What is this style of cake?

Well this unconventional wedding cake technique doesn’t seem to have a name but I like to call them Maximalist cakes. If you type this into Pinterest this style of cake is the most common to come up. The are in 5 main components that make up a maximalist cake:

• Seasonal Fruit Fillings
• Gluten free or vegan cakes
• Natural powders to colour the buttercream
• Fruit powders sprinkled on top of the cakes
• Dried edible flowers, herbs and fruits to decorate

The Detail Inspiration

The piping details are inspired by architecture, or the free forms of nature as well. Crown Moulding, Motifs. One baker that inspired me is Violet Bakehouse. She uses amazing piping detail in her cakes and she grabs inspiration from old films.

Natural Colours

These type of cakes use all natural colours and are usually gluten free or vegan. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have amazing flavour combos

What Buttercream to Use?

I have noticed most used a Swiss meringue buttercream. I used a cream cheese frosting but it was very soft. The stability of a Swiss meringue is what I would use next time. These are usually added with spices such as chai, matcha or cinnamon.

Flowers, Herbs and Fruits

Dusting of powders on top of the cake to finish it off like strawberry powder, matcha powder or blue pea powder. Some people also put flowers with the stamens poking out all over the cake. I am not comfortable with this one as I don’t think that is very food safe. The idea of dried flowers that you use in your tea, which I did use on this cake.

You can get these from my local market tea stall they have flower teas such as rose hip, dandelion and thistle. Placing a fresh piece of fruit on top is a big part of this unconventional wedding cake trend.

Step 1 Seasonal Fruit Filling

Choose a seasonal fruit to cook down into a jam or compote. This is a plum jam it is 350g plums with skin on with 200g caster sugar. Cooked down for 20minutes.

Step 2 Bake Gluten Free/ Vegan Cake

I noticed most of these bakers use gluten for or vegan cakes to create their art. I went for a gluten free almond and coconut cake. Baked it in 2x 6inch cake tins for 35 minutes. Once they are cool cut one of the layers into a 4inch circle and two 2 inch circles.

Step 3 Stacking and Filling

I noticed that when stacking these cakes you don’t wont it to be even. That is why I placed the 4inch cake off a little and two 2icnh cakes on top of each other. Place the leftover cake along the sides of the small cakes to fill in space.

Step 4 Frosting the Cake

I used a cream cheese frosting. The recipe I used was not good. It gave me a soft frosting. My usual cream cheese frosting uses ermine frosting and then add cream cheese to that which keeps stable and pipeable. The piping nozzle is a star tip.

Step 5 Finishing Garnishes

I piped my leftover plumb jam into bows. I then dusted matcha powder on the cake. Sprinkled some dried camomile flowers around the cake and placed plum halves on the cake.

Unconventional Wedding Cake Techniques summary

This unconventional wedding cakes technique was definitely fun to create. For the home baker you should give it a try. Even the most in experienced cake decorator could give it a go. The one thing I do love about these cakes is that anything you do, will look like you meant to do it. It is also great if you want to try out new flavour combos.

If you are looking for another baking project try out my no bake rose cheesecakes.