Robyn Loves Cake, Santa Barbara, CA
Robyn Van Tuyl modeled her creation after a wallpaper pattern. Blue fondant cake with gum-paste cherry blossoms and gold luster-painted pastillage butterflies. $13 per slice, serves 45; robynlovescake.com. Pedestal, L’Objet, michaelcfina.com
Wedding Cakes by Kim Payne, Cheyenne, OK
Wowed by a bracelet from luxury jeweler Di Modolo, Payne used edible glitter to mimic sparkling diamonds. Cake with pastel paillettes and luster-dust bracelets. $12 per slice, serves 100; weddingcakesbykimpayne.com.
Confetti Cakes, New York City
Elisa Strauss credits pop artist Wayne Theibaud, who painted precisely arranged cakes, doughnuts and pies, for her bundt-cake-to-cupcake tiers. Rolled fondant cake with edible pearls and handmade sugar accents. $20 per slice, serves 150; confetticakes.com.
Just Cake, Capitola, CA
Marina Sousa had a spring awakening: "I became enchanted with the idea of individual blades of grass." Fondant cake with gum-paste grass and sugar blossoms. $18 per slice, serves 140; justcake.com.
Colette’s Cakes, New York City
Drawn to the flamboyant costumes and gowns of haute couturier Christian Lacroix, Colette Peters interpreted a can-can dancer in fondant. Cake with ruffles and royal icing bow. $15 per slice, serves 100; colettescakes.com.
Honey Bee Cakes, Flushing, NY
The soft watercolors of a Chinese brush painting inspired Jennifer Wasiak’s delicate design. Green fondant cake with wave pattern and gum-paste cherry blossoms. $7 per slice, serves 50; honeybeecakes.com.
Maureen P. Duffy, Floral Park, NY
Duffy’s vibrant cake, covered with tiny fuchsia blossoms, is her tribute to flowers bursting in spring. Rolled fondant cake with hand-painted sugarpaste blossoms. From $18 per slice, serves 100; mpd310@aol.com.
JollyBe Bakery, Brooklyn, NY
For Ruth Seidler, the scrolls illuminating medieval manuscripts were wedding-cake-perfect designs. Rolled fondant cake with hand-painted pattern and red chocolate roses. $13 per slice, serves 90; jollybebakery.com.
Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, New York City
When Ben-Israel spied an ornate Boucheron diamond-set necklace, a vine-centric cake design was born. Raspberry fondant cake with edible silver leaves and jeweled sugar flowers. $20 per slice, serves 150; weddingcakes.com.
Truli Confectionary Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Nina Asadoorian got inspiration from a sentimental source: her grandmother’s wallpaper! Ivory fondant cake with royal icing damask, platinum gold luster fondant bands and gum-paste buttons. $12 per slice, serves 130; truliconfectionaryarts.com.
Gateaux, Inc., Plymouth, MN
A glittery Christmas ornament was the spark that ignited Robin Martin’s imagination as she created this glam look, draped with edible necklaces. Rolled fondant cake with 23-kt gold and pink luster stripes. About $12 per slice, serves 175; gateaux-inc.com. Pedestal, Simon Pearce, simonpearce.com.
Jan Kish-La Petite Fleur, Columbus, OH
Kish created these draped tiers to complement a flowing Reem Acra dress designed for Brides magazine’s Something Pink fashion story (November/December 2007). Fondant cake and pleated bands with silver dragées and butterflies. $9.50 per slice, serves 150; jankishlapetitefleur.com.
JollyBe Bakery, Brooklyn, NY
Ruth Seidler’s cake interprets folk-art images. Hand-painted rolled fondant with sugar-paste bead trim and sugar flowers. $13 per slice, serves 90; jollybebakery.com. Pedestal, Frances Palmer Pottery, francespalmerpottery.com.
Ana Parzych Custom Cakes, Cheshire, CT
Spring was busting out all over and influenced Parzych’s pastel triumph. Fondant cake with pearl dust, and magnolia blossoms handcrafted from sugar. $13.50 per slice, serves 150; anascustomcakes.com.
Cakes with the Personal Touch by Edith Hall, Hallsville, MO
Intricate detailing on a gown that her daughter tried on gave Hall this idea. Ivory fondant cake with gum-paste flowers and fondant pearl bands. $6 per slice, serves 200; 573-696-2505.
Merci Beaucoup Weddings, Los Angeles
A sugary spin on a traditional Indian dress, this cake by Reva Alexander evokes a silk sari. Painted fondant with white chocolate bands and a sugar flower. $11 per slice, serves 130; mercibeaucoupweddings.com.
Tony Wright, New York City
A field of voluptuous flowers on a sunny day sparked Tony Wright’s imagination. Peach fondant cake with royal icing flowers and piped royal icing scrollwork. $8.50 per slice, serves 80; pastryprince.com.
AND THE WINNER IS:
Something Sweet by Michelle, Worcester, MA
Michelle Bohigian’s goal? A cake as feminine as a hand-painted silk kimono. Champagne silk rolled fondant with brush embroidery and gum-paste cymbidium orchid vine. $30 per slice, serves 200; somethingsweetbymichelle.com.
Elizabeth Hodes, New York City
"I’m drawn to the interesting shape of Japanese maple leaves," explains Hodes. Fondant cake with spun-sugar bands and painted-sugar leaves with edible gold leaf. $14 per slice, serves 100; elizabethhodes.com.
Pastryarts.com, Arlington, VA
Geometry was the impetus for Steve Klc: "I wanted to create a dramatic, contemporary design—in chocolate!" "Chocodot" cake with chocolate and pastillage accents. From $8 per slice, serves 75; 917-804-6655.
Cakes from Cabin Ridge, Bozeman, MT
Scrapbooking techniques were translated by Rebecca Nicklin into a cake "page" of nautical images. Fondant cake with blue tiles and royal icing monogram. $10 per slice, serves 140; cakesfromcabinridge.com.
Sylvia Weinstock, New York City
With a worldly bride as her muse, Weinstock hand-painted a dramatic print and sophisticated palette ("no pastels!"). Buttercream-iced cake with red sugar flowers. $22 per person, serves 125; sylviaweinstock.com.
I Dream of Jeanne Cakes, Andover, MA
Jeanne Topham’s inspiration was a lush bouquet of plumeria and stephanotis. Fondant cake with gum-paste flowers. $7.50 per slice, serves 130; jtcakes.com. Glasses, Marc Jacobs Waterford Collection, waterford.com.
Cecile Gady of Cakework, San Francisco
The mehndi print worn by Indian brides inspired Gady. "I love the swirls and twirls!" White chocolate cake with print transfer and pearls. $20 per slice, serves 120; cakework.com. Print, Ravie Kattaura, 510-453-4393. Pedestal, Simon Pearce, simonpearce.com.
Jan Kish-La Petite Fleur, Columbus, OH
Kish based her stately mossgreen cake on an English boxwood garden. Fondant gold-edged cake with piped royal icing Fiji mums and fondant leaves and stems. $13.50 per slice, serves 155; jankishlapetitefleur.com.
Michelle Bommarito Cakes, Detroit, MI
A lavish gown prompted Bommarito to recreate the embroidery in five tiers and a modern color scheme. Black-and-ivory chocolate fondant cake with scroll design, and sugar flowers and leaves. $8.50 per slice, serves 350; michellebommarito.com.
Cheryl Kleinman Cakes, Brooklyn
Kleinman turned thoughts of tossed flower petals into an edible motif. White pearlized sugar-paste petal cake. $12 per slice, serves 75; 718-237- 2271. Pedestal, Cole River and Co., coleriverco.com.
Wildflowers, Bridgeton, NJ
Embracing a classic frui tand-flower pattern, Lori Ann Blethen covered her cake with sugar peaches, apple blossoms, vines and leaves. Fondant cake with grosgrain finish. $15 per slice, serves 120; wildflowersbylori.com.
Collette Foley for Alice’s Teacup, New York City
A fascination with quilting appliqués guided Foley to this graphic design. Vanilla fondant cake with sugar appliqués, ribbons, and roses with pearl border. $12 per slice, serves 100; alicesteacup.com.
Polly’s Cakes, Hood River, OR
Polly Schoonmaker’s cake presents the idea of a gift package crafted in a sculptural way. "Lemon Twist" square cake with fondant garden flowers and gold pearl-accented ribbon. $15 per slice, serves 200; pollyscakes.com.
Cakeline, Belle Harbor, NY
Two ideas—lace and spring—led Cynthia Peithman in a fresh direction. Lime-green fondant cake with sugar lace, flower cut-outs, sugar-paste roses and piped royal icing. $13 per slice, serves 110; cakeline.com.
The Cake Atelier, New York City
Easy inspiration: "I’m absolutely crazy about orchids!" says Lauri Ditunno. Rolled fondant cake with gum-paste cattleya orchids, sugar leaves and royal icing details. $16 per slice, serves 125; thecakeatelier.com
Sweet Melissa, Brooklyn, NY
"I love all things frilly and feminine," says Melissa Murphy, whose cake was based on a dress her mom made for her as a girl. Yellow quilted fondant cake with ribbon and silk flowers. $14 per slice, serves 150; sweetmelissapatisserie.com.
Sugar Creations, Savonburg, KS
Intrigued by an intricate slipcover, Rebecca Sutterby embroidered the pattern in fondant. Pearl-finished ivory fondant cake with lace-embossed gum-paste appliqué and bamboo border. $6.25 per slice, serves 120; sugarcreations.com.
The Cake Studio, Powell, OH
Enticed by one couple’s "sassy but classy" green and pink wedding colors, Katie Koivisto created each tier with its own personality. Rolled fondant cake with buttercream swirls, white chocolate polka dots, daisies and stripes. $7.50 per slice, serves 185; thecakestudio.net
Cheryl Kleinman Cakes, Brooklyn, NY
With inspiration from a crisp white tuxedo shirt Kleinman created this dapper cake of fondant pleated cake with sugar-paste filigrees. $12 per slice, serves 75; 718-237- 2271. Pedestal, Cole River and Co., coleriverco.com.
Fleur de Lisa Wedding Cakes and Specialty Desserts, Santa Rosa, CA
This design, by Lisa Marie Kincaid, started with a simple vine—and grew from there! Fondant cake with sugar-paste clematis, dark chocolate vine and sugar balls. $16 per slice, serves 175; fleurdelisacakes.com.
Bijoux Doux Specialty Cakes, Brooklyn, NY
Bejeweled bodices and pearls prompted Ellen Baumwoll’s design. And the flower? "It’s a cross between a clematis and a peony." Sugar pearls and blooms on rolled fondant. $12 per slice, serves 65; bijouxdoux.com.
Sincredible Pastries, Groton, NY
Marion Cardwell-Ferrer loosely based her theme on “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” Vanilla fondant cake. $12 per slice, serves 200; sincrediblepastries.com.
Cakes Couture, Maplewood, NJ
Fashion was the focus for Rita Dadaian: "I love the details of couture evening gowns from the 19th and 20th centuries." Luster lilac rolled fondant cake with royal icing embroidery. $16 per slice, serves 220; cakescouture.com.
Ana Parzych Custom Cakes, Cheshire, CT
Parzych’s stripes and florals echo the tailored style of luxe home-goods designer Barclay Butera. Chocolate fondant cake with blue and white appliqués. $12 per slice, serves 90; anascustomcakes.com.
Sweet Tiers, Hobe Sound, FL
Betty Baird drew inspiration from antique lace designs and patterns. Antique silver painted fondant cake with royal icing lace, sugar pearls and sugarpaste tulips. $9 per slice, serves 130; sweettiers.com.
Maureen P. Duffy, Floral Park, NY
An appreciation for classic Wedgwood led to Duffy’s sophisticated creation. Rolled fondant with sugar-paste flowers and pressed garlands. From $15 per slice, serves 125; mpd310@aol.com.
Katrina Rozelle Pastries and Desserts, Alamo, CA
Rozelle’s imagination was stirred by the drama and exuberance of Cirque du Soleil. Rolled fondant cake with hand-cut colored fondant and sugar details, $20 per slice, serves 130; katrinarozelle.com. Pedestal, Nora Fleming, norafleming.com.
Carlo’s Bakery, Hoboken, NJ
Giving the all-white cake a glam makeover, Buddy Valastro went to town with luster-dusted draping, pearls and sugar roses. Rolled fondant cake with stripes dipped in crystal sugar and a monogram detail. $13 per slice, serves 200; carlosbakery.com.
Martine’s, Lexington, KY
Martine Holzman saw a striking paisley print on an Indian shawl, then she and her team got to work, rendering it in fondant. Cake with raised black gum-paste damask design, $8 per slice, serves 250; martinespastries.com. Plates, Rosanna, rosannainc.com.
Icing on the Top, Tulsa, OK
Jennifer Jones’s design is based on Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry collection. Rolled fondant cake with royal icing stringwork and gemstones. $32.50 per slice, serves 175; icingonthetop.com. Flutes, Water Mill Party, watermillparty.com.
Mike’s Amazing Cakes, Redmond, WA
Texas Hill Country comes alive on this cake; the original was made by Mike McCarey for Food Network pastry chef Keegan Gerhard’s wedding. Buttercream tiers with modeling chocolate panels, daisies, vines and leaves. $12.85 per slice, serves 140; mikesamazingcakes.com.
Delicious Desserts, E. Falmouth, MA
Lisa Raffael expressed herself by crafting a cake with a message. Pearlized lavender fondant with gum-paste hydrangea blossoms and candied pearls. $8 per slice, serves 120; deliciousdesserts.net.
Kerry Vincent Cake Design, Tulsa, OK
"The effect I was aiming for was a flamenco skirt that swirls," says Kerry Vincent, who drove her cake all the way from Oklahoma to our photo studio in New York! Hand-painted rolled fondant with lace-embossed flower-paste chrysanthemums. $22 per slice, serves 250; oklahomasugarartists.com. Plates, L’Objet, l-objet.com, neimanmarcus.com
