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12 Stunning Wedding Cake Ideas for This Year | Updated in 2024

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Leah Nguyen 22 April, 2024 11 min read

Oh wedding cake, a sweet symbol of celebration!🎂

Dreaming up your epic beauty begins as the wedding cake vision takes shape. Nothing is more exciting than tasting and drooling over multi-tiered wonders bursting with sugar flowers.

Join us as we discover the best wedding cake ideas that speak your love story in flavours and fillings shaped by your hands.

What type of cake is best for weddings?Vanilla, chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, red velvet, and carrot cake are among the most sought-after flavours.
How much cake do you really need for a wedding?When deciding how many servings of wedding cake you’ll need, a good rule of thumb is that between 75% and 85% of your guests will indulge in a slice.
What is the number one wedding cake?Vanilla cake is a highly-sought wedding cake flavour.
Wedding Cake Ideas

Table of Contents

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Simple Wedding Cake Designs – Wedding Cake Ideas

Less can truly be more when it comes to beautifully bare-bones celebrations of your love.

#1. Semi-Naked Cake

Semi-Naked Cakes - Wedding Cake Ideas
Semi-Naked Cakes – Wedding Cake Ideas

Tired of fancy fondant-covered cakes? The sexy, laid-back “semi-naked” wedding cake is perfect for couples craving simple wedding cake designs.

With only a thin “crumb coat” of icing, these cakes show off their delicious fillings and multi-coloured layers. Fewer ingredients mean lower costs, too – a huge plus for frugal newlyweds.

Top them with fresh flowers and berries for a naturally beautiful look that needs zero fussing over intricate decorations.

The unfrosted layers and fresh fruit topping keep the focus on the all-natural appeal.

#2. Ombré Watercolour Cake

Ombré Watercolour Cake – Wedding Cake Ideas

When it comes to the best cakes for weddings, remember that we have ombré watercolour cake style. This contemporary take on the classic tiered wedding cake design ingeniously merges minimalism and maximalism.

The pink-white base embodies simplicity and restraint while the expressive swirl of pastel watercolour blooms overflows with imaginative joy, contributing to an aesthetic wedding cake.

The result? A cake that captures the essence of your wedding day in a single magical glance: A celebration of love grounded in elegant tradition yet overflowing with the irrepressible joy and hope of new beginnings.

#3. Rough Edge Textured Cake

Rough Edge Textured Cake - Wedding Cake Ideas
Rough Edge Textured Cake – Wedding Cake Ideas

Simple doesn’t have to mean boring – as this stunning two-tier wedding cake beautifully proves.

The rough edges and leaves imprint adds visual appeal and whimsy while keeping the overall aesthetic unfussy and uncomplicated.

It’s the perfect example of how a single small detail – those crimped fondant edges – can completely elevate a straightforward design and make it a cool wedding cake.

#4. Wedding Dress-Inspired Cake

Wedding Dress-Inspired Cake - Wedding Cake Ideas
Wedding Dress-Inspired Cake– Wedding Cake Ideas

Your wedding dress – reimagined in this silk-adorned white cake. This is truly a stunning and modern minimalist wedding cake that’s perfect for your big day.

The artist has masterfully crafted the fondant in a way that resembles the effortless smooth flow of the silk dress as if with just one touch, you can feel the cool, delicate fabric sliding between your fingers.

Unique Wedding Cake Designs – Wedding Cake Ideas

As you set sail for this one-of-a-lifetime experience, don’t settle for any basic and dull wedding cake designs. Your cake should reflect your creative personality with these unique wedding cakes!

#5. Geode Cake

Geode Cake - Wedding Cake Ideas
Geode Cake– Wedding Cake Ideas

Geode-infused wedding cakes – who would have thought!

This kind of artistic wedding cake takes inspiration from actual geodes – those rocks that have beautiful crystal formations inside.

To mimic that geode look, you cover the cake in sugar and edible glitter or shimmer dust to create that amazing crystallised effect.

#6. Cupcake Wedding Cake

Cupcake Wedding Cake - Wedding Cake Ideas
Cupcake Wedding Cake – Wedding Cake Ideas

Throw Out the Cutting, Pass the Cups!🧁️

No forks are needed – just grab and go. Arrange the cupcakes on tiered stands, in mason jars or boxes for a creative display.

Forget mini – the variety of flavours, frosting colours, and presentation styles make an impressive feast.

No slicing stress; just fill a cup and move to the dance floor. Cupcake cakes mean no leftovers and no hassle, just sweet simplicity on your big day.

#7. Hand-Painted Cake

Hand-Painted Cake - Wedding Cake Ideas
Hand-Painted Cake –Wedding Cake Ideas

More unique wedding cake designs? Give hand-painted wedding cake a try. They can let you add intricate designs and patterns directly onto the cake itself. Each brushstroke adds your own personal touch.

This trend is perfect if you want a truly unique cake for your special day. Commercial icing jobs all start to look the same, but a painted cake can be customised however you want it.

Choose a highly-skilled artisan, and you will get a stunning one-of-a-kind and magical wedding cake as the result.

#8. Black Wedding Cake

Black Wedding Cake - Wedding Cake Ideas
Black Wedding CakeWedding Cake Ideas

Skip the plain white cake if it doesn’t match your vibe. Make a bold statement with black wedding cakes instead!

Options are endless – accent with gold for ultra-glam or mix black and white layers for a chic two-tone. Top with seasonal flowers for rustic fall wedding cakes, or add coloured sugar crystals for a fun pop of colour.

The black baked goods trend is on the rise, and what better time to embrace these elegant wedding cake designs than on your special day?

Elegant Wedding Cake Designs – Wedding Cake Ideas

Want to top your wedding game with artisanal and bespoke cakes? Check out the latest wedding cake designs here.

#9. Pastel Blossoms Cake

Pastel Blossoms Cake - Wedding Cake Ideas
Pastel Blossoms CakeWedding Cake Ideas

This stunning wedding cake looks like it jumped right off the wall of an art museum!

The layers of pastel icing and attached blossoms create an illusion of spring blooms. A dash of edible gold can be added for a touch of elegance that makes guests admire from afar.

#10. Marble Cake

Marble Cake - Wedding Cake Ideas
Marble Cake – Wedding Cake Ideas

What are the most popular cake trends? Definitely, marble cake! If you want an Instagram-worthy dessert display, “marble” your way to this wedding cake trend.

The veined, patterned look instantly elevates any cake design. Plus metallic accents for glam, ombre layers for dramatic effect, or subtle marble for a minimalist vibe.

The sleek, modern look pairs well with any contemporary theme. With a little finesse, your unique marble effect cake will stand out from the crowd!

#11. Watercolour Cake

Watercolour Cake– Wedding Cake Ideas

When people say a cake is “too beautiful to eat”, they mean designs like this.

The watercolour-inspired flowers painted on this two-tier cake mimic fresh bouquets, creating a stunning garden theme.

The pastel shades make it shine elegantly, highlighting the artisan’s skill and vision.

#12. Sculptural Cake

Sculptural Cake - Wedding Cake Ideas
Sculptural Cake –Wedding Cake Ideas

Sculptural cakes are living proofs that you don’t need to add over-the-top extra details to the wedding cake in order to make it stand out.

Clean, aesthetic three-tier cake, finishing off with sophisticated wraps, and textural or sculptural elements like this one, should be the new cake trend for the years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are traditional wedding cakes?

Though couples have more cake options, traditional tiered fruitcakes remain popular. The tiered shape symbolizes stability and growth. Flavours like fruitcakes showcase the baker’s craftsmanship.

For some, traditional cakes send a message: values include tradition, elegance, and time-honoured customs. The familiar look and taste provide comfort and nostalgia on an otherwise new day.

While alternative cakes rise, traditional tiered fruit cakes clearly still have a place at weddings. The shape, flavours and presentation evoke nostalgia and long-held values for many couples.

What flavour cake is most popular?

The most popular cake flavours include: Red-velvet, chocolate, lemon, vanilla, funfetti, cheesecake, butterscotch, and carrot cake.

What is the world’s favourite cake?

Chocolate cake is the top choice in a whopping 81 different countries! That’s a clear sign that when it comes to eating cakes, people want that delicious rich chocolate flavour we all know and love.

Coming in a distant second was red velvet cake, the favourite in 43 countries. Red velvet particularly shone in Europe, taking the top spot in 14 European Union nations.

Angel food cake rounded out the top 3 most popular wedding cake flavours, especially popular in some African countries where it was number one.