Even if budgets are small (and the wedding is, too) many couples are adamant about not cutting the cake from their list of must-haves. The wedding cake is a longtime nuptial tradition that provides a little something sweet for guests after an afternoon or evening of sweet moments.
But many couples are choosing to cut back on one particularly showy element of the cake. That’s right: The frosting. A trend that’s here to stay is the so-called “naked” version of the celebratory dessert. These single- or multi-tiered cakes are baked and filled but left entirely or partially un-iced. Frosting fanatics may scoff, but not to worry: the icing isn’t necessarily obsolete, and neither is the “wow” factor.
Often these naked cakes have a very thin layer of icing around the outside—sometimes referred to as “sheer” or “semi-sheer”—which seals in the moisture and holds the cake together while allowing the individual layers and filling to be seen or used as a clean backdrop for embellishments.
At first the trend may have been more about cutting back on the overall sweetness of the cake, notes Briana Aponte of Virginia Beach-based Baking It Caking It, but it has become more about the visuals.
“People like the rustic or very organic look you get from naked cakes,” Aponte shares. “When adorned with fruit and a drip or even florals it can look like a natural and seasonal cake to blend into any event.”
Debra Miller, owner of Incredible Edibles Bakery also in Virginia Beach, agrees: “Most of our clients choose a naked or semi-naked design simply because they love the look. The barely there buttercream is such a versatile style and perfect for any wedding reception.”
The result can be incredibly elegant or even lavish and fantastic, and many brides, grooms, pastry chefs and wedding bakers have embraced the trend with wildly creative interpretations.
Learn more about the local bakeries pictured at IncredibleEdiblesBakery.com
(@incredibleediblesbakery) or MyCustomBakes.com/BakingItCakingIt (@bakingitcakingit)
—Leona Baker
Leona Baker
Leona Baker is the former Editor-in-Chief of Coastal Virginia Magazine. She is a writer, creative, communications professional, food freak, news junkie, nature and travel lover and mom. She holds a degree in English from James Madison University and a degree in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. She previously served as Senior Copywriter for Spark 451, Director of Marketing & Communications at Virginia Wesleyan University, and Senior Editor of Port Folio Weekly.
