KANSAS CITY, MO — Spring is here, and so is the beginning of wedding season, one of the busiest times of year for retail bakers.
With bakeries sometimes delivering more than a dozen cakes and desserts each weekend during the peak of the season, it’s imperative that bakers keep a pulse on what couples are asking for to sweeten their big day … and how those requests are rapidly shifting from previous years.
Inspo in a digital age
For Heather Leavitt, owner of Sweet Heather Anne, a boutique cake studio nestled in Ann Arbor, MI, following a variety of cake decorators on social media sites such as Instagram is a driving influence for design inspiration.
Pinterest, in particular, can serve as a foundational resource for couples looking for inspiration to align with a certain aesthetic.
“When couples reach out, and they’re starting the process of looking for a dessert vendor, nine times out of 10, they send us this huge Pinterest board of things that they’ve seen that they want,” said Shannon Clarke-Baker, owner of Starry Night Bakery, located in Westminster, MD.
In addition to the digital space, Jackie-Sue Scelfo, wedding cake sales director for Joe Gambino’s Bakery, looks across the pond to Europe for insight on what may be trending soon in wedding cakes.
It’s through these Insta-worthy posts that dessert trends have transcended regions, making their mark nationwide.
Finished with flourish and florals
In terms of decorative accents, today’s couples are looking for more than a plastic topper.
Across the board, the Lambeth cake decorating style — distinguishable by its intricate, vintage-inspired buttercream piping — is the top trend for 2025 wedding desserts.
“We’ve been seeing it creep in over the years,” Heather said. “We’ve been doing these cakes for a while, but in terms of looking ahead at our weddings, I feel like 60 percent or more are that type of style.”
Jackie-Sue noted that during the busiest time of wedding season when the bakery is delivering upwards of 15 cakes per weekend, about five of those feature vintage-inspired decorations.
Customers are also leaning toward organic motifs.
“It was more prevalent last year, but a big thing I’m seeing this year is dry-pressed flowers on the side of cakes and using more natural elements,” Shannon said.
Bakers are also using the cake flavors as decoration, topping cakes with fresh or dried fruits.
True-to-you sweets and flavors
While couples still opt for classic flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, and, or course, wedding cake, bakers are seeing an uptick in unconventional flavors used in cakes. This includes varieties such as lavender, lemon poppy and carrot cake.
“People expect a cake to be a classic vanilla almond with heavy buttercream,” Shannon said. “The fun flavors mix it up and give guests something they weren’t expecting.”
In true Big Easy fashion, however, some customers are leaning into the city’s culture with the King’s Cake Extravaganza, a tiered, customizable version of the classic Mardi Gras baked good.
“When it’s busy, we’re doing a King Cake Extravaganza every weekend when it’s busy,” Jackie-Sue said. “Sometimes [couples] will use it for their wedding cake. We’ve also done it as a groom’s cake.”
The Southern tradition of a cake designed with the groom in mind is a common part of a wedding order at Gambino’s. In some cases, the intricate 3D designs can outprice the traditional tiered cake.
A twist on tradition
Modern couples are finding new ways to keep with traditions, such as tweaking the sweetheart cake for a different dessert such as pie.
“I think people still want to keep some traditions like the cutting of the dessert, but it doesn’t have to be cake,” Shannon said. “We did a wedding where it was nothing but French macarons, and it was awesome. It’s not about the traditional three-tier round cake; it’s more about customized dessert.”
At Gambino’s, some couples are searching for smaller tiered cakes and dessert bars packed with sweets such as cheesecakes and brownies. In some cases, cakes are being slimmed to a single-layer or sheet cake, which can still feature intricate details and toppings.
“Our local brides are still ordering three-, four-, five-tier cakes,” Jackie-Sue said. “I find a lot of our destination brides, even if they’re having a wedding for 100 people, are opting for a two-tier cake and kitchen cake to serve the rest.”
Modern couples are staying true to their preferences rather than fitting the mould from weddings past.
“I don’t feel like people are sticking as close to traditions as they had in the past,” Heather said, sharing that customers don’t feel restricted by status quo flavors. “There’s been a shift from what you should do for your wedding to what you want to do to express who you are.”
