Want to put your own spin on the cake? Industry insiders show Nicole Conner five brilliant ways to do it
Decorate your own
Kate Jackson of Northern Lights Cakery made her own wedding cake, opting to go for a small cutting option. To keep her guests amused, though, she served up freshly baked un-iced cupcakes and provided a table laden with frosting and sprinkles so everyone could have a go at garnishing the treats. “While we were off having photos taken, the guests occupied themselves by decorating the cupcakes,” she tells us. The result? A colourful table of delicious cakes and a lot of happy guests. It’s a win win!
Unique flavours
Long gone, thankfully, are the days of bland sponge or plain old fruit cake. Couples have cottoned on to what bakers knew all along: that while the outside must still look great, what’s inside has to pack just as much of a punch. Northern Lights Cakery has certainly got our mouths watering: the Argyll bakery created this maple chai sponge (shown below left) and finished it off with a white chocolate drip. Got a sweet tooth? Copy this couple’s genius idea and add a donut stack on top to finish the whole design off. Yum!
Unusual constructions
Could this be the next big weddings trend? Sandra Dillon, owner of Sandra’s Cakes, thinks so. Using abstract shapes to give your cake extra height is a showstopping solution that does away with expensive and unnecessary tiers. Pop fresh flowers inside to match the colour scheme for even more impact. “This cake was created for a couple marrying at Cambo House,” says Sandra, of the bake shown above right. “The bride had seen a similar construction elsewhere, and we used the geometric shape to add something a little different to the design.”
Top Toppers
“Bespoke cake toppers have become more popular as a lot of couples want their wedding to stand out and be memorable,” Dawn Campbell at Allsorts Clay tells us. Her durable toppers can be kept as a cute memento from the big day, and they don’t have to be traditional: each design is completely individual, and couples have the flexibility to get something that reflects them and their interests. “From dogs to Disney, if you can dream it, it can become a reality,” Dawn promises.
Totally bespoke
How better to put your stamp on your wedding cake than to cover it with things you love? Jappacakes’ Laura Japp topped this four-tiered beauty with Forever Fairies’ clay figures of the happy couple and their children, before creating all their favourite things out of icing and using these to cover the front of the cake. The Lanark-based business works with couples and helps bring their designs to life, so you can really make your cake as personal as you wish.