cake will create an indulgent feel and while this seems a more informal approach to decoration, it can be used alongside hand painted elements as well as sugar and real flowers.

5. Metallics

As with the trend for foil wedding invitations, metallics are major when it comes to wedding cakes too. Gold and silver work well for almost any style of event, depending on how they’re used. If you don’t want to be too blingy then restrict them to decoration rather than an all-over finish.

6. Ombre

The dip-dye hair story may not be as big as it once was but ombre wedding cakes are still huge. This gentle merging of shades can be achieved with edible flowers or using a hand painting technique.  

7. 3D Texture

The big trend in wedding cakes in 2018 is texture,” says Estrada. “And they’re meant to hold their own as a piece, the way you would have a centerpiece. So cakes with sails coming off the top, waves of chocolate, things cascading down the front, icing that looks like paint swipes coming off the cake. They’re based around shape, colour and texture, the really base elements of art.” We’re in.

8. Woodland / Botanical

This is all about a rustic and homespun effect. Think complementary herbs and flowers adorning a simple semi-naked iced sponge. Display on an artisan wooden board surrounded with well-chosen foliage. Cute.

9. Geometric

Squares and rectangles with sharp edges covered in perfectly neat fondant icing, which is then embellished with geometric patterns and graphic prints. “A bit art deco and a bit Bauhaus,” describes Estrada. “But really modern at the same time.”

10. Black

There’s nothing that says a wedding needs to be white and if you’re a fan of Gothic style or just want a cake that really stands out against the rest of your day, why not consider an all-black cake?

Tips from our top cake designers

Always do a tasting

It won’t matter how intricate, show stopping or elegant the decoration on your cake is if it doesn’t taste delicious, so Miller says a tasting is imperative. “It’s quite a big investment,” she says. “You want to make sure it’s beautiful on the outside but it’s got to taste really good as well.” You need a cake designer who can not only be creative artistically, but who can actually bake too.

Make sure the images on a designer’s website are of their own work

They’ve lured you in with pictures of stunning cakes, but did they ‘borrow’ them from elsewhere on the internet or did they actually make them? Don’t be afraid to ask and do some research to avoid being disappointed.

Consider the cake early on in the planning process

You will usually know your venue, date, head count and aesthetic before choosing your cake but don’t leave it too much longer once those things are in place. “The longer you leave it the less options you have,” explains Estrada. “The more likely you are to not get the cake you want from the person you want to make it.” If your preferred cake designer is a wedding specialist then you may even need to book them a year ahead of your big day. “There are only so many we can deliver per week and there’s only so many we can make per week,” agrees Miller.

Have a budget in mind

“I think the most important thing is to be in tune with your budget,” says Estrada. “There’s nothing more disappointing for a couple than to talk to a cake maker, love their ideas and their concepts, and then not to be able to move forward with it.” So have a clear idea of how much you can spend before meeting with a cake designer and try to get acquainted with the actual costs of the painstaking work they do, so your expectations can match the reality.

Think about portion size and number of guests

Your cake maker will be able to guide you on the size and number of tiers your cake will need in order to cater for all your guests, but as a rule of thumb you’ll need three or four tiers for between 50 and 100 guests and at least five for more than 200. Also make it clear to your cake designer if you’re serving it instead of dessert, so they can take a larger portion size into account.

Agree how the cake will be supported and displayed

Large cakes with multiple tiers will need internal infrastructure and support so discuss this with your designer. The last thing you want to worry about on the big day is a leaning tower of sponge…

And agree how you’d like the cake maker to set it up. Will you use vintage cake stands? Do you want your florist to dress it with fresh blooms? Do you have a particular topper you’d like to be added? Be specific so it’s displayed just as you envisaged in all its delicious glory.

Have a delivery plan

Usually your supplier will take charge of the delivery and set up of the cake but be sure to check with your venue what time they will have access to the reception room. It may also be worth checking if the venue has the capacity for refrigeration should your cake need it.

Get inspired and choose a flavour you love

Many people have at least a vague idea of what they’d like their wedding cake to look like, but if you’re struggling to picture it then Estrada suggests starting with the other elements of your wedding to get inspired. When faced with a client who hasn’t got a specific vision she starts with the colour theme they’ve already planned before moving on to think about the venue, flowers and even the bride’s dress. “Even if we just get you to a point where we understand what your basic aesthetic is and what colours we’re working with, that’s a really good starting point,” she says.

Miller also recommends thinking of the cake as part of the reception décor rather than a stand-alone piece and if you’re really stuck then check out Pinterest and Instagram.

And while you might want to consider the overall aesthetic of your wedding, Estrada says you shouldn’t get hung up on what your cake should or shouldn’t be. If you want a rustic naked cake at The Dorchester then do it. If you want a Twin Peaks themed cake in a marquee then do it. “You see people get stuck in the ‘supposed tos’, and I tell them, ‘do whatever you want. It’s fine it’s your wedding, it’s your day.’”

Listen to your designer and have an open mind

As well as being a source of ideas for how your cake could look, your designer will also be able to help with practicalities, so enter into the process with an open mind. It’s a collaboration and everyone involved will want the best possible outcome for your wedding cake. “A lot of the time people have these really insane ideas which is fantastic but you have to be realistic,” says Estrada. “It’s part of my job to make you think of things you might not have thought of. If I say to you it’s not going to work it’s because I don’t want anything to go wrong for you. I certainly do not want the cake to be the thing that lets down your wedding.”