KANSAS CITY, MO — Of all the moving parts that comprise today’s weddings, the wedding cake remains a long-standing tradition for couples from all backgrounds. With this in mind, it takes careful attention to detail for bakers to craft just the right product.
Three bakers from across the US offered their insights into what’s impacting demand near them and where they find additional inspiration to make people’s big day even sweeter.
Trending tastes
Ana Parzych, owner and creative director of Ana Parzych Cakes in Cheshire, CT, shared that while there are perennial favorites like vanilla and almond, modern couples are also opting for more out-of-the-box combinations.
“I’m seeing interest in more layered, nuanced flavors such as apricot preserve with caramel,” she said. “You have two different things, like sour and sweet, coming together, or a fruit filling with a crunchy element for some texture.”
While many embrace more widely appealing favors, a lot of younger couples are opting for cakes with a personal flair and flavors that reflect their interests or heritage. Through her custom cake business, Ana works with clients to adapt specific ingredients or tastes to work within the structure of a cake.
Similarly, Michelle Doyon, pastry chef, designer and founder of Michelle’s Patisserie in Austin, TX, noted that Tres Leches is a popular variety due to the large Hispanic population and prevalence of Latin-inspired food in the region. To adapt the traditionally soaked cake into a tiered format, she shared that they lightly brush the milk onto the cake layers as opposed to drenching them to maintain texture and structure.
Over on the West Coast, coffee culture seeps into customer requests. Carla Callahan, owner and pastry chef of Honey Crumb Cake Studio in Seattle, shared that one of her top-requested flavors is Seattle Fog, an Earl Grey-infused cake with bergamot cream cheese filling and salted caramel sauce, as well as her bakery’s spin on tiramisu, which subs out ladyfingers for vanilla sponge cake.
Undergoing the proper R&D to adapt these flavors into a cake makes all the difference, keeping the caliber of the product and its decorations intact throughout the celebration.
“When I started, wedding cakes had a reputation of looking pretty but not always tasting great,” Michelle said. “It’s always been important to me that the cake not only looks pretty but also tastes delicious.”
Aesthetic appeal
With wedding cakes being used as the focal point of the reception, the exterior needs to be up to par with the distinct layered flavors. Intricate techniques have dominated for years, with bakers leaning into Lambeth-style decorations or a smooth exterior with sugar flowers for a timeless look.
As no two weddings are the same, neither are customers’ preferences for decoration, especially from region to region. In the Pacific Northwest, for instance, Carla shared that many couples ask for designs that nod to the natural fauna in the area.
Due to the more elegant and refined aesthetics commonly seen in weddings in the Northeast, Ana shared that a lot of the cake designs she creates are designed to fit in with the venue and scenery.
From articles to tradeshows, there are many ways bakers are keeping pace with what couples could be asking them to create.
“My way of keeping tabs on trends in the industry is to stay connected on social media with the cake artists around the world whose work I find truly fresh and technically brilliant,” Carla said. “While there are some extraordinarily talented bakers based in the US whom I admire, I’ve found that the cake artistry coming out of Russia, South Korea, India and Dubai has been incredibly inspiring lately.”
For Ana, working with other wedding industry professionals, such as floral designers and event planners, yields inspiration via intricately laid out mood boards that change each year. Additional resources include the latest innovations in the fashion and interior design space, as well as annual distinctions such as Pantone’s Color of the Year.
With a more individualized approach from Gen Z, these trends could waver, Carla said, but that’s what makes the art of wedding cakes singular.
“What makes a trend interesting in a commercial art form like cake design is whether the concept can actually be brought to life using real edible materials, and real human hands, and can be commercially viable in this age of rising costs everywhere,” she said. “With AI mockups creating ‘trends’ in cake that don’t actually exist, it’ll be fascinating to see what takes hold in the real analog world in which people get married and eat actual cake.”
Cake’s plus-one
Cake is not the only star of the confectionery show at today’s weddings. Customers are increasingly opting to include other baked goods along with cake to appease varying guest preferences.
“I’ve definitely seen more dessert stations over the past few years,” Michelle said. “For instance, people might do a smaller wedding cake and then more dessert options to provide variety for their guests.”
These baked goods range from macarons and cake balls to cookies, bars and cheesecakes. To simplify the ordering process, Michelle’s Patisserie offers catering packages featuring four dessert types aligned with certain cuisine inspiration such as Mexican or Italian.
Carla noted that the change toward smaller cakes and additional desserts has been pervasive since the pandemic. As a result, she adjusted her POS system to simplify the ordering process.
“I built out an online store during that time as a way of meeting the need for smaller, but still beautifully crafted, cakes while reducing the administrative burdens of in-person consultations and the back-and-forth/iterative emails involved in the custom cake design process,” she shared.
Over on the opposite coast, Ana noted that while she’s also seeing these additional desserts find a place in these receptions, a lot of couples still value the classic wedding cake as a staple fixture for the occasion.
“As trends evolve, I think that wedding cake has remained a constant,” she said. “It’s a beautiful centerpiece that’s very personal, and it’s a tradition and edible piece of art.”
No matter the format or scale, bakers play a key role in this milestone event for couples everywhere. By staying creative and in-the-know of what today’s customers need, bakery owners are positioned to keep something sweet at the core of various nuptials.
