Martha Stewart Weddings

Fashion-Inspired Wedding Cakes

September 06, 2011

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Couture Confections

What makes a wedding gown special? Extraordinary embellishments, of course. Here, desserts get adorned with fabulous flounces, beautiful beading, and more.

Here, buttons transform a traditional fondant-covered wedding cake into an altogether whimsical one; they are made from sugar paste and tinted an ivory shade.

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Lace of Cakes

Credit: YunHee Kim

A favorite piece of vintage embroidery or even a trimming from your dress can make a lasting impression on your confection. To adorn this basic cake, New York City pastry chef Jason Schreiber coated lace trim with cornstarch, pressed it into gum paste with a rolling pin, and cut the impression out with a pastry wheel. After brushing the strips with rose-gold luster dust, Schreiber used clear piping gel to attach them, then lined the top of each with a thin band of white gum paste.

The details: Luster dust in Antique Silk, globalsugarart.com

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Ribbon and Bows

Made of sugar paste and trimmed with "stitching" along the edges, ribbons and bows decorate the top and each tier of this pretty, ladylike cake. A clever use of a perforation wheel makes it appear as if they have been stitched onto the fondant. The natty outlining of black food coloring, which helps define the white-on-white shapes, was painted on by hand. Aqua paper and vintage black-and-white ribbon wrap the extra-thick cake board.

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Fine Floral Applique

Credit: Sang An
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This enchanting cake takes inspiration from one of Alberta Ferretti's ornately designed dresses. Contributing editor Wendy Kromer, owner of Wendy Kromer Specialty Confections, crafted the blooms from gum paste and attached them to tiers covered in peach-tinted fondant with royal icing. To carry the peach theme to the filling, stick with jam, not fresh fruit. "Fondant cakes are made the day before an event, and anything fresh will start to ooze into the layers in a few hours," she says. As for the batter, opt for white or yellow cake, or add an element of surprise with dramatic dark chocolate.

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Romantic Ruffles

Credit: Sang An
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A David Fielden gown served as the inspiration for this cake. "To match the dress's airy feel, we formed dampened wafer paper into edible ruffles and pressed them into the buttercream," says Kromer. Come reception time, they serve a ruffled rosette with each slice.

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Beautiful Beading

Credit: Sang An

The net-and-bead fabric displayed as a tablecloth served as the model for this cake. The four tiers were covered in seafoam-green rolled fondant, then decorated with "reeds" made out of hand-piped royal icing; the beaded icing "leaves" on each stem were painted with luster dust to add shine. On the inside, "pick something light, like white pound cake and lemon frosting. They'd pair nicely with the grassy design," suggests Kromer.

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Showing Sequins

Credit: Sang An

To create this dazzling design with a glittering trim, Kromer used a scallop cutter to shape bands out of gum paste. Then she piped the edges with royal icing and sprinkled them with gold-colored sanding sugar and 10-karat-gold twinkle dust (available at fine cake-supply stores). Consider reflecting the warm gold tones of the cake's exterior with a spice cake and caramel buttercream, says Kromer.

The Details: Fabric for curtain, Mood Fabrics

. Sequin trim,

M&J Trimming

.

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Pretty Pleats

Credit: Sang An
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For an unexpected sweet course, set out confections reminiscent of pleated skirts. Associate food editor Kristina Kurek whipped up a silky caramel mousse with caramelized apples, then layered gold-flecked tuile cookies around it to make this stunning silhouette. Complete the look by displaying the individual portions on a ridged tablecloth, and invite guests to serve themselves.

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Elegant Embroidery

Credit: Sang An

A gorgeous Dior Couture skirt covered in geometric stitching set the style for this charming cake. Kromer used royal icing and different piping techniques to mimic the intricate needlework of a couture seamstress, fading out the design at the corners to emulate the original fabric. Like all the best fashion statements, it wouldn't be complete without the perfect accessory: favor boxes wrapped in overlapping ribbons.

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