Summer Wedding Cake Flavours: Best of Bluebell

We don’t know about you but it finally feels like summer is just around the corner.  And we’re starting to get excited about cooking up a sunny, summery storm in our kitchen! We’ve started to dream of long, warm days bookended by champagne and light, citrusy sponge cake, and delivering our designs to your beautiful summer weddings. This year we have a range of summer wedding cake flavours inspired by lazy, hazy August weekends.  We can’t wait to share them with you. If you’re ready to be inspired by our unique take on the classics and even gently challenged a little by our innovative new creations, this blog will certainly tantalise your tastebuds!

We have 5 signature summer wedding cake flavours that we and our couples have become rather sweet on, and they all have a fresh, fruity undertone. To us, nothing says ‘summer’ like light, refreshing sponge cake filled with homemade jam or curd. Our fruity flavours are just a little bit special and we think getting adventurous with your choices is very on trend for 2023. We also make all our jam ourselves in our studio (and by ‘we’, we mean Erica! She’s a jam making maven), from seasonal fresh berries bought at the height of their season from our local farm shop. The only exception is our champagne and strawberry jam, which we buy from another fabulous small business: Claire’s Handmade Jams. Is your mouth watering yet? Let’s start talking about flavours!

This citrus classic is one of our most popular summer wedding cake flavours – in fact, we get hungry just thinking about this one all year round. Rich lemon curd is swirled into the light sponge before cooking so the flavour is enhanced; don’t say we don’t spoil you! This year we are experimenting with a new partner for our tried-and-tested lemon flavour, and we’re taking inspiration from the bees and heading straight for the lavender. We know it’s unusual but the delicate texture and flavour of lavender subtly and slowly dances onto your palette, and will have you wondering how you ever ate lemon cake without its new sidekick before!

Our summer wedding cake flavours range wouldn’t be complete without a (slightly poshed-up!) classic: summer berry. Madagascan vanilla bean sponge is layered with silky vanilla buttercream and homemade jam. Opt for our summer berry jam which is bursting with every fruity fancy you can think of, from sweet strawberries to crunchy redcurrants; an explosion of flavour to add a burst of Bluebell to a traditional flavour. If you want to treat your guests to something a little bit posh, we have vanilla berry’s grown up alternative: tipsy champagne and strawberry. The sponge is infused with Marc de Champagne and strawberry syrup, and our champagne and strawberry conserve adds the finishing touch to help this flavour steal the show. This one epitomises summer wedding desserts for us!

Our carrot cake is the lighter, fresher version of the ones you’ve tried before! A hint of orange buttercream brings out the depth of the spices and adds zest, transforming this classic dessert into an elegant wedding cake option. To this day Natalie, one of our first ever brides, still messages us telling us that it’s the best carrot cake she’s ever tasted!

This unusual combination is one of Erica’s all-time favourite summer flavours, and we created this as our signature take on the more commonly seen cherry and almond. Imagine fluffy sponge cake with a spritz of Valencian orange oil and orange blossom water, iced with a bold and punchy almond buttercream. First the vibrant orange essence delights your senses, followed by the distinctive, mellow nutty hit of almond.

For something that gives you all the sweetness of summer without the citrus tang, peach melba is a showstopping summer wedding cake flavour. It has been a real labour of love to get the balance right with this one, which of course involved rather a lot of tasting…! We balance the natural sweetness of the peaches with a homemade peach jam and a little tartness from ripe raspberries, which we bake into the sponge. We think you’re going to absolutely love this one!

As we mentioned earlier, we’re rather sweet on flavours with a bit of ‘wow’ factor for summer this year, and we’re working on upgrading our menu to include some delicious new combinations. Luscious lemon and lavender is in the works, along with Pea Lime and Coconut Cream (inspired by Suzanne at Cove Cake Design!) and a burst of blush with Pink Champagne, Rhubarb and Strawberry. We’re excited to experiment with these new additions to our kitchen, and of course to start the tasting!

We know it can be tricky to choose favourites if you’re a pair of cake lovers like us, but we have some advice to make the decisions as smooth as buttercream. Choosing different flavours for different tiers is one way to ensure you capture all your cravings and give your guests a choice. We really want you to choose your favourite summer flavours, but bear in mind that almost everyone will have tasted something like a Vanilla Berry before! We love it if you want to experiment and get playful with your flavour choices; your wedding day is the perfect time to take a chance on something unique and really wow your guests with memorable taste experiences.

Photos:  Fiona Kelly Photography, Beth Whithorn Photography, Shelby Ellis Photography

Styling: Stag Cottage Flowers, Orchard Events

Inspiration Recipes:  Cove Cake Design

Tipsy Champagne & Strawberry Jam Supplier:  Claire’s Handmade Jams