The Prettiest Ombré Wedding Cakes for Couples Who Love Color

By Sarah Schreiber
August 09, 2016
Meiwen Wang Photography

These confections make the case for unique, colorful desserts.

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Rachel Solomon

It's official: The ombré-everything wedding craze is here to stay. From ombré-inspired wedding dresses to delicate watercolor invitations that create an ombré effect all on their own, there's no stopping this fun, colorful trend. Not surprisingly, it's finally infiltrated another of our favorite big-day categories: the wedding cake.

You know this trend well, so you might think that you have a pretty clear idea of what an ombré confection looks like, but get ready to be completely surprised. Whether you opt for ombré buttercream icing with ruffles or choose to interpret the style on the interior (ombré layer cake!), there are so many ways to work this the trend into your wedding dessert. Plus, the ombré effect works on every color, shade, and hue imaginable.

It's hard to choose what we love most about this type of design, but we're consistently entranced by the sheer number of shades cake bakers are able to work into a color progression—transitioning seamlessly from dark to light (and sometimes back again!). One of our favorite color schemes? Starting with an electric fuchsia and then working your way to a soft, pretty blush. If you want to avoid bright, splashy hues, feel free to start your ombré with white and transition to pale blue and (finally!) deep indigo.

Intrigued? Browse through our favorite ombré cakes from real celebrations—they just might inspire you to serve up a similar confection at your own wedding.

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Modern Elegance

Meiwen Wang Photography

For this planner's modern nuptials, Just Bakecause whipped up this small, elegant dessert.

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Shades of Red

White Woodland

Sweet Lola used varying shades of red—including blush, magenta, and crimson—to create this blended ombré look.

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Pale Blue

Flora + Fauna
Discover 50 More Great Wedding Cakes

We loved how this creation's cake stand served as a continuation of the swirly blue ombré. The sugar feathers, air plant, and gold flecks were finishing touches.

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Layered Ombré

The McCartneys Photography
See More Small Wedding Cakes

Three distinct shades of pink gave this tiny Flourgirl Patissier creation a layered look.

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Stucco

Lauren Ashley Photography

Inspired by the appearance of a light stucco, Susie's Cakes used textured stark-white icing to contrast the blue-gray ombré middle layer.

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Peach and Succulents

The Nichols
More Ideas for Using Succulents at Your Wedding

Coco Paloma Desserts crafted this peachy-pink ombré treat, which was complete with a cascading succulent display.

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Fuchsia

Khaki Bedford Photography

A swirl of fuchsia paint created a natural ombré on the base of this three-tier cake, baked by Nashville Sweets.

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Barely There

TréCreative

Lovely Layers Cakery proved that you don't need highly-saturated color to make a statement ombré cake.

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Ombré Drip

Julie Shuford
Trending Now: Drip Wedding Cakes

This purple confection, created by Mwokaji Cakery, combined three wedding cake trends in one: ombré frosting, drip details, and floral embellishments.

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Oceanic

Ana Isabel Photography

Buttercream Bakeshop created this blue ombré masterpiece for a low-key, nautical-inspired wedding in Virginia.

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Brushstroke

Sarah Libby

Amy Cakes used cream, blush, and baby pink-hued candy melts to create this brushstroke treat.

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Charcoal

Amelia Johnson Photography
These Sugar Flowers Look So Real

The charcoal centers of the sugar anemones on this Fluffy Thoughts Cake confection tied the florals back to its ink-to-gray base.

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Textured

Anouschka Rokebrand Photography
Discover Fabric-Inspired Wedding Cakes

Sugarlips Cakes' peach ombré creation was all about texture, from the clover-shaped top tier to the ruffled base.

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Beribboned

Ashley Sawtelle

Sugar Breck used a real ribbon on this base of this gold-flecked cake, which helped create the soft cerulean ombré effect.

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Orange Ombré

Lisa Marshall Photography

This couple asked Best Little Cake House to incorporate their wedding colors—bright orange, pink, gold, and deep burgundy—into their reception confection. Take one look at this dessert, which also included a stenciled rim, a confetti-dusted top tier, and floral topper by Buds Etc., and it's safe to say that they absolutely delivered.

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Gradient Layers

Le Secret D'Audrey

Synie's Cakes showed us all that the ombré wedding cake trend isn't limited to fondant. A gradient layer cake made just as much of a statement (and was an amazing surprise for unsuspecting guests!).

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Turquoise Tint

Ashley Upchurch
Watercolor Wedding Ideas We Love

This tinted beauty's cream-to-turquoise frosting was a nod to the couple's watercolor theme.

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Green and Gold

Amber Gress
Go Inside This Couple’s Montauk Wedding

Nine Cakes created this five-tier with the couple's cam theme in mind, using golds and greens for a marble-ombré effect.

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Single Layer

Mary Costa Photography

This electric purple single layer cake was the product of dynamic duo Shindig Chic Creations and Magnolia Bakery.

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Ombré Swirls

Joielala Photographie
Pink and Red Wedding Cakes

This incredibly detailed confection from SusieCakes featured a vanilla confetti cake with lemon buttercream in a pink ombré swirl pattern.

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Ombré Wash

Aiala Hernando
Fresh Floral Wedding Cakes

Using dark-chocolate "leaves" underneath real rose petals produced an amazing fresh floral look on this small wedding cake. A wash of food coloring on the bottom tier created an ombré effect, and inside, layers of honey cake alternated with rose-flavored filling. 

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Ombré Ruffled Buttercream

Sara & Rocky Photography
Amazing Beach Wedding Cakes

This miniature coconut cake with ganache filling from Cabo Flowers and Cake was decorated with pink, ombré, ruffled buttercream layers and topped with kissing seahorses at this destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

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Raspberry Ombré

Danielle Coons Photography
New Wedding Cake Flavors You Haven't Tried Yet

Cake Life Bake Shop created this fun and unique ombré raspberry buttercream cake topped with a pile of fresh berries.

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By Sarah Schreiber