No Ordinary Color

These days wedding cakes can be any color, and sometimes wedding cakes aren't even cakes at all! Cupcakes, pies and really any dessert imaginable can take the place of the traditional wedding cake. With all the options out there, sometimes we forget how beautiful a pure white wedding cake really can be. Below are some of my favorites.











Image Credit
1. Cheryl Kleinman Cakes via Brides.com, Ron Ben-Israel via Brides.com
2. Confetti Cakes via Brides.com, Cake Crumbs via Brides.com
3. The Cake Girls
4-7. All via Martha Stewart
8. I Dream Of Cake, The Cake Girls
9. April Reed

Whodidily

In the world of weddings, cupcakes are becoming a permanent fixture in dessert bars and as wedding cake replacements. Its no wonder cupcake bakery boutiques are popping up everywhere. Whodidily Cupcakes in Montecito, California is just one of the special cupcake bakeries gracing the market today. But what makes this one so special is the absolutely amazing array of flavors offered.



Take for instance the Peanut Butter Yumptious cupcake: Chocolate cupcake with peanut butter cup center topped with peanut butter cream frosting. Another mouth watering flavor is the Waffleicious Cupcake: Buttery cinnamon cupcake with maple syrup butter cream frosting. Their website is full of pictures of their wonderful creations.



Looking for a fun activity for a birthday or bachelorette party? Whodidily Cupcakes will help you host a cupcake decorating party and supply all the essential items.
Having a gala or vintage style wedding? Consider hiring one of the Whodidily Cupcake girls. Dressed in cute pink Whodidily attire and reminiscent of the cigarette girls of an era past, the cupcake girls will walk around and serve your guests delicious Whodidily cupcakes.



Whodidily is your one stop shop for everything for wedding desserts, wedding favors and fun activities. Be sure and check them out.

Planning a Wedding With Etsy...Cake Toppers

While people many people still opt for the traditional bride and groom cake topper, there are so many other options now days. Flowers, birds, bows, monograms; cake toppers can be anything! Below are some great picks, all from etsy and as always, let me know your favorite etsy shop for cake accessories!


Chapeau de Gateau


Red Light Studio


Cotton Bird Designs


Elle F Designs


Brass Paperclip


Bobbi Jordan

Groom's Cakes

To finish off our cake week, I thought we would talk a little about groom's cakes.
I thought the tradition of the groom's cake was fairly new. To my surprise, I found that it originated in the 17th century! There are many different versions of the groom's cake, however the most popular version these days is a cake that reflects the style and hobbies of the groom. Most of the time groom's cakes are cut and served at the wedding. Sometimes couples prefer to offer the groom's cake at the rehearsal dinner, a perfect time since traditionally, the groom's family usually hosts this occasion.
Are you having a groom's cake, and if so, what is it going to look like?


I hope you all enjoyed cake week and I hope it gave you some great ideas and inspiration for your own wedding cake or baking at home. =)
Picture Credits:
All cakes from Brides.com via this article

Cake Stands & Toppers

As we discussed before, you can have virtually any type of cake for your wedding whether it be cup cakes, pies, or even brownie cakes anything goes in this day and age. That also goes for what your cake sits on, as well as what tops it all off.


Does the cake need to sit on a silver platter?


Maybe it could be sitting on a bed of flowers.


Perhaps a traditional cake stand fits the bill.

What about the cake topper? Do you want a traditional bride and groom, or a pair of birds, or perhaps flowers are a perfect fit. Maybe the cake itself is the center of the show and doesn't need a topper.


When picking out the type of stand or topper, just remember to keep within the style and feel of your event, and also make sure it goes with the design of your cake. Whatever you pick I'm sure will look lovely!

Picture Credits:
Silver Platter cake via Sugar Cakes
Flower Cake via Martha Stewart
Cake Stands Board:
top row: Potluck Studio, Etsy, Etsy
bottom row: Clara French, Etsy

Cake Topper Board:
top row: The Bride's Cafe, The Bride's Cafe
Snowmen from Style Me Pretty
bottom row: Santa Barbara Wedding Guide, Style Me Pretty, Style Me Pretty

Types of Wedding Cakes

These days there are so many different options when it comes to picking your wedding cake. While most brides still opt for the 3+ tiered wedding cake with added pizazz, some brides are taking their cakes to new levels, or not having cakes at all. How about fresh baked pies or individual angel food cakes? There are so many possibilities. Here are some options when it comes to picking your cake.

1. Cupcake cakes. These have become quite popular in recent years and are a very fun take on the traditional wedding cake. The plus? No more cutting 100+ slices for your guests to enjoy.


2. Cakes with a different shape. Wedding cakes these days can be any and every shape you can think of. Take for example the amazing bridal bust done by I Dream of Cake. Doesn't it look like a stone sculpture? How about shoes? I love this shoe cake done by, again I Dream of Cake.


3. Traditional wedding cakes with unusual flair. By this I mean, cakes that take on the same tall shape of a wedding cake, but look entirely different than what we've come to expect. See examples below.


4. Individual cakes. Why not have individual cakes for each table or guest? More work, maybe, but how fun would it be to have your own cake?


5. No cake at all. Instead of a cake, how about opting for fresh baked pies or perhaps individual sorbet "cakes" or angel food cakes? While I like cake just as much as the next person, I wouldn't complain about a hot fresh cherry pie!


Whatever dessert you decide to have at your wedding will be delicious! After all, it is dessert so how could you go wrong?

Picture Credits:
1. left to right Rebecca Thuss, Style Me Pretty
2. All cakes from I Dream of Cake
3. All via Martha Stewart in Unique Cakes
4. All via Martha Stewart in Unique Cakes
5. Clockwise from top left: Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, Style Me Pretty, Martha Stewart

Cake Table Decoration

Displaying your cake is almost as important as the cake itself. Sometimes we tend to forget about displaying our cake properly. I know I did. All that was on my table was the cake....sounds alright, but it was a fairly large table with space for maybe some candles or rose petals. Luckily, a creative family friend put some of the cones with flowers that hung down our aisle on the cake table to jazz it up a bit. Not that the cake wasn't jazzy on its own. Sometimes cakes need to have a table all their own, especially if they are already busy with patterns and colors. Here are some tips to remember when thinking about displaying your cake.

1. If you location is outside, and the cake will be as well, make sure its in a shaded location, even if that means making a cute canopy, such as the yellow one below.


2. Base the decoration of the table off your cake. Having a beach theme wedding? Accent your cake table with shells of varying sizes. Sometimes if the cake is busy with pattern and color decoration is best kept to a minimum, or not at all. A coordinating table cloth can help give the cake that pop it needs.


3. Think of creative new ways to display your cake. For example, on its own pedestal, such as the one below, or in the nook of a wall, also shown below.


4. Having a dessert bar? Maybe your cake will fit right in with the dessert bar.



All in all, just remember that your cake needs a special spot in the celebration too, but don't make it's decor so flashy as to detract from you and your groom! Below are a few more fun ways to display your cake.





Update:
Here is the cake that Michelle was talking about where the bride used her veil around the cake. Great idea, and thanks again for sharing this with us Michelle!


Picture via Rae Leytham Photography
Picture Credits:
Canopy via Rebecca Thuss
Board left to right: Brides.com, Santa Barbara Magazine, Style Me Pretty
Board left to right: Rebecca Thuss, BHG
Board: Both Rebecca Thuss
Tower cake via BHG
Chocolate cake via Rebecca Thuss
Feather cake via Style Me Pretty

Vendor Spotlight: I Dream of Cake

Welcome to cake week at Zenadia Design! Up first, a vendor spotlight in I Dream of Cake.
When I discovered I Dream of Cake in the Bride and Bloom, I immediately went to check out their website. As I did, my jaw dropped further and further open as I searched more and more into their website. Shinmin, owner and head designer of I Dream of Cake is simply put, a master artist. I am not even kidding when I say this, her cakes make me want to display a cake in my house, purely as a decoration! To say the least, I fell in love with her creations so I was ecstatic when Shinmin agreed to an interview and feature on Zenadia Design! So without further ado, I give you Shinmin of I Dream of Cake.

Zenadia Design: How did you get started designing wedding cakes?
Shinmin: Well, I was actually originally trained as a graphic designer, and then ended up with a job in finance by accident. So as an creative outlet, I started baking a lot and brought all my baked goods to work. I discovered that I found a new passion in baking. So I quit my job and bought a one way ticket to Sydney, Australia to study at Le Cordon Bleu. When I returned to SF, I decided to combine my two passions and live a life of food and art.

Z: Your cakes all have such a unique style, tell us a little about where you find inspiration.
S: Like an artist, I find inspiration in everything I see. Fashion, print, textile, cars, architecture, even the sky. However because I am a trained graphic designer, I'm most inspired by bold graphics and print.

Z: What is your favorite part of your job?
S: I love painting on cakes. I love creating intricate colourful patterns on cakes. It's so therapeutic and rewarding.

Z: What advice would you give our readers when selecting their cake vendor?
S: First and foremost, find someone who understands your style. Determining the design is the most important part of the process, the execution is easy compared to the conception of original artwork. And don't be afraid to be original. Do something different and be open to suggestions.

Z: When not designing or creating beautiful cakes, what might we find you doing?
S: On my days off, I'm often in book stores looking through design books. I am a design junky, so this is my life. When I'm not at work, I do design research for fun and relaxation. After a nice home cooked meal, you can also catch me in a movie theater. I'm a film buff.

Thank you so much Shinmin! It was so great to get to know a little bit about the artist behind those amazing cakes. When someone, such as yourself, is truly passionate about what they do it really comes through in their work.
Alright, lets take a look at some of Shinmin's amazing cakes! This is just a small sample of Shimnin's work. Please, please PLEASE go to their website and check it out. You will NOT be disappointed!!




How awsome is this cake?! I love the chandeliers! If you go to their website and click on "about us" you can actually see Shinmin working on this particular cake.


Look at all the detail! So stunning.




Thanks again, Shinmin. Your work is truly inspiring.

Wedding Cakes by April Reed

I'm pretty sure you are all familiar with April Reed's wedding cake creations. She does the most amazing sugar flowers, I can't believe they are not real! I absolutely love the elegant simplicity of each cake. They are so beautiful without being over done. For more stunning pictures of April Reed's cakes, visit her website.







All pictures via April Reed