What is the most popular wedding cake flavor?

Vanilla (or vanilla buttercream) has been - and continues to be - the most popular wedding cake flavor. Although it used to make up nearly half of all of the wedding cakes being made, it has dipped to closer to one quarter, with chocolate and red velvet gaining popularity at weddings in recent years.

How many tiers should a wedding cake have?

From an aesthetic standpoint, that is completely up to you. A classic wedding cake has at least 3 tiers, but you can go shorter or taller if you desire. From a serving standpoint, your average three-tier wedding cake will serve between 60 to 80 guests, so you may need more tiers (or additional cakes / cupcake options) if you are having more guests.

Why does a wedding cake usually have at least 3 tiers?

This is based on a long standing tradition where the bottom tier was served during the wedding ceremony, the middle tier was distributed to guests and other family and friends who couldn't attend after the event, and the top tier was saved to be eaten on the anniversary of the marriage.

What is the most common color for a wedding cake?

White continues to be the most common color for today's wedding cakes, although more and more colors are being used every year.

What is the difference between a Wedding Cake and a Groom's Cake?

Sometimes you will see two cakes at a weddings. The traditionally large, often white, tiered cake - aka the classic wedding cake - is called the bride's cake. A second flavor, if offered, is often referred to as the "groom's cake". It is widely believed that this traditional originated in England because the male guests considered the white-iced bride's cake "too light" for male guests.

How did the concept of a tiered wedding cake originate?

The tiered wedding cake started way back in a medieval tradition, as individual cakes were stacked up as high as possible and the task for the bride and groom were to kiss over the stacked cakes. If they could do so without knocking the cakes over, it was considered a positive sign of a happy marriage to come.

What is a "naked" wedding cake?

Often referred to as "naked" or "semi-naked" (sometimes known as "nearly naked") these cakes have little or no frosting on the outside, creating a unique and rustic look.

Why do the bride and groom cut and feed each other wedding cake?

The cake cutting ceremony - when the bride and groom cut a slice and then feed each other a small bite of cake - symbolizes the commitment they are making to each other to provide for one another for the rest of their lives.

100+ Beautiful Wedding Cake Ideas

100 beautiful wedding cake ideas to help you find exactly the right wedding cake for your reception, no matter your style or color scheme.

With the wedding season fast approaching – whether we are ready for it or not – minds are turning to the accouterments that are involved in a wedding ceremony & reception.

One of the key elements of any wedding celebration is, of course, the wedding cake.

From classic to contemporary, sophisticated to rustic, today’s wedding cakes take on a variety of shapes, forms, and colors.

My, How Things Have Changed

I still remember our wedding cake. It wasn’t the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen, but it was absolutely delicious. We bucked the trend at that time and went for a carrot wedding cake, instead of the traditional vanilla or fruit cake options, and we never regretted that decision.

It was delicious. And it froze beautifully so that we could have our one year anniversary celebration cake, and it was just as delicious a year later.

Part of that cake choice had to do with our decision to use a local bakery that we frequented regularly at the time, but that did not specialize in wedding cakes. When we asked them if they would do our wedding cake, they gave us this really quizzical – I’m not sure you realize what you’re asking for – look.

But when we assured them that we were more interested in the flavor than the look, the eventually agreed. And it certainly didn’t hurt that the triple tier cake carrot cake from our favorite bakery ended up costing about one third of what a fully decked out cake would have cost us.

Was it the grandest wedding cake you’ve ever seen? No. Did people ohhhh and ahhhhh when the cake was revealed? No. Did not having a super pretty cake have any negative impact on our wedding celebration? Not at all.

But that was us. And we had a very simple, family style wedding… on a very tight budget. If I could back and do it all again, maybe I’d splurge on a fancy wedding cake. Maybe. Especially after doing all of the wedding cake research for this post.

And for those who want something a little better than our makeshift-carrot-cake-tower-of-glory, I have collected over 100 glorious wedding cakes to foster your wedding inspiration and your wedding dreams.

My Personal Picks for the Most Glorious Wedding Cakes

I spent hours browsing through some of my favorite sites for wedding cake ideas & inspiration, including Martha Stewart Weddings, Elle Decor, The Knot, and Brides.com to find some of the most amazing wedding cake ideas for you to explore!

Like birthday cakes on steroids, these cakes come in an amazing variety of shapes, colors, designs, and flavors.

I hope you enjoy browsing this collection of wedding cake ideas as much as I enjoyed creating it! And I assume that you’ll probably be just as hungry for a big slice of cake when you’re done reading as I was!

Cascading Orchids Wedding Cake

A glorious spray of cascading white orchids covers this multi-tier white cake.

Elegant Blooms

A classic white 3-tier wedding cake creates an elegant backdrop for the beautiful vines of colorful flowers and foliage.

Pretty in Pink

This gorgeous cake brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “pretty in pink”.

Bursting With Color

A simple, square multi-tier white cake is decorated with bursts of color in orange and green, which perfectly coordinate with the edible flowers.

Trailing English Roses Nearly Naked Wedding Cake

This gorgeous creation by Lele Patisserie is proof positive that you don’t necessarily need fondant or buttercream to make a beautiful statement on your wedding day.

Beaded Beauty

The beading on this classic wedding cake from Buttercream Bakery is truly spectacular! And I’m not just saying that because I like the alliteration of “Beaded Beauty from Buttercream Bakery!”

Painted Cupcake Wedding Cake

Can’t decide between the traditional three-tier wedding cake and wedding cupcakes? Here’s the perfect compromise!!

Birch Bark and Pine Cones Nearly Naked Cake

Birch Bark and Pine Cones Nearly Naked Wedding Cake

This rustic creation uses a nearly naked application on vanilla cake to create a look that resembles beautiful birch bark.

Octagonal Garden Cake

Octagonal Garden Wedding Cake photo by Pernille Loof — Source: The Knot

This gorgeous cake bucks the traditional round tiers and goes for an octagonal shape, which is absolutely covered with vines of flowers.

Black and White Stripes

A striking departure from the classic white cake.

Semi Naked Drip Cake

Semi Naked Drip Wedding Cake by Amy’s Sweet Bake Shop — Source: Elle Decor

The autumnal colors, seasonal roses, and greenery make this cake from Amy’s Sweet Bake Shop perfect for a fall wedding.

Blue Ribbons Cake

What do you do for wedding cake ideas when you need your cake to match your Bridesmaids’ shoes?

Cascading Berries Cake

Perfect for a summer wedding, a collection of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries provide rich color against the textured buttercream icing.

Berry Cake with Dripping Glaze

Berry Wedding Cake with Dripping Glaze by Erica Obrien — Source: Martha Stewart Weddings

This berry-full chocolate and white icing cake by Erica Obrien bucks the multi-tier tradition and goes for 6 layers of chocolate cake crammed full of vanilla icing. The top features a wild variety of fruits and a dripping berry reduction glaze. Talk about original wedding cake ideas!

Cascading White Roses Wedding Cake

An abundance of sugar flowers create a classically beautiful look.

Marble Two-Tier Cake

Marble Two-Tier Wedding Cake by Cupplets Bakery — Source: Elle Decor

A gorgeous marble effect is crafted onto this Semi-Naked two-tier wedding cake by Cupplets Bakery.

Field Berries Naked Cake

Simple, elegant, and rustic… this naked cake relies on the delicious vanilla cake, a moderate amount of buttercream icing, and some gorgeous summer field berries to create an impressive display.

Burgundy Dahlia Naked Wedding Cake

Beautiful burgundy dahlias really pop against the muted background of this naked 3-tier vanilla cake.

Gold and Marble Three-Tier Cake

Marbleized upper and lower tiers surround a textured gold-frosted middle layer.

All You Need Is Love Blue Ribbon Cake

All You Need Is Love Blue Ribbon Wedding Cake photo by Antonis Achilleos — Source: The Knot

This sleek and sophisticated blue and white wedding cake is wrapped in sugar ribbons with pretty blue bows, complimented with the edible ink phrase: “All You Need Is Love.”

Heart Scrolls

Delicate icing scrolls cover this wedding cake with love.

Dramatic Black Wedding Cake

The Vanilla Bakeshop in California created this dramatic black fondant cake festooned with richly colored sugar flowers. You might expect this dark and decadent wedding cake to feature a more savory flavor inside, but you might be surprised the the couple choose strawberry shortcake.

Love Baby’s Breath Cake

Textured white icing creates a backdrop for two beautiful pink roses surrounded by baby’s breath.

Raspberry Delight

Simple, yet elegant. This cake designed by Ofelia Bakery features a semi-naked, three-tier cake with raspberries and baby’s breath as the garnish.

Multicolored Pastel Wedding Cake

Muted pastel colors flow through this beautiful two-tier creation.

Nearly Naked Rose Bouquet Cake

Simple, yet romantic, the nearly naked vanilla cake base really lets the rose bouquet shine in this gorgeous creation by Ava Bakes Cakes.

Nature’s Bounty

An abundance of botanical elements surround this three-tier cake which features one iced vanilla tier, one nearly naked vanilla tier, and one nearly naked chocolate tier.

Floral Swirl Wedding Cake

An absolutely phenomenal swirl of white roses help create this elegant and sophisticated cake.

Nearly Naked Fig Wedding Cake

Perfect for a fall wedding, this nearly naked cake features fig and eucalyptus accents for a rustic overall look.

Confetti Naked Wedding Cake

Confetti Wedding Cake by Mayflour Confections — Source: Martha Stewart Weddings

This super-fun confetti cake from Mayflour Confections lets the colorful confetti cake shine through with the use of minimal frosting.

Pine Forest Wedding Cake

A forest of sugar pine trees completely surround this 4-tier cake.

Oversize Bloom Cake

Oversized Bloom Wedding Cake photo by Addie Juell — Source: The Knot

An oversize sugar flower and colorful leaves create a dramatic display against a classic white backdrop.

Bohemian Basket Wedding Cake

I love the fall colors and the cornucopia feel to this gorgeous fall-inspired wedding cake by Nutmeg Cake Design.

Set of 3 Wedding Cakes

If you’re having troubles picking the right wedding cake for your reception, why not go for a trio of different styles and flavors.

Cactus Cake

Cactus Wedding Cake photo by Ashley Rae Photography — Source: Brides.com

Perfect for a desert-chic (not to be confused with dessert-chic) or Southwestern-style wedding.

Spring Bouquet

A gorgeous collection of spring flowers sits atop a semi-naked chocolate cake.

Daisy Delight

The pop of details with the daisy-encrusted layer among the rest of the cake – which remains classic white – really makes this cake stand out.

Tower of Mini Naked Wedding Cakes

A unique variation on the cupcake tower, this gorgeous display features a collection of mini, naked, multi-colored wedding cakes.

Hand-Painted Wedding Carrot Cake

Smaller than your standard wedding cake, what this 2-tiered, hand-painted carrot cake from Paradox Pastry lacks in height, it makes up for in beauty.

Anchors Away

For those who love the sea, this gorgeous wedding cake features rich nautical colors of green and blue and a nautical anchor to hold it all together.

Baroque Wedding Cake

You know what they say…. if it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it!

A Wedding Cake of Galactic Proportions

Galactic Wedding Cake by Cupplets Bakery — Source: Elle Decor

An out-of-this-world design by the masters of cake making at Cupplets Bakery.

Blue and White Wedding Cake and Cupcake Combo

Sophisticated yet fun, this cupcake tower has a single cake at the top for cutting, making it an attractive and easy to serve variation on the traditional wedding cake.

Botanical Elements Wedding Cake

Lightly iced and adorned with natural botanical elements.

Bursting with Flowers Wedding Cake

Sugar flowers, EVERYWHERE!!!

Pink Macaron & White Chocolate Tower Wedding Cake

This gorgeous cake by Sweet Bloom Cakes in Australia takes the tower concept to a whole new level.

Chocolate Hello Kitty Wedding Cake

If the bride and groom love some Hello Kitty, celebrate that as part of the wedding with this fun, custom cake creation.

Royal Inspiration – Princess Eugenie of York’s Wedding Cake

Fit for a princess, literally. This glorious wedding cake was featured at the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York. Its cascading fall foliage and monogram design was perfect for this autumnal royal wedding.