Simple wedding cakes do not have to be plain. Square or triangular cakes are easy to make and decorate, and their uniqueness gives them stand-out appeal. For a square cake, cut a sheet cake in half and stack the pieces. For a triangle, cut the sheet cake diagonally.
A simple cake can be elegant, too. Simple and elegant wedding cakes are always a tasteful addition to a reception, and admired by all. Picture a single-tier white cake with silver sprinkles, blown-glass topper, and a flower or two for color. This couldn't be easier to design, and it looks classy, especially when displayed on a clear-glass or acrylic pedestal cake stand.
Flowers are the perfect simple wedding cake decorations, and among the most lovely. Check your own garden for possibilities. Look around also for objects that could be used to make simple and elegant wedding cakes extraordinary and special. Shells gathered on that romantic trip to Maui you and your spouse-to-be took last year? Or how about the one-of-a-kind antique figurine the two of you discovered in that quaint little shop? Ribbons, either tied in bows or left streaming, can create a stunning-but-simple effect. Fresh fruits are also simple wedding cake decorations.
If you're looking for simple wedding cakes on a healthy budget, consider a tiered cake with sleek, chic, white-fondant icing. Fondant will give any cake a classic look, and cause simple decorations, such as flowers or fruit, to shine. If you love the look of tiered cakes but don't want the fuss of setting one up and dismantling it for cutting, have the tiers displayed separately. You can buy white or clear supports designed just for this purpose, or you could use ordinary pedestal cake or dessert stands in various sizes.
Here's a time- and money-saving idea for someone who enjoys bucking tradition. Instead of having one spectacular wedding cake, have several simpler ones. You could recruit friends and family members to do the baking and decorating. The simple and elegant wedding cakes could be identical, or similar and decorated according to a unified theme, or even completely different. Set the simple wedding cakes on borrowed pedestal cake stands and use them as centerpieces for your guest tables. Each table could have its own theme with matching cake. Guests could cut their own pieces, or one guest per table could be designated "honorary cake cutter." Or the bride and groom could visit each table and cut the first slices of their simple wedding cakes.
Some couples prefer to display a fancy cake that's just for show, and have another (usually an easy-to-cut sheet cake) to serve. You could rent a faux wedding cake in as elaborate a style as you wish, then bring out cut pieces of sheet cake from the kitchen for guests to eat. Or you could skip the rented cake and just have a sheet wedding cake.
These are gaining in popularity, plus they're simple to decorate and display. They lend themselves well to humorous decorations, too. Another easy and relatively inexpensive possibility to consider is your local grocery-store bakery. Many of these will do simple wedding cakes on special order, and some even have catalogs you can browse. Taste-test one of their cakes first, to be sure you approve of the quality.
What if you don't own a fancy tray or platter and you want to display your simple and elegant wedding cakes? Cover a square or circle of plywood with wedding gift wrap or wrap that matches your wedding theme. Cover this with heavy sheet plastic from the fabric store, add a pretty paper doily, and you're ready to display your simple wedding cakes with uncommon style.
