The Most Stunning Non-Traditional White Wedding Cakes

Oh now I do hope you’re not hungry because if you are, this is a feature that’s going to set your stomach rumbling! Today, we’re looking at white wedding cakes and indulging with some beautiful designs that are nothing like the traditional heavily white iced designs of the past. If you’d like a wedding cake that’s delicious, gorgeous and totally on-trend, then you need to read on…

Images: Top Row Left via Wedding Sparrow (as before) | Top Row Right via You & Your Wedding | Second Row Left via You Mean The World To Me | Second Row Right via Wildflower Cakes | Third Row Left via Deer Pearl Flowers | Third Row Right via Love My Dress | Bottom Row Left via Not On The High Street | Bottom Row Right via The Cake Parlour

Why are wedding cakes white?

So let’s just start with a quick history lesson and, as with white wedding dresses, white wedding cakes also come from the Victorian era. Wedding cakes were a symbol of social status and the higher the cake was, the higher up in society you were seen to be. White iced cakes were another symbol of money and class in Victorian times because the ingredients needed to create the pure white icing were super expensive. So, if you could afford a many-tiered cake thickly coated in white icing, you were doing well and you’d want everyone to know about it!

This baked tradition continued until fairly recently and it’s only in the last few decades that we’ve seen coloured cakes, cakes of different shapes, sizes and designs and cakes that include different flavours. Now, when it comes to cake, anything goes but more and more brides are falling in love once again with elegant white cakes and so these have been re-imagined for the twenty-first Century…

Images: Top Row via Wedding Sparrow | Second Row Left via Elizabeth Anne Designs | Second Row Right via Ruffled | Third Row Left via Bloved Blog | Third Row Right via Fab Mood | Bottom Row Left via Wedding Chicks | Bottom Row Right via Wedding Sparrow (as before)

Modern white wedding cakes

Modern white wedding cakes are just works of art that taste as good as they look. The days of heavy fruitcake encased in marzipan and a layer of white icing so hard it could crack your teeth are long gone. Non-traditional cakes are soft, sweet and altogether delightful. So, if you’re looking for a wedding cake that’s all kinds of wonderful, here are a few ideas for you:

• Patterned cakes – these are the most refined of all white designs with minimal embellishments. Instead, a delicate pattern is stamped on the icing or perhaps a brush of silver gilt is added for contrast. These are uber luxe cakes that can work with any style of wedding because you’re able to add a bloom or a few sprigs of greenery for contrast.
• Drip cakes – drip cakes are everywhere right now and they’re definitely special enough for weddings. A thin layer of white buttercream icing covers the cake and a yummy sauce is literally dripped over the edges. Winter cakes can include berries and a salted caramel sauce for example and summer cakes work well with a delicate floral or fruited sauce and flowers or macaroons.
• Shaped cakes – I just LOVE shaped cakes that kick against the expected. Instead of round tiers, how about square or hexagonal layers or why not create a cake that’s a mixture of all the geometrics you love?
• Single tier cakes – single tier cakes are also another hot trend right now and you can combine any of the above variations with a single tier cake. In fact, most single tiers are still stacked but the cakes inside the icing are all the same size!
• Decorated cakes – now these are some of my absolute favourites. I love carefully thought out decorations on pure white modern cakes. A simple garnish of berries is effective and budget friendly or you could go all out with florals to match your bouquet, use a wintry garland or even add some dried seed heads or jewels. Whatever takes your fancy and suits your day will look amazing on a pure white background.

So, as you can see, modern white wedding cakes are anything but boring and nothing like the confections of the past. Embrace the modern and give your tastebuds a real treat!