THE SWEET SPOT

THE SWEET

Showstopping wedding cakes spot

Gone are the bad old days of being confined to a dark corner of the room; the wedding cake has emerged from the shadows and transformed from the Cinderella of the show to become one of the leading lights. Not just for the cutting ceremony, nowadays the cake is a star in its own right. We spoke to some of the region’s cake makers to get their take on what’s cooking for the year ahead and to share some of their favourite creations.

PERFECT PETALS

Fiona Murphy of Suffolk-based Moo Moo Cakes (www.moomoocakes.co.uk) not only made this beauty, she delivered and assembled it at Abbey Hall in Eye and painstakingly dressed it with beautiful organic edible petals from Maddocks Farm Organics (www.maddocksfarmorganics.co.uk). The tiers included carrot and pecan with cinnamon buttercream, organic vanilla cake sandwiched with Tiptree strawberry jam and creamy vanilla layer, and a top tier of moreish spiced apple cake with homemade salted caramel and ginger filling, all smothered in a blanket of vanilla buttercream.

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Fiona’s top pick for 2022 – edible petal cakes, of course!

ELEGANT TIERS

“This cake stands out in my memory for the innovative and daring tier set up. It was the result of a wonderful collaboration with the florist and wedding stylist, bringing together an air of effortless elegance for a winter wedding at Chippenham Park.” — Ana Cerdeño-Tárraga, www.honeyshedbakery.co.uk

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Ana believes 2022 will see continued love for fresh blooms and greenery on cakes, as well as dried flowers, buttercream stencilling and pastel colours.

Displayed in prime position at the base of the sweeping staircase at Gosfield Hall, Essex, this stunning wedding cake was designed to look amazing from all angles, including from above. Created by Ginny of award-winning The Little Sugar Rose (www.thelittlesugarrose.com), it included sugar flowers and hand-painted gold edged ruffles. Ginny explains, “The bride was a big Disney fan so I added a discreet hand-piped Mickey Mouse silhouette peeking out from the bottom folds as it’s the personal touches that make a wedding cake even more memorable.”

RIGHT ANGLES

“I love this cake as it’s deceptive in its beauty. It’s iced with buttercream, not the usual fondant and has square edges and marbling, not usually captured with such a fluid medium. The couple were wowed, as were the guests.” — Emma Thorburn, www.bunsoffun.co.uk

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Ginny predicts increased demand for tall wedding cakes with multiple tiers and wow-factor designs. She says, “As couples celebrate, surrounded by family and friends who may not have seen each other for quite some time, many are going all out to make sure their wedding day and cake are extra special.”

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I love the trend for cakes with the illusion of a floating middle tier. We’re also seeing clear cylinders being incorporated, which can be filled with flowers to add the wow factor.

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LOVES AND LIVES

For something truly personal and different, Terri Newman of EriVica Cakes (www.erivicacakes.com) designed this fun cake to reflect the groom’s love of kayaking. “The couple wanted this to take pride of place on their cake along with their dog lying at the bride’s feet,” recalls Terri.

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Becky’s seen increased demand for more personalised cakes. “Many of my customers are wanting that extra little detail that’s special only to them,”

THE PERSONAL TOUCH

Becky Coverdale of Cambridgeshire-based Becky’s Cake Bakes (www.beckyscakebakes.co.uk) struggled to select a single favourite, so her top pick is the one that received the best response from the happy couple. “It’s definitely not your usual style of wedding cake, which is why I had so much fun making it. I love the colours I used to create the space effect and the couple were also really pleased with the topper I made for them,” adds Becky.

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“I think square cakes with contrasting textures will be the next big thing. Boho seems to be growing in favour too – it’s all about the natural touch.” ¬ Terri

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“My prediction is for more nature-inspired creations and less fondant as couples reduce their sugar intake along with more sustainable options such as vegan cakes with organic, pesticide-free flowers and foliage to reduce waste and harm to the environment.” — Trudy (www.theicedvegan.co.uk) “I’ve chosen this cake because it’s quite different, I love the colours and I think burgundy is going to be a popular colour next year,” says Heather Keen of Keen For Cakes (www.keenforcakes.co.uk).

NATURAL WONDER

This four-tiered showstopper took pride of place at a wedding fair to showcase one of vegan artisan baker Trudy Stagg’s most popular designs. She says, “It’s a real favourite of mine. I love the simplicity of it and how natural it looks.”

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Cakes looks likely to be bigger and more beautiful than ever, according to Heather. She says, “After mini and micro weddings and all of the restrictions we’ve had, I think couples will be going large! With the chance for much-awaited parties to go ahead, larger gatherings with family and friends will be popular and provide the opportunity to go big with all the whistles and bells!”

FLOWER POWER

“This was a recent cake which I absolutely loved. The colours in the handmade sugar flowers went together beautifully with the Wedgwood blue tiers and the hundreds of sugar pearls in the drapes on each tier were individually added by hand to give a unique effect. The happy couple loved it too!” — Caz Dennis (www.cazscakesandsugarcraft.com) OFF THE WALL

“We have picked our Banksy-inspired design as we haven’t seen anything quite like it before and while its contemporary, it also has a classical hint about it.” — Giles (www.sassascakes.com)

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Caz predicts that styles will continue to be very varied but with growing demand for botanical and floral themes.

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Giles reports continued interest in semi-naked cakes and their half wood-effect, rustic designs. “There also seems to be a call for tall classic-looking cakes, iced in white with deep tiers, natural-style handmade sugar flowers with a touch of metallic finishing,” he adds.