Everything evolves, and just like weddings, the 21st century wedding cake represents some fresh new ideas.

Personalization – a definite trend in wedding cakes

21st century brides and grooms want their wedding cake to be as individual as they are.

There was a time when brides chose a cake from the catalog that the pastry chef gave them, or brought a photo from a magazine. Today both brides and grooms realize how special they are and don’t want a replica of a cake in the photo. Realizing that the wedding cake is the centerpiece of their reception, they want their cake individually designed to their personal style and taste, both in design and taste. So they put on their thinking caps and come up with their own ideas, usually coordinating their cake design, icing design, cake decorations and decorations, with the color scheme of the wedding, the theme of the wedding , the bridal attire, the flowers, the wedding accessories, the decoration of the reception room, and if they have children, the family.
Having provided bakers with details to adhere to, they hope the result will be a totally unique and PERSONALIZED cake.

The shape

Gone are the overly ornate cakes. Nowadays, brides and grooms want to express themselves with wedding cakes to look luxurious, elegant and classy, ​​go well with the wedding motifs and taste delicious.

Although round tiers are still the favourites, square, octagon and hexagon shaped tiers are gaining in popularity, as are tiers of different shapes stacked together. For example, round levels on square or hexagonal levels. Once assembled, the chosen shape(s) and color(s) should produce a simple yet luxurious, classy and elegant appearance.

The structure

The trend in cake structure offers some options that leave plenty of room for customization and creativity.

A traditional 21st century wedding cake is typically assembled from 3 to 5 tiers stacked one on top of the other without a gap, like the once popular Greek columns. A variation is a wedding cake set that shows each layer individually instead of being stacked. connected by a pattern.

A newcomer is the drum. This is a popular technique that brides and grooms appreciate. Basically, bakers add a layer-look styrofoam insert that adds height and volume to the cake without the expense of a cake layer. The inserts provide a perfect place to place charms for the charm pull, flowers, or costume jewelry should the couple wish to use them this way.

An increasing number of getting married couples are choosing alternatives to the traditional wedding cake, except for one tier for the bride and groom to slice and feed each other and for wedding photos.

With the costs of weddings in general and the fees associated with wedding cakes increasing, some new trends have become quite popular. Brides and grooms, especially if they have to stick to a specific budget, look for ways to save money.
Thus, what for some was a creative alternative became a trend.

The trend is focused on options that eliminate cut-and-serve fees typically charged by caterers.

Other benefits gained are that they can also eliminate the cost of the centerpiece and serve as a dessert.

The following are two options that are favored.

  • An individual single layer wedding cake for each table to make a spectacular and edible centerpiece. For added fun, guests are invited to cut and serve to the guests seated at their table.

  • Actually a cupcake wedding cake, cupcake tower as a wedding cake is a very popular trend. Most couples top their cupcake tower with a tier of cake for the bride and groom. A few brides and grooms we interviewed planned to place a mini cupcake tower on each table as dessert and centerpiece in one.

  • We’ve even come across brides and grooms who chose golden donuts because they look like wedding bands. cupcakes or mini-cupcakes and even donut wedding cakes to some extent, are becoming very popular.

  • They are real money savers.

  • They require no special skills and can be baked at home well in advance and frozen.

  • They can be lavishly decorated and make a wonderful edible centerpiece for all to enjoy.

  • They can have different flavors, various delicious fillings, different matching colors, and fancy decorations.

  • Busy brides and grooms can order their cupcakes or single layer cakes from a grocery store bakery or shopping clubs like Costco and Sams Club, where they are very reasonably priced.

  • They eliminate all the costs of slicing and serving.

  • They allow, actually invite creativity.

  • One common denominator we found was couples using different frosting colors or themes for their center cakes to distinguish different tables. matching cutlery and place cards.

    • Whether fancy, whimsical, or anywhere in between, cupcake and mini cake centerpieces are unique and quickly gaining popularity.

    The icing on the cake

    Although buttercream and cream cheese frostings are still in demand, the current trend in cake frosting is the flavor and color-enriched rolled fondant or the less expensive faux fondant with its smooth, elegant porcelain look that encourages creativity. . Pastry chefs can mix and match wedding colors, patterns, duplicate intricate details, and create silhouettes and scrollwork to complement wedding themes.

    the flavors

    When I got married, the wedding cake was either vanilla, chocolate, or a marble of both. Today there are dozens of flavors for the bride and groom to choose from. Many tend to choose a different flavor for each tier, cake, or a certain number of cupcakes to represent their individual favorite cake flavors. Some add different fillings for each flavor of cake, as well as different flavored frostings.

    The decorations

    Personalization is paramount. Brides and grooms use their freedom of expression throughout the wedding and the cake is no exception. The latest trend is to surround the central layer with a ribbon personalized with the names of the bride and groom and the date of the wedding. Although the cake is consumed, the ribbon becomes a wedding keepsake.

    The theme of the wedding and the seasons are dominant throughout the wedding and the cake as well.

    Cutout silhouettes can accentuate the wedding theme on the wedding cake. Flowers, marzipan fruits, candy pearls, curved scrolls, and family initials are also very popular cake decorations, as is incorporating two or more shades of the same color within the icing.

    The companions of the wedding cake: recent trend.

    Two trends of the 21st century, a renewed historical custom and a totally new one, are the bride and groom cake and the wedding cake for children’s families.

    Groom cake is a concept that wasn’t familiar when I got married 42 years ago, but was familiar earlier in history. He’s back and he’s taking center stage. Placed on the same table with the wedding cake is a rectangular single-layer groom’s cake. Many brides like to choose their favorite flavor and color and have the decorations represent their unique personality, hobbies and interests.

    Another cake that has recently been added to the cake table is the Children Family Wedding Cake. This is a fairly new concept that evolved quite recently, as more and more blended family weddings celebrating children began to take place.

    Celebrating that they have become a family, many couples use a family cake topper.

    We have come across a few variations of the cake.

    A single layered rectangle, frosted and decorated with the various children, hobbies and interests, topped with a currently available family cake topper featuring a bride, groom and boy, bride, groom and girl or girl style silhouette of a bride and groom. and two children

    A cupcake tower is also very popular with children. Each layer of cupcakes can be dedicated to a single child.

    The cake tops

    Wedding Cake Trends – Unique Cake Topper

    The top of the cake is the crown of the wedding cake. It’s a keepsake that should make your wedding cake a talking point, too.

    Personalization is the current trend. Cake toppers are often chosen because they reflect the lifestyle or hobbies the bride and groom share, match the theme of the wedding, emphasize the wedding flowers, or display their initials.

    One of the hottest major cake trends is individual initials or a monogram created with stunning cake jewels, another is a couple resembling the bride and groom.

    Flowers and ribbons for cakes have never gone extinct and although they are not a trend, they are quite popular.

    For family weddings, family cake toppers depicting a bride, groom, and children are in high demand.

    TIPS:

    Set and stick to your wedding cake budget.

  • Visit with at least 3 wedding cake chefs, leaving room for negotiations.

  • Take a look at their portfolios and try samples of their cakes.

  • Make sure you get everything in a written contract that leaves no room for price changes.

  • Even if you are on a strict budget, your less expensive cake should taste just as good as an expensive one because it is not the taste but the size and decorations that are expensive.

    • For an article dedicated to 21st century wedding trends in general, CLICK HERE

    If you are a trendsetter or follow current trends, I hope you have gained some insight from this article.

    Copyrights © 2007 All rights reserved Nily Glaser, A-wedding Day and Gan Publishing