These days, extreme personalization is all the rage in weddings. From brownie cakes to sculptural confections, it seems like the goal for many brides is to have a wedding cake that does not seem like, well, a wedding cake. Classics are timeless and enduring for a reason, however, and that goes for cakes as well. These elegant classic wedding cakes are so lovely that you just mind find yourself forgetting the whimsical cupcake tower and opting for a good old fashioned wedding cake instead.
A good baker can do a lot working with white on white frosting. One of the prettiest designs for a traditional wedding cake is a white basket weave cake. The cake is frosted in an intricate basket weave pattern over all of the tiers and topped with a pretty decoration. Fresh or intricate flowers are always lovely covering the top tier of a basket weave cake. The frosting pattern is fairly busy, so let the flowers on top be full and lively – this is not the time for a single minimalist blossom. Roses are pretty for any time of the year, but this cake also looks wonderful with more seasonal decorations. Think daisies, sunflowers, hydrangeas, or even poinsettias (sugar ones, not real) atop your basket weave cake. Marzipan fruit is a gorgeous alternative to flowers for the top tier.
If you are an old-fashioned bride who just loves anything romantic and feminine, a grand white tiered wedding cake with a bow and swag motif would be perfect for you. This is the type of cake that looks good on a large scale, such as five tiers. Hint: if you don’t actually need that much cake, a couple of the tiers can be faux; once they are frosted, it will be impossible to tell. For an especially girly effect, pink frosting can be used to create the graceful swags around each tier. Classic buttercream frosting rosettes and bows in pastel pink and green will complete the cake beautifully.
For a springtime wedding, nothing could be sweeter than a Swiss dot cake. A precise diamond quilted pattern can be etched onto fondant as the base of the design. At each point, a tiny edible “pearl” is placed to create the dotted Swiss pattern. It is such a charming cake design when the bride is wearing a springy gown and pearl earrings. For a dash of color, place tiny yellow and white sugar daisies at the intersection of each point in the diamond quilt pattern. Finish the center of each flower with a little edible pearl. Top the Swiss dot cake with a simple arrangement of sugar blossoms.
Another elegant classic cake design is one with flowers arranged between the tiers. Use risers which are hidden inside the layers so that they are obscured by the flowers (plastic columns are not coming back in style anytime soon!). The cake can be frosted in either buttercream or fondant. Use the buttercream for a more traditional look or the fondant for a summer cake at an outdoor reception. Large blossoms like hydrangeas work especially well as the filler between tiers. Give the cake an old-fashioned charm with a pair of lovebirds as the topper.
Finally, do not overlook the classic style of a vintage bride and groom cake topper. A tiny little porcelain bride in her gown and pearl earrings looks so darling standing by her groom in his tuxedo. Place the pair atop a traditional white cake with three tiers. A great idea for the frosting design would be a pattern modeled after the details on the bridal gown, especially if it is make of lace. If you wish to add a fun element of surprise to this very traditional wedding cake, choose a colorful red velvet cake for the inside. It will be so unexpected when the bride and groom cut into their classic white wedding cake and reveal the red interior. This is a great example of how a classic and elegant cake can easily be adapted to work for a modern couple.
