Sometimes couples come to me with an exact idea or vision for their wedding cake. Sometimes they have no idea what they would like!
A big debate is always whether to go for a naked or semi naked cake or to have an iced cake. Some people may have no idea what the difference between these are and I often get strange looks from couples parents and grandparents when discussing these ("do you make the wedding cake whilst naked?". yep that was a genuine question I have been asked!)So I thought I would talk about the difference and which style would be right for your wedding!
Naked Cakes-
Naked cakes are wedding cakes with just the sponge and filling, so no ganache, buttercream or icing on the outside -it’s naked!
They are often dressed with fresh fruit and/or fresh flowers. They are probably the most yummy looking wedding cakes and definitely my favourite cakes to set up! (they smell soo nice and have to taste test the left over fruit on the way home of course!)
They're more popular for a rustic or barn wedding and tend to be more popular during the summer, although one of the pictures above is a December Christmas wedding, so you can definitely have them all year round!
My schedule for a naked cake is a lot different compared to an iced cake, as they need to be baked the day before and cut and filled on the morning of the wedding, to make sure they are super fresh and moist! I always add sugar syrup which stops the cake from drying out and makes sure it's still yummy for your guests to eat even in the evening!
Of course, they are a great option for people who don’t like icing, or those who just want a yummy looking cake!
Semi Naked Cakes-
I see semi naked cakes as a good stepping stone between the naked and iced cakes, or a nice compromise for a couple with conflicting cake ideas! A semi naked cake can still give you that clean sharp edge look like an iced cake, but without the icing and of course the price tag. Naked and semi naked cakes are a great option for couples with a smaller cake budget!
So a semi naked cake is a naked cake but with a thin layer of buttercream over the top. You can still see the cake showing through (hence the semi naked name) so you still have the rustic feel but a bit more modern looking.
Semi naked cakes are usually dressed with fresh flowers or occasionally sugar flowers or artificial flowers - all of which look beautiful!
A lot of couples choose a semi naked cake instead of a naked cake as the cake is a little bit more sealed from the air and less likely to dry out if sitting on display for a longer time. The coating can also be stiffened to help support the cake a bit better in warmer weather.
There is also more option to decorate a semi naked or buttercream cake compared to a naked cake, as you can add things like gold leaf and coloured buttercream.
Iced Cakes-
An iced cake is still the most popular style of wedding cake and while they have changed from the old style fruit/marzipan/royal icing combo over time, they are still a more traditional choice for a cake. My cakes are the same as the naked cakes inside, with 3 layers of sponge and 2 layers of filling. They're then coated in a layer of yummy chocolate ganache (my favourite bit!), either white or dark chocolate depending on the flavour and then covered in a layer of sugar paste icing.
This style of cake can suit any theme, whether it's a wood bark effect and hessian for a rustic theme, lace and pearls for a vintage theme or marble and metallics for a modern theme, an iced cake can be transformed into anything! The iced style of cake are baked a couple of days before the wedding and once the layer of the ganache and icing is on, it seals the cake to keep it nice and fresh. This gives me enough time to then decorate the cake however the couple chooses! My favourite thing about the iced cakes are that they can be completely unique and customised to suit your wedding perfectly, matching colours, flower, initials and other details.
Hopefully this gives any couples planning their wedding and picking their wedding cake a bit more information on which style of cake would be best for your wedding! Laura x #weddingcakes #weddingcakeblog #weddingblog #seminakedcakes #nakedcakes #cakeblog