A wedding isn’t complete without the perfect cake, but the stylish bride wants a cake just as trendsetting as she is!
We asked Chicago and suburban bakeries to chime in on the latest wedding cake trends for this year:
Back to butter cream
Naomi Levine of Chicago’s Tipsycake notices there’s been resurgence in butter cream. “Fondant just doesn’t taste as good, and people are starting to understand that,” she says.
Maier’s Bakery owner Frank Silvio in Morton Grove concurs. “Three or four years ago, fondant was all the rage,” Silvio says. “The truth is, you can get some great designs with butter cream.”
Simple and elegant
As people are getting married later, John Roeser of Roeser’s Bakery in Chicago points out that, “Cakes are becoming more simple and smaller. We don’t see the huge fountain cakes as often as we used to.”
Or, uniquely personal…
On the other hand, Shelia Perri of Deerfield’s Bakery still sees a lot of fanciful requests, but brides need to understand that “What they see on the cake shows isn’t necessarily practical for a wedding cake.” Many of those cakes are made out of cereal treats (or even Styrofoam), plus structural materials such as PVC pipe.
Silvio has noticed that couples want a cake that’s unique to them. Glamor and wow-factor are still really important.
Not a cake at all!
Cupcake cakes are still very popular, according to every baker interviewed.
“It’s a trend that’s still going strong,” says Anne Heinz, owner of Three Tarts in Northfield.
Levine agrees, but encourages brides to return to the traditional cake concept.
“You can get a cupcake anytime, but a wedding cake is something special,” Levine says.
Other trends include whoopee pies. “They’re a perfect treat for the end of the night,” Heinz says or a display of cake balls. Or, consider a croquembouche for a “what’s old is new again” approach. Decorating it with spun sugar adds a contemporary touch to this classic French wedding confection.
Can’t get enough of wedding cakes? Check out Julie Chernoff’s article on the best wedding cake bakeries that Chicago’s suburbs have to offer!
