amethyst

from Fall/Winter 2016 Issue

black diamond

PHOTOGRAPHED BY PEAR STUDIOS

Combine multiple styles of bridesmaids' dresses with mixed metallics for a classy TRENDING T look, accented by the royal Amethyst gemstone.

get the look

Fall/Winter 2016

The theme of Fall/Winter wedding cakes for 2016 can be summed up in one word: decadence. Brides and grooms are looking for cakes that guests have never seen before, oozing with rich flavours and luxurious embellishments that are a feast for the eyes and well as the taste buds. These days, the wedding cake is not simply a dessert – it's the centrepiece for the entire celebration. So to give you some tips on how to achieve such a show-stopping creation, we consulted three of our talented cake vendors – Maria from Sweet Avenue Cakery, Cristina from The Sweetest Thing Cakes, and Chantal from EdibleSins – to give you a taste of what's trending this season.

The Look

Leave the pastels and nudes behind, because this fall/winter is all about deep hues and jewel tones. Maria noted a shift towards "dark cakes with dramatic use of lighter colours or metallics throughout the design", giving an otherwise simple cake the elegant wow factor couples are looking for. As for the silhouette of your cake, take the traditional stacked, round cake and scale it up a few sizes. Both Maria and Chantal are getting requests for taller cakes with more and more tiers, giving the piece added drama and extravagance. Many are taking it one step further – Maria's clients are venturing into "fashion-inspired, avante garde" designs, while Chantal has received more orders for custom-made cake stencils outlining the bride and groom themselves. If you're looking for a more subtle but equally intricate cake, there are dozens of on-trend accents to explore. From sugar gems to real jewels, rosette piping to fresh flowers, the expertise of modern cake artists is astounding. A beautiful personal touch that Cristina will be incorporating in our very own Editor-in-Chief's wedding cake is lace detail work that mirrors the patterns on the bride's dress. "They feel good because it's custom to them," she said, "it's not just picked off a photo."

The Taste Test

The search for the perfect cake doesn't end at the looks – Chantal emphasized how much her clients prioritize on what's on the inside.

"Everything is so quick now. People pick up cupcakes from the grocery store and call it a day," she explained, "so once they [taste] gourmet ingredients made from scratch…

they remember what real cake feels like." In terms of trending flavours, the responses varied. M aria reported requests for mixed flavours like "green tea sponge with coconut buttercream"; Cristina's sweared by her bestselling almond cake; and Chantal has gotten a surprising amount of orders for chocolate and booze! But one thing that all our vendors could agree on is that the days of simple vanilla and buttercream cakes are gone. Maria hit the nail on the head when she summed up the trending flavours as "basically anything you can call gourmet."

Cake Trends

The Cake Climate

Finally, let's talk about the broader confectionary trends happening in the upcoming wedding seasons. As usual, times are changing – and all our vendors have predictions on what's to come. Maria is expecting more orders for cake alternatives such as croquembouches and towers of macarons, meringues, and gourmet donuts that she's already seeing a demand for.

For Cristina, on the other hand, the main deviation from the traditional cake has been the emergence of cupcake towers. She described it as a practical choice for many couples, since it's a more affordable order and it avoids the new venue fees related to cutting and serving a full-sized cake. "You're still getting that height, that presence," she explained, "you're just not getting the cost." Unfortunately, that practicality may be working against independent cake vendors in the future. Chantal informed us that venue companies are beginning to offer all-encompassing package deals that include wedding cakes in the price. "Some people are fine with it because they don't have to think about it," C hantal revealed. "But then you get those who want to design their own cake and are willing to pay for it."

Here at TWPM, we hold faith in the latter group of couples. The most prominent trend we've noticed in the wedding industry as a whole is the move towards customization in all forms – and what better way to show off your personality than in the most delicious part of the wedding? A s we've been discussing throughout this article, there are endless possibilities that cake artists as talented as these ladies can offer you. Hopefully these trends have given you some insight into how to harness their skill into a cake that is perfect for fall/winter 2016 – but more importantly, perfect for your special day. BY CHANTAL LIM