Wedding Cakes for 2008

A new year began and so many couples are making plans for their wedding.  So many things to consider, but the one that I am most concerned with is The Wedding Cake, after all there is no wedding without the bride and groom and their WEDDING CAKE. 

So, what are the trends for this year? well, there is so much information on latest trend for 2008 for wedding cakes, that’s overwhelming me.  The first thing that I ask the client/bride when I speak with them over the phone for the first time is “simple and elegant.”  When I hear the word SIMPLE, I envision either a round or square cake with clean and smooth icing (fondant or buttercream) and a simple topper.  And when I hear the word ELEGANT, I envision a border around the edges of the cake, and small flower clusters or scattered petals falling down the cake or around the bottom border.  Another design that comes to mind and I consider elegant are the Scrolls (which come in many sizes, can be displayed or piped all over the cake or just a few scattered).  These can be in different sizes and can be done in buttercream, fondant or royal icing, and can be also done in different colors contrasting with the main color of the cake or the same color as the cake.  The scrolls can also be painted in luster dust, giving them the look of pearlized.  Another type of design that brides like which also falls in the category of ELEGANT are polka dots, or simply small pearls around the cake in a scattered kind of way.  These dots or peals can be in buttercream, fondant or royal icing and can too be in different colors contrasting with the cake or the same color of the cake.  

I have been doing cakes for while now and I honestly can say that I have done a great variety of cake designs. The biggest challenge I have had was when I worked with black icing, either fondant or buttercream, since black stains not only your teeth, but it can bleed on the icing of the cake.  There are ways to work around it, if you are willing to pay the little extra to make sure the end result on the design stays clean and ELEGANT.

Everything will depend on the type of icing the bride or client wants for the cake.  Fondant is more versatile than buttercream and whipped cream.  When I work with fondant, the designs are endless, there are so many ways to work around it and the chances to come out with a fantastic end result are very high. 

Now we jump onto other trends, such as adding personality to the cake design, using different shapes and sizes and color.  Designing a cake resembling the wedding gown is still a big trend and will continue to be a hot trend for years to come.  Like I said at the beginning of this post, a wedding is not a wedding without the bride and groom and their WEDDING CAKE.  So having your wedding cake resemble the bride’s gown is indeed ELEGANT and STUNNING.  Everyone will talk about your cake for a long time.

Let’s go now to the fun trend of wedding cakes.  Some clients desire something different.  But going out of the ordinary can cost a little bit more.  The more complex the design, the higher the price.  So, when a bride comes to me and tells me that they want a multicolor tier cake, I say great! let’s do it.  We can get colorful and fun.  There is nothing wrong with having a wedding cake in multiple colors.  Everyone will talk about your colorful cake for a long time and they will have fond memories about it too, especially if they captured a photo of the bride with some red and blue frosting on the bride’s nose!

Another trend in wedding cakes is having a topsy turvy wedding cake as the center piece of your reception. A mad hatter cake will be for sure the talk of the night and many days to come among your guests.  They will feel like being in Alice in Wonderland and that’s something worth a little extra money.  Designs are countless, displays can be designed in so many different ways. 

Let’s summarize this up: Wedding cakes trends for 2008, simple and elegant, color, shape, size, display, straight or slanted.  However, it all comes down to what THE BRIDE wants, HER personality, HER tastes, HER thoughts, HER dreams. 

Now, go and have a cupcake!