It’s going to be a stellar year for wedding cake design! We’ve got the trends to look forward to from the Editor of Wedding Cakes magazine.

Very Berry

Include deep berry tones and oxblood accents in your colour scheme for a sumptuous, contemporary look. Complement with gold details for an even more opulent finish.

Designers L–R: The Little Cupcakery, Yummy Little Cakes (Richard Murgatroyd Photography), Mericakes

Luxe Designs

Get a luxurious look by using edible gold or silver paint to add a metallic finish to moulded decorations, sugar flowers, edible sequins, borders and even entire tiers.

Designers L–R: Candytuft Cakes by Kathryn (Shoot for the Moon Media), Dolce Lusso Cakes, The Cocoa Cakery (Michael Fantauzzi)

Hessian

Give your cake a rustic look with hessian. Real burlap tends to shed fibres so it’s best to use hessian-style ribbon or create an edible version made using sugar lace, cocoa powder and a woven mould.

Designers L–R: JellyCake, Finesse Cakes, The Designer Cake Company

Focal Flower

Keep it simple by choosing a large, single bloom as the focal point for the cake. This works particularly well with one- or two-tier cakes for more intimate celebrations. Brush gold paint on the edges of sugar flower petals to update the look.

Designers L–R: Baking Chick (Kerry Bartlett Photography), Happy Caking by Domik, Edible Essence Cake Art

Brush Strokes

Use food colours and paintbrushes to achieve diverse effects on the cake surface, from pretty painted flowers to abstract strokes of bright colours or metallics. Combine surface painting with three-dimensional decorations to make the design pop.

Designers L–R: Rosalind Miller Cakes, Betty’s Bakery, Sucré & Sweet

Asian Influence

Add some Asian flavour to cakes for bright and beautiful weddings with sugarpaste in bold hues and intricate mandala-style gold detailing.

Designers L–R: Dolce Lusso Cakes, Melissa Woodland Cakes (Ilaria Petrucci Photography), JD Cake Design

Dress Details

Reference the wedding dress with decorations such as edible lace, sugarpaste buttons running down the tiers and texture to reflect the bridal fashion for ruffled, tiered skirts. Edible silver ball dragées are perfect for recreating embroidered gemstone details on the bride’s dress.

Designers L–R: Candytuft Cakes by Kathryn (Shoot for the Moon Media), JellyCake, Poppy Pickering

Chocolate Creations

Not only does it taste delicious, chocolate provides a wonderful canvas for on-trend copper tones and is the perfect partner for fresh fruit. Decorate using chocolate modelling paste, which is specially designed for making perfectly-formed flowers, leaves and more.

Designers L–R: Sylvia's Kitchen (FitzGerald Photographic), Blossom Tree Cake Co., Ben the Cake Man

Baked

Choose a beautifully baked macaroon tower, croquembouche or naked cake for a less formal look, and bring it up to date with food colours to complement your scheme.

Designers L–R: Cut Me Off a Slice (Emma Barrow Photography), Juniper Cakery, Cake Couture N.I. (Des Rowan)

Rose Garden

Roses mean romance, and these cakes have it in spades. Use either fresh, food-safe blooms or wired sugar flowers in pretty pastel tones. Flowers made from sugar florist paste are a popular option as they can be made in advance and hold their shape even on a hot summer’s day.

Designers L–R: Poppy Pickering (Avenue White Photography), RK Bakery, Morningside Bakes

Main image: Pretty Gorgeous Cake Company (Andrew Buckle Photography)

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