Wedding Cake Icing Ideas

Traditionally wedding cakes were all made of fruit and were covered with marzipan and classic white royal icing, which was then decorated with lots of elaborate decoration. Nowadays however, wedding cakes generally are a lot simpler in design and are iced with smooth sugar paste icing or rolled fondant as it is known in the US. Sugar paste icing is extremely easy to work with and makes a perfect platform for all kinds of decorations.

Appliqué and Piping

Appliqué and simple piped decorations are two of the most popular techniques used to add detail to a wedding cake. The design can be as basic or as intricate as you like. These techniques also work well with sugar flowers or fresh flowers, especially if the design is simplistic and understated.

Sugar Flowers

Sugar flowers are extremely traditional and are still very popular on wedding cakes, although they are now a lot more contemporary looking and simplified without so many wires. Roses are still the most popular flower seen on wedding cakes, but cakes covered in blossoms of various types, sizes and colours are also a strong favourite. These decorations are all made from flower paste, a material which can be rolled extremely thin and can hold its shape once it has been moulded.

Brush Embroidery

Brush embroidery is another technique used to decorate a wedding cake. This is created by simply drawing an outline with royal icing and using a damp brush to pull the icing inwards, resulting in an interesting finish and texture on the smooth icing.

Embossing

By embossing various tools into the soft icing you can also achieve a really interesting design on the cake. Simple designs to match ribbed stationery for example can be created by pressing a ruler into the sugar paste as soon as it is iced. Flowers and other cutters can be used in the same way and make a really pretty effect on the cake.

Stencilling

Stencilling is a fairly new technique and gives a really modern and interesting feel. Complex and intricate designs can easily be achieved using this simple technique, which is more cost effective than hand-piped and handcrafted sugar decorations.

Buttercream Coated Cakes

Cakes coated and finished in buttercream are ideal if you are not so keen on smooth sweet fondant icing. Usually the icing is applied with a palette knife and scraper to give an almost rustic finish. Patterns in buttercream can also be piped on the cake with various shaped piping tips such as scrolls, basket weave and rosettes. Cakes decorated this way are usually then embellished with fresh flowers or small sugar flowers.

Article by Zoe Clark of The Cake Parlour

Images Courtesy of The Cake Parlour

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