Question 1

We're currently planning our big day and we've decided against a traditional white cake. Do you have any alternative suggestions?

Accepted Answer

Fondant, buttercream and chocolate ganache can be created in a myriad of colours, so there's no need to keep your cake traditional. You could choose a single-tier design that's been painted with an ombré effect on fondant icing with an accompanying dessert table to treat your friends and family. Embrace a dark colour palette with black icing and pops of colour, or if you prefer something a little less bold, go for pastel tones with a pretty icing stencil. Alternatively, try a modern look with acrylic separators between the tiers, with the cake displayed on a pedestal topped with flowers.

Question 2

How can we create an impressive cake for our wedding without it costing the earth?

Accepted Answer

There are a couple of ways that we can create impressive cakes while also managing a tight budget. Firstly, we can use dummy tiers instead of cake to create a larger design without having lots of leftovers. These dummies are iced in the same fashion as the real cake and decorated to match. Obviously, the larger you go, the more decoration you require, and therefore it can incur additional costs. Secondly, use stands and clear acrylic tiers to increase the height and presence of your design. We use hoop stands to help increase the size of the overall design. This works especially well for small bakes. Or you can fill the clear acrylic tiers with flowers, foliage and tiny lights and use them as the base tier of your cake or as another stand to increase the height. The best option is to be honest with your designer about your budget and what you want from your design, and I'm sure that between you, you can create a fantastic cake that will wow your guests.

Question 3

My wife-to-be and I are looking for a fun cake that will get our guests talking. Do you have any suggestions?

Accepted Answer

Why not opt for a Lambeth/Barbie-effect cake? Dive into a world where every colour and hue transforms your bake into a masterpiece. Elevate the excitement with accent fruits, and let frills, coils, and piping embellishments create a visual feast on your cake table. It's not just a treat; it's a celebration of decadence and creativity!

Question 4

What will be the top cake trends for 2024?

Accepted Answer

The pressed-dried flower trend is here to stay. Summer weddings are still opting for delicate pressed flower designs, which give the wow factor in a very simple way. We have even started pressing flowers in our store, so we can colour match the flowers to the bride's bouquet. As well as pressed flowers, the piped buttercream flowers are also a firm favourite and we expect this to carry on into 2024. What is lovely about this is that the piped flowers can reflect the season and the colours and flowers used in the decoration of the wedding itself. Whether you're having a summer or autumn wedding, floral designs can be tailored to the colours of the season to suit the vibe of the wedding. Another trend that has been filling my Instagram page is Lambeth-style cakes! These look beautiful as a one-tier option if you're having a small and intimate wedding, or as a showstopper three- or four-tier wedding cake to feed many. The Lambeth design is traditionally decorated in royal icing, which is a bit outdated for 2024, so it is now being executed in either buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream to give a silky-smooth finish to this simple but elegant cake design.

Question 5

We'd love to have a luxurious cake on our big day, but we're worried about the price tag. Do you have any ideas of how we can keep the cost down?

Accepted Answer

Luxurious wedding cakes come at a higher price due to their size and the intricate details often requested. One way to get maximum detail without spending hours piping on the cake is to use stencilling; there are some amazing designs available that will get the intricate finish you require. Increasing the quantity of cake can be costly, so you could use stands to create a big impact without having hundreds of portions of cake, such as filler tiers that can contain lights and fresh flowers, hoop stands that continue the floral theme of a cake or the new gravity-defying stands that give height to a cake. The best advice would be to find a cake designer with experience, give them a set budget and work together to create a luxurious design. They will quite often be able to offer options you may not have thought of.

Question 6

What would you suggest for a summer-themed wedding cake?

Accepted Answer

When putting together a design for your cake, think about your favourite memories together and incorporate them to add some personality to your big-day bake. For example, if you're opting for a seaside theme, a cake like the one pictured would be perfect. This lemon cake was decorated with barnacle meringues, buttercream baby barnacles with lots of coastal flora and foliage and seagrasses with a red kelp dressing under the stand.

Question 7

My wife-to-be and I are having a summer wedding and would love to incorporate the season into our cake. Do you have any ideas?

Accepted Answer

The best thing about summer is the flavours; ripe berries and sharp citrus flavours are perfect for reflecting bright and warm summer sunshine. I encourage you to go large on the fruit flavours available this time of year. Whether they are baked into the cake, a filling or decoration – nothing says summer better. Your cake maker should be able to use fresh fruits in their sponges or freeze-dried fruit, sharp curds and fruit purees to really give that fresh summer punch. In our opinion, the inside of a cake says as much as the outside.

Question 8

What are the latest cake trends?

Accepted Answer

In 2023 we are seeing a lot of non-traditional designs such as: Floating cakes – these give the illusion of floating tiers using sidebar stands. Spiral and waterfall style cakes – this is a clever technique where the flowers are arranged either in a spiral around the cake using wires so that it stands free, or in a waterfall design that cascades down the front or side of the cake using wires to make them stand unrestrained. Pressed flower/ edible flower cakes – this method utilises fresh, edible or pressed flowers that are stuck to the side of the cake in a pleasing pattern or design. Buttercream flower cakes painted using a palette knife – this design utilises oil painting skills to paint 3D buttercream flowers onto the sides and top of the cake. Small cakes made bigger using stands – if you're having a small wedding but still want your cake to stand out, then the clever use of stands and clear acrylic tiers will help increase the overall size without increasing the number of portions of cake.

Question 9

We want a cake that will wow our guests; do you have any suggestions?

Accepted Answer

If you're after a cake that will impress your guests, this can be done in several ways; think about the flavours and finish of the cake and the colours used. The cake pictured used autumnal tones, echoing the AW23 Pantone report, in tender peach, rose violet and Persian jewel. Teamed with spiced carrot and an orange-blossom buttercream, zesty lemon and triple raspberry, it's finished with bright colours and quality fresh and dried flowers. This style works well with small and large budgets and will create the wow factor every time.

FAQs and expert advice about cakes