Photo by Jordan Weiland
A lightly marbled cake with sugar flowers and gold accents is chic and subtle.
A pop of color never tasted so sweet.
You’ve got it all figured out—the perfect dress, the best venue, the prettiest flowers, even the place cards you’ll be using on your big day. And sometimes the last thing you think about when planning your wedding is what kind of cake you want. Not to mention, just how difficult it can be to choose a cake design—the amount of options on Pinterest alone can be completely overwhelming. Sure, you could go for a classic white buttercream, maybe with some fresh florals if you don't want to think about it at all—but what if you don't consider yourself a "traditional" bride? What if you don't want something that's so completely classic?
You could forgo the cake altogether and do a different kind of dessert—pies perhaps!? Or what about a churro or sundae bar (yummm now we're hungry!)? But if you consider yourself both an untraditional bride AND you still want a cake, an easy way to modernize the white, tiered, tried-and-true dessert is to make a simple switch—add color to the base!
The color can come in the form of something bold (we love a deep charcoal—not for the faint of heart!) or something more subtle (a pretty pastel); a chocolate buttercream or fondant; even a non-white pattern—a pretty marbled base is one of our favorite modern ways to do something different.
See more: These One-Tier Wedding Cakes are Legit Works of Art
On the other hand, here's what you should steer clear of when it comes to the non-traditional wedding cake—bright, extremely unnatural hues (varying shades of neutrals like browns, grays, etc. seem to work well as do faint pastels as they have a light touch), and anything too ornate or fussy. A blush cake loses it's coolness when it's five tiers and piped to death—but is totally modern when it's comprised of clean lines, a matte finish, and not too many accouterments.
Here are some of our favorite examples of non-white cakes, executed perfectly—now pin away!
Crummb Cakes
Not ready to commit to an all-black cake? Try just using it as an accent on one tier (this is almost a charcoal). We also love the accordion texture of the blush middle tier—such a pretty juxtaposition of colors!
Photo and Cake by Earth and Sugar
Blue cakes are a hard thing to pull off—this one is perfect because the cake isn't too overwhelmingly large and the blue is a perfect robin's egg. Whatever you do, don't opt for a super bright blue cake—nothing could be more unnatural and jarring when it comes to food!
Photo by Jen Huang Photography, Cake by Nine Cakes
An all dark cake works well when it's petite and sleek. The subtle honeycomb pattern feels a little rustic but not kitschy, especially when presented on a modern, light wood cake stand.
Photo by Mustard Seed Photography
A black cake?? Très chic when kept matte and simple, with feminine, light colored flowers.
Photo by Sugared Saffron Cake Studio
If you're going to make the marbling of your cake a little bolder or darker, keep the accents to a minimum!
Photo by Krista A. Jones Photography; Cake by Catherine George Cakes
Mark our words—light gray is the next white! Ok, maybe not, but it sure could be...and these meandering sugar vines with the sweetest white flowers is perfection.
Allan Zepeda
Non-white cakes don't have to be relegated to those buttercream or fondant cakes—try a twist on a naked cake with a chocolate naked cake!
Christopher Testani
Have your baker adorn a modern chocolate fondant with cake (we love the mix of square and round tiers) with a dramatic assortment of intricate sugar flowers and berries. It reminds us of a Dutch master!
Kate Headley
This cake is like a sherbet dream—the prettiest of pastel colors all rolled into one delectable delight by the incredible Maggie Austin.
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Wedding Cakes Through the Ages
A look back at wedding cakes through the history that will have your mouth watering.
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