A wedding cake is often one of the last elements of your wedding that you organise, so all too often, it gets overlooked.
And while a simple white cake can be beautiful, we love the idea of making a serious three-tiered impact on your cake table.
No longer does a memorable wedding cake mean being the biggest or the most expensive, it's about beautiful decorations, striking colours, or creative personal touches.
And few people know more about creating a wow factor cake than celebrity pastry chef, Kaysie Lackey, so who better to give us their top tips on choosing a bake with a bang for our wedding?
Cake by The People’s Cake
Kaysie is the owner of renowned Seattle bakery, The People’s Cake, and part of the team behind Innovative Sugarworks.
Her unique style and incredible talents have made her a sought-after baker and a world leader in cake design she's been featured on TV and in magazines crafting intricate icing details, gravity defying bakes and creative designs.
So if you fancy creating a master bake à la Kaysie, or want to know what you ask your baker to get the cake of your dreams, check out her expert tips – having a wow factor wedding cake, might be easier that you think!
Kaysie Lackey's Top 10 Tips for a Wow Factor Wedding Cake
Cake by The People’s Cake, Photo by Laurel McConnell Photography via Style Me Pretty
1. Trust Your Baker
The biggest tip might seem like the simplest, but it is to trust your cake designer. Be sure to find one that gets you and the style you want for the wedding, and then let them be creative.
A great designer will be able to interpret you and your wedding in cake, and give you the amazing wow factor cake that is everything you never knew you always wanted.
Cake by Le Coup, Photo by Jessica Peterson Photography via The House Lars Built for BHLDN
2. Don't Be Trendy
Be on trend, but don't be trendy.
It's kinda like fashion, most people can't make the straight from runway trends work in everyday life. The same goes for cake. Have your own style!
You can be influenced by the current trends, but if you want a cake that is unique and has the wow factor be true to yourself.
Your baker is also a great sounding board in this. They know what the trends are, and can tell you what to avoid if you want to stand out from the crowd.
Cake by The People’s Cake
3. Be on Budget
Know your limits. Tell them to your designer. I would never be upset with a bride that told me her budget right off the back. It helps me create the wow factor cake that she can afford.
We know how to make Champagne dreams on a beer budget as long as we know what we are getting into! This also goes for creating your own wedding cake.
Know what you or your friends are capable of doing. There are lots of great tips and tricks on the Internet, but you are going to have to practice to get them right.
Innovative Sugarworks has some amazing videos and tools that can give you an edge when making your own cake.
Cake and Photography by Artful Desperado
4. All About The Taste
It's what inside that counts. It is important that your cake tastes as good as it looks, so find a baker or recipe that is simply delicious and watch your guests say, “Wow! That is an amazing cake!”
Want to go above and beyond? Pick the cake flavors to match the menu you will be serving, or get them to replicate a favorite sweet. I once had a bride that loved oatmeal cookies, and everyone knew she loved oatmeal cookies. So we replicated the flavor in the cake and it was all the guests could talk about!
Cake by Sweet ‘n' Flour, Photo by To Wander & Seek via Green Wedding Shoes
5. Reflect Your Day
Have a design in mind. I always recommend brides come in for the cake consultation AFTER they have found the dress, venue, finalized invitations and a color palette.
All of these shape the feel of the wedding and should be reflected in the cake. Using bold colors? Your
cake should too. Staying classic and romantic? Guess what, so should your cake!
It is always a wow factor when your cake reflects all the aspects of your special day.
Cake by Wildflour Fine Baking Co, Photo by Reverie Supply via Elizabeth Anne Designs
6. Go For Bold
Make a statement! For the DIY bride or the bride on a budget stick to a simple cake with one or two statement pieces.
Contrasting or bold colors are always a wow and nothing looks more eye catching than a
clean white cake with a large brightly colored sugar flower.
Cake by The People’s Cake
7. Practise Makes Perfect
Experiment! If you are thinking about creating your own wedding cake, start early and experiment with different recipes and designs.
There are so many amazing recipes out there and tools to easily achieve a delicious and beautiful cake!
I love Innovative Sugarworks’ Sugar Shapers and also stencils. They’re always handy for creating a wow factor wedding cake.
Cake by The People’s Cake
8. Dress It Up
Play with display. Even the most amazing wedding cake falls flat on a boring table. So dress it up!
Make the cake table stand out from the guests’ table with different colored linens (solid colors always look amazing), lighting, and a cool cake stand. Your baker can point you in the direction of finding one that will fit with your wedding cake.
Wanna go over the top? A dramatic suspended wedding cake is a guaranteed WOW!
Cake by The People’s Cake, Photo by Laurel McConnell Photography via Style Me Pretty
9. Play With Shape
Shape up! Think your wedding cake has to be round or square? No way! There are so many cool shapes to choose from these days.
I personally love oval shapes for a romantic wedding and think rectangles are awesome for a chic modern wedding. But there are also emerald, petal, triangle, and even cloud shapes to choose from.
Mix up the tier shapes for something truly special.
Photo by Sarah Sotro Photography via The Southern California Bride
10. Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
Eat it! I'm amazed at how many couples never get to eat their cake (aside from the tiny bite they feed each other).
Be sure to sit down and enjoy a slice of the cake your worked so hard to create. You've earned it!
Photo by Mandi Nelson
Such great tips – and so many gorgeous cakes! I just adore Kaysie paintwork and icing creations, they're just stunning!
Thanks so much to Kaysie Lackey for her awesome tips, check out her websites for more cake prettiness, from The People’s Cake and Innovative Sugarworks.
Head to Pinterest for more unique wedding cake inspiration.
