Sunday Sweets: Modern Marvels

Today we're spotlighting wedding cakes with a modern twist. Unusual shapes, clean lines, bold colors - these aren't your grandmothers' wedding cakes. (Unless your grandma was really, really cool.)

Let's start with what I first thought was a stack of brilliant dishware:

By Baking Arts

Wowee - check out that color! And it's actually striped modeling chocolate, not fondant. Amazing.

I love it when bakers experiment with a wedding cake's shape and height. You know, like this:

Submitted by Elizabeth H. and made by Maggie Austin Cake

Formal, but still fun. Love it.

Extra tall bottom tiers are a neat way to liven up more traditional round cakes, too:

By Rouvelee's Creations

Plus that graphic black and white pattern manages to be both modern and timeless all at once.

This next one is also by Rouvelee, because I couldn't pick just one of her amazing cakes:

By Rouvelee's Creations

Look at those swirls! Totally swoon-worthy.

If you asked an artist for an extremely abstract, minimalistic interpretation of sea foam and crashing waves, you might get something like this:

By Gateaux Inc.

Kinda cool, right?

I had to zoom in on this one before I realized the ribbons weren't real ribbons:

Sub'd by Jennifer H., made by Salt Cake City

Sharp corners, crisp lines - just perfect.

Here's another that might fool you into thinking it's wrapped in real ribbon:

Submitted by Kaitlin M., photo by Lisa Lefkowitz, baker unknown

And those graduated colors! I literally gasped the first time I saw this - such great girly goodness.

There's something about sunny yellow accents with black and white that always makes me smile:
Photo by photoARTworks, cake by Something Sweet Cake Studio

Beauuutiful. And I was delighted when I realized this is by the baker who made our very first cake at our very first book tour stop here in Orlando. (Love ya, Johnnie!)

We've seen our fair share of peacock wedding cakes, but here's a more modern twist on all that beautiful plumage:

Submitted by Heidi T.; By Betty Crocker Recipes

So...would you call that shade Norwegian Blue? [innocent smile]

Have a Sweet to nominate? Then send it to Sunday Sweets (at) Cake Wrecks (dot) com.

Comments

[Greenwick]

Minimalist wedding cakes seems like such a great idea! I mean, how easy would it be to fit one of these cakes in almost any wedding theme? :D And I'm glad there was a peacock cake in there; I'm rather fond of peacock designs that have been reinvented.

[Anneke (Mudhooks)]

Having seen the "Here Comes the Snide" cakes. I am already seeing possible wrecks of THESE cakes. Actually, that's ALL I can think of...

[Aliza]

Gorgeous cakes-- we CW fans have been taught, by the wrecks you feature, that pulling off minimalist, modern, clean designs flawlessly is rather surprisingly difficult.

Striped modelling chocolate? WOW. Yummy and gorgeous.

That graphic B&W one... I've worked with fabric patterns like that; how did they not get cross-eyed?!

The swirls one is probably my favourite of todays, it just draws your eye in and keeps you staring.

The graduated ribbon cake is so pretty! Not at all my usual thing, but it just brings to mind silk organza, a soft warm summer evening, and yummy drinks.

And I agree with you-- I like the cakes that are a bit creative in their architecture or design.

[acleansurface.com]

It is always refreshing to see some artistic creations, after looking at the wrecks.

[Sally the Camel]

Unfortunately, I have to disagree with you on the wonderous nature of tall layers. My first job was at a reception hall where, among other duties, I cut wedding cakes. While tall layers may look stylish, they are pretty impossible to cut into even pieces. There is no cake server, and no cake plate, built for serving a slice of cake more than six inches tall. Even the ceremonial first bite of cake is a little too imposing to really look good. So from the moment it's cut open, the whole cake experience goes downhill.

[Keith P.]

Wait a minute. These are good cakes! Shoot! While they're certainly anything but wrecks, I guess I'd like to wreck 'em myself by snatching a piece off w/ my hands! lol (But I think security would throw me out of the party.)

[manami]

I understand why you'd mistake it for "graduated" (as in a more recent post), but in case of colors or drawings, this technique is called "gradation", hence it has to be "gradated" ;)

I hope you take this with humor, please, because I love your site and your funny comments! :D

[Editor's note- Actually, they both work. From the dictionary: "Graduated (verb) change (something, typically color or shade) gradually or step by step : the color is graduated from the middle of the frame to the top." -john]

[A]

Wow these are gorgeous. Especially the black and white one.