Pinterest has really made life difficult. In the old days, wedding planners, bakers and seamstresses would produce a neat file containing a few looks, the couples would point to their favourite and that was that. These days, however, brides, bridesmaids, groomsmen, moms and even those not involved in the wedding party – or any wedding, for that matter – spend days in a tea-fuelled haze, pinning their dream wedding outfits, hair styles, invitations and table settings. Sites like The Pretty Blog and I Want That Wedding show off intimate spreads of complete strangers’ celebrations, curate lists of recommended service providers and supply tips to create The Perfect Day.

The centrepiece of it all is the cake. A symbol of fertility, charged with good luck for the guests and the bridal couple, the choice of cake reflects the personality of the newlyweds. Luckily for all concerned, gone are the days of a dense, marzipan-covered fruitcake with a tacky plastic bride and groom topper. In 2013, wedding cakes are sexy, shiny and quirky.

Size matters

The trend seems to be that modern couples are shunning the traditional single tier cake in favour of either cupcakes or gigantic creations. “Many brides prefer smaller cupcakes stacked on a tiered stand, with a mini cake on top for the traditional cake-cutting ceremony,” says Genevieve Duffield of the award-winning Picture Perfect Cakes bakery. Those who prefer big cakes are ordering extra-large, multi-tiered cake towers, often with different flavoured layers; or the French-style wedding cake, croquembouche. The latter consists of choux pastry balls (filled with custard or cream or whatever takes your fancy), piled into a cone and bound with threads of spun sugar. Eat Out editor-in-chief Anelde Greeff had such a cake at her wedding a few months ago – filled with custard, dusted with icing sugar and decorated with beautiful fresh figs.

Do the twist

Forget about soft and subtle wedding cakes. According to Genevieve, the couples who are opting for a more traditional tiered cake want it to make an impact with diamanté or little silver balls. Irma Brummer of High Tea in Cape Town says that vintage-style cakes with a modern finish are highly fashionable. “Formal weddings tend to have a more traditional cake with white icing, accentuated by a modern twist,” she says. Genevieve agrees. “Decorative diamanté, draping and quilting are all the hype.”

A colour sensation

The ‘ombre’ technique refers to icing that lightens in colour from the base of the cake to the top. (Yes, you will have seen this look translated to hair colour in countless selfies on Pinterest.) This look is especially beautiful on multi-tiered cakes, not least because it’s edible. The colours chosen can go a long way in setting the mood for your wedding, with a light pink bottom fading into powder pink or cream for a softer feel, or vibrant orange turning into perky yellow for a fun wedding. Why not try your hand at it?

Full of flavour

Thank goodness the day of the sherry-drenched fruitcake has come and gone. Both Irma and Genevieve agree that the world is your oyster when it comes to selecting the type of cake – although we wouldn’t recommend oyster flavour. Classic chocolate, vanilla, red velvet and carrot cakes are very popular at the moment. Irma says rainbow cakes (where each layer of the cake is a different colour) are also in high demand. But if you don’t have a sweet tooth, why not opt for a cheesecake or a ‘cake’ made of cheese? Eat Out’s copy editor, Linda Scarborough, served a tiered tower of cheese wheels with preserves and crackers at her wedding. (No ‘cutting the cheese’ jokes, please.)

The sweetest thing

While cooking with flowers is still prevalent in top restaurants, Genevieve says brides are choosing sugar petals over fresh blossoms. The flowers look perky all night long and can satisfy your sugar craving without exposing your cake to potential pesticides or stray bugs.

Top trends

Quirky alternatives for bride and groom cake toppers are also popping up. We quite like the plastic toys and Lego men versions, as well as those with tiny flags or bunting.

The wide world

Wedding cakes the world over are taking on strange shapes and sizes. Hand-painted creations in black and white are taking centre stage, and some couples are also not afraid to make a splash with metallic gold and silver cakes. Alternative wedding sites like Rock n Roll Bride showcase weddings that veer far from the traditional. Think hippies, hipsters, rockabilly outfits, cocktails, tattoos and tiaras. Also popular are grooms’ cakes, which are usually a little quirky (read: terrifying) and can resemble road kill. This tendency is catalogued on Cake Wrecks, a site dedicated to misspelled and ill-advised cakes of all kinds.

When it comes to your wedding cake, let your imagination run wild, and contact one of these suppliers to bring your sweetest dreams to life:

Gauteng

Annica’s Designer Cakes and Coffee Shop

Cakery Bakery

Let Them Eat Cake

Khutjo Cakes and Forks 

Picture Perfect Cakes

Eastern Cape

Baron’s Select

Epicurean Sugar Bakers

KwaZulu-Natal

D’Lights Cupcakes

Daniela’s Deliciously Decadent 

Free State

Food and Beverage Institute 

Western Cape

Charly’s Bakery 

Chocolate Moose

Daniela’s Deliciously Decadent 

High Tea Tighty

M Patisserie

Nelle Cakes

The Red Kitchen

Treat Patisserie

By Kristia van Heerden and Linda Scarborough

Photographs: Picture Perfect Cakes, High Tea x 7 , Cafetitos and Clever Cupcakes.