Relief has arrived for the wedding industry. Luxury weddings have returned fully after the results of the health crisis these past two years. 2023 will now be when they can reign their imagination and creativity fully. We are delighted to have UK-based, world-renowned, award-winning cake expert Elizabeth Solaru of Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium give us her thoughts on luxury wedding cakes for 2023. From small iced bites to big and bold beauties, these are the luxury wedding cake designs to expect for 2023.
“A great luxury wedding cake starts from the inside out. Now more than ever, we will pay attention to cake flavors that delight the palate and boost our immunity.”
Attention has shifted to our need for nutrient-dense foods, including immunity boosters, creatively infused into our treats. For example, blueberries, the king of antioxidants, are loaded with anthocyanins and various other plant compounds. Increased use of super fruit and vegetable powders, such as Baobab, Beetroot, and Moringa, are finding their way into the patisserie world.
Also, unusual fruit fillings such as calamansi (citrus) and kumquat and Japanese ones, such as yuzu and sakura (cherry blossom), are particular favorites among GenZ couples. However, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium will continue to offer classic fillings and flavors home to your tastebuds. With this in mind, Elizabeth’s top ten luxury wedding cake trends for 2023.
1. Grand wedding cakes – We are delighted to say that grand wedding cakes are back! These towering, gravity-defying confections provide a focal point at many weddings, delighting the senses and the palate. These lavish wedding cakes are often presented on custom-built cake stands and are decorated with the most incredible sugar flowers and bespoke edible embellishments.
2. White Luxury Wedding Cakes – A classic white wedding cake never goes out of style and will endure in all wedding imagery. Although a white cake can sometimes look flat in photographs, the beauty of it is that it can be the perfect black canvas for texture. Adding ruffles, sugar flowers, wafer paper, intricate piping, fresh flowers, and even gold leaf will provide lovely detailing that will make a cake pop.
3. Gold Wedding Cakes – Edible gold in different forms has been used on wedding cakes for years and has been an enduring metallic. Gold’s lustrous appeal is that as a metallic, it comes in various hues ranging from yellow gold to rose gold and makes for a distinct and appealing base cake color. Gold can be paired with incredible handmade sugar flowers or embellishments in any shade, from pale pastels to dark jewel tones.
4. Colourful Jewel-Tone Wedding Cakes – We are seeing an increase in the choice of richly saturated hues of jewel-tone wedding cakes because couples may want their wedding cake to stand out. Taking inspiration from gems like emeralds, sapphires, and rubies, this trend suits couples who are not afraid to express their love for color.
5. Textural Wedding Cakes – Texture is essential for wedding cakes as it provides interesting decorative detail and the opportunity to customize a cake to suit a couple’s wedding theme. The past few years have seen the rise of wafer paper, an edible starch-base suitable for vegans and gluten-free. This paper can be manipulated into incredible shapes, including ruffles, bows, geometric patterns, and flowers.
6. Pantone-Inspired Wedding Cakes – Every year, the world-famous Pantone Color Institute announces its color of the year. This color is used by fashion, graphic, and interior designers worldwide and proves popular with consumers. Not surprisingly, this influences wedding colors chosen by couples and designers. The institute has just announced that Viva Magenta is the color of the year for 2023. The design company calls it an empowering shade that drives innovation. “It’s brave, it’s fearless, it depicts optimism and joy – and we know that we are all greatly in need of that,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. At Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, we are familiar with this color as it is one some of our bolder couples have chosen for their wedding cakes in the past. We look forward to using it more in 2023.
7. Pearl Wedding Cakes – The popularity of the pearl, the queen of gems, in wedding and contemporary fashion design does not seem to be waning. The Spring and Summer 2023 Jewelry Trend Report by Vogue Magazine has reported this gem is still being used a lot on the catwalk by designers such as Chanel, Simone Rocha, and Valentino. In the cake world, edible pearls as decorations have great versatility and can be used as adornments in traditional and modern wedding cakes.
8. Unusually Shaped Wedding Cakes – Wedding cakes don’t have to be round or square, and some couples prefer to toss the rule book out of the window and opt for unusually shaped wedding cakes. At Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, one of our most popular and copied wedding cakes has been our pillow wedding cakes. These cakes create such a buzz and completely vow many wedding guests who marvel at how we make the cakes stay upright.
9. Floating Wedding Cakes – Floating wedding cake spacers add height to wedding cakes and can be decorated in numerous ways. With its gravity-defying properties, a floating element in a cake design adds just the right touch of fantasy. Moreover, it is a fabulous alternative to adding more tiers if there are time or budget constraints.
10. Small Things Iced and Wedding Favours – In a change of direction, some couples opt for mini cakes, small things iced, and wedding favors as treats for their guests instead of wedding cake. Individually plated treats such as cakesicles, macarons, handmade chocolates, mini donuts, and decorated wedding cookies and biscuits can serve as a classic dessert option. The advantage of small treats is they can be packaged and sent to guests who were not in attendance as a token of love and appreciation.
So, there you have it. 2023 is the year when we will see grandeur and more opulent luxury wedding cakes. Now that we have returned to normalcy, we can expect an explosion of creativity from many cake artists worldwide.
To discuss ideas for your wedding cake, visit Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium at www.elizabethscakeemporium.com, and mention WorldBride Magazine.
