The naked wedding cake phenomenon is as popular as ever in a world of ever changing wedding cake styles! Mention naked cakes and the majority of couples will think of a rustic or country house wedding although that’s not necessarily true. All styles and designs can be created by your wedding cake designer using a number of techniques including piping, sharp edges, ganache and even edible flowers.
We’ve delivered naked cakes to everywhere from Farnham Castle in Surrey to Gray’s Inn, which is one of the four Inns of Court in London, and we don’t think you can get any further from rustic if you tried.
Naked Cake means no fondant
Couples generally choose naked or nearly naked style wedding cakes because they dislike fondant or simply as talking point. For many couples a naked cake equals buttercream and fresh fruit. Rich, soft, mouth-watering buttercream full of flavour is the reason many couples prefer it to fondant.
Sophisticated Style
Not all nearly naked wedding cakes must be rustic. Sophistication and elegance can be achieved with this style including sharp buttercream edges, luxurious finish including hints of gold leaf and gorgeous flowers. Victoria and James married at The Tythe Barn in Oxfordshire and chose just such a elegant design. Working closely with their florist, we created a tumbling design of gold leaf finished with hints of greenery, such as succulents and eucalyptus. A nearly naked wedding cake design, quite the opposite to the overload of rustic fresh fruit. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with either style, but this shows when your professional cake maker understands your vision, a naked wedding cake can be as unique to you as a you are as a couple.
Design and Sketch
Design and SketchIf you’ve read our previous blog on naked cakes we make our naked wedding cakes in exactly the same way as any other wedding cake. We design it, sketch it out and create it bespoke for you. Every tier is separate so multiple complimentary flavours can work brilliantly together.
For anyone considering making their own wedding cake (or asking the famous Aunt to make it) it is not a case of piling the tiers on top of each other! Your wedding cake will be purposely designed to be “shabby chic” and “unfinished.” Lydia and Greg, chose exactly such a style, with tier upon tier of eucalyptus for their luxurious rustic wedding cake at Milbridge Court in Surrey.
Naked Wedding Cake Myths – Will my Cake Sink?
This leads us onto the most common queries about the naked wedding cakes phenomenon. Will my cake sink?
No and no is the simple answer. Regarding “sinking” yes, we’ve seen some cake wrecks on Pinterest and one venue (who shall remain nameless) said…
Them: “Oh, you’re delivering a Leaning Tower of Pisa!”
Us (with indignant voices): “No we are not!”
They saw the finished design and agreed that no, indeed we were not.
Naked Wedding Cake Myths – Will My Cake Dry Out?
As we’ve already said each sponge tier is baked separately and filled with decadent flavoursome buttercream. We stack this style of cake using exactly the same internal structure as we use for a fondant covered cake.
A naked cake cannot be made and iced a few days before the wedding, which is what your wedding cake maker will do for a traditionally fondant iced cake. In the first instance we always find out when your cake is going to served. We don’t buttercream the cake until the morning of the wedding, then always stack and add of the finishing touches to your gorgeous design once we arrive at your venue. This ensures that your wedding cake is as fresh as possible and it will not dry out.
Naked wedding cakes definitely look like they are going to be staying around for a long time, because quite simply who doesn’t love a delicious piece of cake full of buttercream?
Photo credits and many thanks to: Rebecca Douglas Photography, Yvette Craig Photography, We Heart Pictures, Alexandra Davies Photography
We are Erica and Charlie Bell, a mother-daughter team creating breathtaking wedding cakes and macarons from our studio in Maidstone, Kent. We love nothing more than getting to know our couples, and creating distinctive designs that are inventive and imaginative. Our one-of-a-kind cakes that are designed down to the very last (sugar) detail. We deliver across London, Kent, Essex, Surrey, Sussex and beyond.
Want to learn the secrets of sugar craft, create your own favours or macarons? Join us at our cake school in Maidstone, Kent.
