Wedding Cake Trends with Meghan from Kendall’s Cakes

One thing that is truly synonomous with weddings is the wedding cake. And while other dessert fads come and go, I think couples will be continuing to serve wedding cake for generations to come. Wedding cakes are often covered in the perfect buttercream or fondant frosting, beautifully adorned with flowers, decorated with ribbon, stacked tall or kept small. The amount of time that goes into each design and the actual baking of the cake is no small feat.

I recently sat down with Meghan from Kendall’s Cakes, who is known for her perfectly moist and delicious flavors as well as her beautiful designs. It’s no surprise she is the preferred cake baker at many places in town, including one of our favorite venues, The Hay-Adams Hotel. Meghan shared her thoughts for wedding cake trends, flavors and finding inspiration for each design:

1) What are some current cake (design) trends that you love?

I love hand painted cakes. The water color painted look is so delicate and romantic. I love playing with different color palettes.

2) Are there any cake (design) trends that you are ready to see end?

Geodes. They’re very fun, but I don’t think it’s a timeless design.

Naked cakes. They are beautiful and rustic, but in the warm weather they’re not the best. Since there’s not any exterior icing there’s nothing to guarantee that the filling stays inside the cake.

3) Where do you suggest a client look for inspiration and ideas for their cake design?

I think inspiration can come from anything! I always suggest clients bring in a photo of their florals, invitation, and dress. However, inspiration can come from anything from a mercury glass candle holder to your favorite linen.

4) Where do you draw inspiration from for the cake design?

My favorite place to draw inspiration is from the wedding dress. I feel like the dress speaks so truly to the brides style that it’s fun to showcase that in the cake too.

I also love it if the couple has a back story that can be tied in. I did a wedding a few years ago that had a bee inspired cake. One of the grooms grew up on a bee farm so we did a hexagonal cake with honeycomb pressed fondant with a few fondant bees. It tied in perfectly with their yellow flowers and greenery. The flavor of course was our tupelo honey cake.

5) What are some of your favorite cake flavors – both new and tried and true?

My favorite cake flavors include our signature tupelo honey with white chocolate mousse and fresh blackberries. I also love the lemon mousse cake with fresh raspberries. It’s light and bright, perfect for a spring/summer wedding. The chocolate hazelnut is always delicious. For the fall, a pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting or the chocolate peanut butter are perfect.

6) How many cake flavors do you suggest a couple select?

I suggest a couple choose up to two flavors. If they fall in love with one, that’s great. I think it’s nice to give people a little variety, but you also don’t want to have too many choices because then someone might be disappointed that they didn’t get a particular flavor.