By Julie Deffense of Julie Deffense Artistry, www.juliedeffense.com
As a luxury wedding cake designer, my artistic style is based on things that inspire me and my life’s experiences. For the past 19 years, I’ve been living on the coast of Portugal just outside of Lisbon and as a result, many thing influence my designs.
As an artist, I see each wedding cake as a big, blank, white canvas and I am excited by many of the cake design trends I am seeing this year. Here’s my list of the top 10 wedding cake trends for 2017, and best of all, many of these ideas can help enhance any kind of cake you want to create.
- Something old: Lace
Often, a bride will give me a swatch of fabric that belonged to their grandmother and ask me to incorporate hand-piped lace on their wedding cake. It’s a romantic way to express tradition, an homage to ancestors, and a beautiful way to embellish a cake.
- Something new: Metallics
Whether hand-painted, airbrushed, or even edible 24k gold, metallics in all forms are in! When used sparingly and as an accent to a design, metallics add an extra dimension and modern expression to any cake.
- Something borrowed: Monograms
Many couples create a monogram for their wedding and have it printed on invitations, favors, decorations and more. Adding a monogram to a cake gives it personalization and a focal point.
- Something blue: Hand-painted cakes
Every wedding has a color palate, inspired by something personal – whether it comes from the location, the florals, the decor, or simply something that reminds the couple of where they met. Adding hand-painted details to a cake is one of my favorite things to do, and truly makes each cake a piece of art.
- Something architectural: Baroque elements
While in college, I spent a semester studying architecture in Florence, Italy. Ever since, I have been enchanted by the beauty and detail of European architecture. Scrolls, borders, rosettes and acanthus leaves painted in gold add a formal design element to the cake and give it structure and stance.
- Something chic: Fabric inspired details – ruffles, pleats, drapes, swags
Forget the typical, traditional draping you used to see on a wedding cake. I’m talking about pleats inspired by an Elie Saab couture dress; ruffles from the latest Marchesa ballgown; and drapes, swags, petals and leaves made with the thinnest pieces of gum paste to mimic the sheerness of silk and tulle.
- Something floral: Sugar flowers
I am particularly inspired by the flowers in my garden and love to add sugar flowers to my cake designs. Whether realistic or representative, sugar flowers can add a dramatic expression of artistry to any cake.
- Something festive – Edible sequins
It’s a party, so why not adorn your cake with edible gold sequins that sparkle from the glow of the candles in the room? Edible sequins add texture and an element of whimsy and festivity to any cake. I like combining a sequin tier in a more traditional cake just to mix things up a bit!
- Something tasty: Raspberry champagne cake
There’s something so romantic and so unexpected about serving your guests an unusual, yet classy, flavor of cake. For example, my raspberry champagne cake, made with layers of white chocolate buttercream, fresh raspberries and raspberry preserves, is one of my most requested flavors. At times, I will even alternate or incorporate a more traditional flavor, like vanilla, into the cake to please everyone.
- Something rustic: The not-so-naked cake
Naked cakes were in fashion last year, but I prefer the “not-so-naked” version. Take a naked cake tier and crumb coat it with a thin layer of buttercream all around. The cake automatically becomes a bit more formal, yet still rustic, and more wedding-worthy. Alternate the not-so-naked cake tiers with tiers covered in fondant, add some flowers, and you’ve got yourself a truly unique design.