Story & Photos By Angel Schiffer, Owner – Bittersweet Bakery
When I see our younger Bittersweet girls walk in wearing Dr. Martens and vintage Britney Spears T-shirt’s it makes me question how quickly trends come and go and how it relates to the cake world (and it makes me think I should’ve kept my old docs). What trends are here to stay? Which ones are out the door? When I first began making cakes the chevron pattern was all the rage, all of the little lines had to match up perfectly and y’all… I know I can speak for the entire baking community when I say please never ever bring that trend back! While having a dated birthday cake isn’t the biggest deal in the world, because as a 90s baby I know I rocked that iconic Barbie cake for more than a few birthdays and I’m not ashamed, having a dated wedding cake can make more than a few of us cringe.
A word I use often during wedding cake consultations is “timeless”. Will you look back in 20 years and still absolutely love your cake? One of the biggest debates in the cake community trend-wise is whether or not the naked cake style is here to stay (and for the record, I’m in the here-to-stay boat). I’m not talking about the rustic one covered in burlap that was at every wedding in 2012, but I will forever stan what we call the “semi-naked” design with tall tiers, extremely sharp lines, and little hints of cake peeking through. Add florals? Swoon.
While fresh florals on cakes have been gaining popularity, it hasn’t always been the go-to choice. In years past in place of fresh blooms, we would see incredibly delicate and painstakingly handcrafted sugar flowers made from gumpaste. These florals take days to make and are often quite expensive. Here’s the thing: they never go bad! Like ever. One of my all-time favorite wedding cakes we’ve ever created put that to the test. The cake itself was smooth white with clean lines timeless and on the top edge we left it “broken” à la royal wedding style and painted it with edible gold, but that’s not where the magic was.
The magic started with the meticulously cared-for gumpaste flowers that were originally used on the bride’s parent’s wedding cake in 1992. At the time of her wedding these flowers were 28 years old! The best part? They were saved again after we used them and will be on the bride’s sister’s wedding cake when she gets married.
Didn’t use gumpaste flowers or you simply don’t want the expense or to worry about how to store them after? Don’t stress. Save your cake topper! I love when a vintage cake topper is provided from the parents’ wedding, because like it or not our decorations will soon be considered vintage , or even a borrowed cake stand from a family member. It’s those little touches that make the cake table extra special and sentimental.
